Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Kailua, HI

For one person, living costs are similar in Brooklyn, NY and in Kailua, HI: $4,296 and $4,158 a month, rent and utilities included.

206

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
199

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,296

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brooklyn, NY and in Kailua, HI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brooklyn, NY and in Kailua, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,296 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $4,158 in Kailua, HI, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,296
Kailua, HI $4,158

A couple spends around $6,424 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $6,091 in Kailua, HI, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,424
Kailua, HI $6,091

A family of three spends $8,552 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $8,024 in Kailua, HI, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,552
Kailua, HI $8,024

Brooklyn, NY costs about 3% more than Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Kailua, HI sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 216%, Kailua, HI by 205%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$27.99 $27.99

-27.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$139 $139

-24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.68 $11.68

4.62%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$6.44 $6.44

-10.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.02 $3.02

-12.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.38 $2.38

-4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$9.40 $9.40

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.07 $9.07

$9.23 $9.23

-1.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.16 $2.16

-25.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.63 $4.63

$7.58 $7.58

-38.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$7.95 $7.95

-11.70%

Eggs

$6.23 $6.23

$8.24 $8.24

-24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$18.83 $18.83

-13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$16.04 $16.04

4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.28 $20.28

$21.78 $21.78

-6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$4.32 $4.32

-14.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$7.07 $7.07

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$9.39 $9.39

-37.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.62 $3.62

9.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.85 $4.85

-3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$4.51 $4.51

-41.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.18 $3.18

-19.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.08 $13.08

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.09 $21.09

$16.76 $16.76

25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.69 $2.69

0.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.12 $2.12

59.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.90 $3.90

-22.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$178 $178

$91.1 $91.1

95.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.60 $3.60

-18.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.59 $2.59

-15.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.28 $42.28

$44.45 $44.45

-4.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.26 $1.26

-8.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.4K $31.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$243 $243

$249 $249

-2.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$50.1 $50.1

19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$66.9 $66.9

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$70.8 $70.8

73.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.67 $34.67

$40.13 $40.13

-13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$19.82 $19.82

$18.73 $18.73

5.82%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,118 $3,118

$2,109 $2,109

47.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

30.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$62.3 $62.3

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.9 $74.9

$47.57 $47.57

57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$103 $103

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$129 $129

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,810 $3,810

$2,725 $2,725

39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 $2,499

$2,351 $2,351

6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,773 $7,773

$4,306 $4,306

80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,490 $4,490

$3,733 $3,733

20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K $12.3K

-0.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,490 $7,490

$9,638 $9,638

-22.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,579 $3,579

$4,764 $4,764

-24.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.7

-0.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58.2%

Kailua, HI

$2.4K 56.5% 6% $149

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$546 12.7%

Kailua, HI

$632 15.2% 15.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$364 8.5%

Kailua, HI

$366 8.8% 0.5% $1.7

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$347 8.1%

Kailua, HI

$423 10.2% 22.1% $77

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$204 4.8%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 39.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$172 4%

Kailua, HI

$154 3.7% 10.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.8%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 33.4% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,810 in Brooklyn, NY versus $2,725 in Kailua, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Kailua, HI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $139 in Kailua, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $632 – making Brooklyn, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

06:56 6:56 AM

6 h behind Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Kailua, HI 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
Kailua, HI

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brooklyn, NY vs Kailua, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY, $4,158 in Kailua, HI – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,444 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $6,237 in Kailua, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kailua, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,725 there versus $3,810 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $139 in Kailua, HI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY and $4,158 in Kailua, HI. That’s a gap of about 3%.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY and $4,158 in Kailua, HI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kailua, HI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.