Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottesville, VA and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Charlottesville, VA: $2,973 a month against $3,154 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lihue, HI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Charlottesville, VA
Learn more

Charlottesville, VA Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Lihue, HI
Learn more

Lihue, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,973

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charlottesville, VA and in Lihue, HI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA versus $3,154 in Lihue, HI.

Charlottesville, VA $2,973
Lihue, HI $3,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,460 in Charlottesville, VA versus $5,524 in Lihue, HI.

Charlottesville, VA $4,460
Lihue, HI $5,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,948 in Charlottesville, VA versus $7,895 in Lihue, HI.

Charlottesville, VA $5,948
Lihue, HI $7,895

Living in Charlottesville, VA costs roughly 6% less than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charlottesville, VA 120% above, Lihue, HI 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$25.30 $25.30

-21.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$108 $108

-6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$13.02 $13.02

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$6.30 $6.30

-29.52%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.69 $3.69

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.48 $2.48

-24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 $6.44

$7.09 $7.09

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$7.82 $7.82

-25.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.89 $1.89

-41.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$6.42 $6.42

-42.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$2.95 $2.95

128.47%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$9.94 $9.94

-48.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$15.28 $15.28

5.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$15.46 $15.46

-0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$20.02 $20.02

-11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.87 $4.87

33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.30 $3.30

16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$8.96 $8.96

-17.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$9.79 $9.79

-18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$4.78 $4.78

35.98%

Onion (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.25 $6.25

4.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.29 $9.29

$12.06 $12.06

-22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$16.08 $16.08

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.70 $1.70

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.64 $1.64

132.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 $52.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$8.22 $8.22

-50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.82 $1.82

13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 $25.21

$15.26 $15.26

65.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.35 $1.35

-26.67%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

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

$25.2K $25.2K

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

$291 $291

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

$52.7 $52.7

$29.85 $29.85

76.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 $99.4

$60.2 $60.2

65.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$93.6 $93.6

-25.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 $7.56

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$9.16 $9.16

88.65%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$1,194 $1,194

16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$15.8K $15.8K

91.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.77 $47.77

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 $49.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$2,413 $2,413

-18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 $1,432

$1,964 $1,964

-27.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 $3,107

$5,301 $5,301

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,810 $4,810

-47.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,771 $2,771

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,612 $4,612

$1,961 $1,961

135.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.69

-1.49%

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

Last update for Charlottesville, VA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charlottesville, VA

$1.4K 48.2%

Lihue, HI

$2K 62.3% 37.1% $532

Groceries & Markets

Charlottesville, VA

$526 17.7%

Lihue, HI

$518 * 16.4% 1.6% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlottesville, VA

$443 14.9%

Lihue, HI

$90 * 2.9% 79.7% $353

Eating Out

Charlottesville, VA

$313 10.5%

Lihue, HI

$393 12.5% 25.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Charlottesville, VA

$140 4.7%

Lihue, HI

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Charlottesville, VA

$104 3.5%

Lihue, HI

$112 3.6% 7.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Charlottesville, VA

$14 * 0.5%

Lihue, HI

$78 2.5% 438% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA and $2,413 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charlottesville, VA pays 135% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Charlottesville, VA vs $108 in Lihue, HI. Groceries flip the comparison at $526 vs $518, with Lihue, HI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

07:56 7:56 AM

6 h behind Charlottesville, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,475

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Charlottesville, VA Lihue, HI 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Charlottesville, VA
Lihue, 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

Charlottesville, VA vs Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charlottesville, VA and Lihue, HI differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,973 vs $3,154 including rent). Charlottesville, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Charlottesville, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA versus $2,413 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lihue, HI pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,973 per month in Charlottesville, VA versus $3,154 in Lihue, HI – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Charlottesville, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Charlottesville, VA and Lihue, HI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Charlottesville, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lihue, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.