Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilo, HI: $2,966 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilo, HI and in Los Angeles, CA

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

A single person spends $2,966 per month in Hilo, HI vs $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Hilo, HI $2,966
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

A couple spends around $4,340 per month in Hilo, HI vs $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Hilo, HI $4,340
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

A family of three spends $5,713 per month in Hilo, HI vs $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Hilo, HI $5,713
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Hilo, HI is about 30% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hilo, HI and Los Angeles, CA sit above the global median – Hilo, HI by 121%, Los Angeles, CA by 218%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 $19.26

$27.00 $27.00

-28.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$122 $122

-37.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$14.98 $14.98

-18.49%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$5.84 $5.84

-2.05%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$3.77 $3.77

-28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.67 $2.67

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$8.05 $8.05

-23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$9.84 $9.84

-28.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.30 $1.30

35.38%

White Bread (500g)

$9.55 $9.55

$4.84 $4.84

97.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.48 $4.48

-4.46%

Eggs

$6.72 $6.72

$6.14 $6.14

9.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.71 $19.71

$11.32 $11.32

74.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.73 $17.73

$15.78 $15.78

12.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.34 $30.34

$19.94 $19.94

52.16%

Apples (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$5.24 $5.24

63.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.33 $2.33

6.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.21 $10.21

$4.69 $4.69

117.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$5.65 $5.65

110.62%

Potato (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$3.28 $3.28

170.43%

Onion (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$2.88 $2.88

163.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.10 $2.10

162.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.44 $2.44

25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$12.78 $12.78

-5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.62 $21.62

$15.05 $15.05

43.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.96 $2.96

-40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.08 $3.08

34.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.88 $1.88

-34.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.62 $1.62

-11.11%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$37.7K $37.7K

-19.56%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.85%

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

$297 $297

$288 $288

3.15%

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

$65.7 $65.7

$77.9 $77.9

-15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 $126

$80.5 $80.5

56.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 $43.55

$74.2 $74.2

-41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 $24.52

$11.90 $11.90

106.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$19.79 $19.79

-33.60%

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

$1,678 $1,678

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.10 $37.10

$91.3 $91.3

-59.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.30 $30.30

$65.7 $65.7

-53.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$121 $121

-44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 $83.8

$206 $206

-59.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$2,545 $2,545

-33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$2,443 $2,443

-48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$5,518 $5,518

-60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$4,275 $4,275

-51.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,484 $5,484

$7,211 $7,211

-23.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,339 $5,339

$6,930 $6,930

-22.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,434 $4,434

$4,173 $4,173

6.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.86

-3.50%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.3K 42.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 94.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$707 * 23.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 33.9% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$489 16.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 8.6% $42

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$324 11%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 28.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 122% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$70 2.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 62.9% $44

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 1102% $113

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,682 in Hilo, HI versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. 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 6% higher in Hilo, 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 $76.0 in Hilo, HI versus $122 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $707 in Hilo, HI vs $467 in Los Angeles, CA – so Los Angeles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

3 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hilo, HI Los Angeles, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
Los Angeles, CA

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

Hilo, HI vs Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Angeles, CA costs about 44% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,450 per month in Hilo, HI and $6,388 in Los Angeles, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hilo, HI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,966 in Hilo, HI and $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA. That's a gap of about 44%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 51% cheaper in Los Angeles, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,966 in Hilo, HI and $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hilo, HI costs $2,966 versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hilo, HI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Angeles, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.