Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilo, HI: $2,865 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilo, HI and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,865 per month in Hilo, HI vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Hilo, HI $2,865
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $4,388 per month in Hilo, HI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Hilo, HI $4,388
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,910 per month in Hilo, HI vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Hilo, HI $5,910
New York, NY $9,641

Hilo, HI is about 42% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hilo, HI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Hilo, HI by 112%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$26.93 $26.93

-22.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$117 $117

-31.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$14.60 $14.60

-16.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.54 $6.54

-13.91%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$3.86 $3.86

-24.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.95 $2.95

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 $6.32

$8.08 $8.08

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$9.85 $9.85

-23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.31 $1.31

33.59%

White Bread (500g)

$10.08 $10.08

$4.97 $4.97

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$7.70 $7.70

-44.42%

Eggs

$7.07 $7.07

$6.09 $6.09

16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 $19.98

$19.55 $19.55

2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$17.59 $17.59

-0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.15 $30.15

$20.26 $20.26

48.82%

Apples (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$6.99 $6.99

22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.21 $2.21

8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$6.72 $6.72

55.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$7.12 $7.12

71.49%

Potato (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.61 $4.61

96.10%

Onion (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.78 $4.78

63.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.87 $2.87

86.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.69 $2.69

12.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$19.14 $19.14

-37.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.03 $22.03

$19.63 $19.63

12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.32 $3.32

-46.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.04 $3.04

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.20 $2.20

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.57 $23.57

$41.33 $41.33

-42.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.13 $1.13

24.78%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-25.98%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.73%

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

$302 $302

$232 $232

29.95%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$71.0 $71.0

-4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 $125

$67.7 $67.7

85.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 $37.04

$115 $115

-67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.30 $25.30

$76.8 $76.8

-67.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$22.41 $22.41

-40.92%

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

$3,606 $3,606

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$68.7K $68.7K

-82.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 $36.77

$79.3 $79.3

-53.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 $29.88

$51.4 $51.4

-41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$121 $121

-44.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 $83.9

$140 $140

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 $1,463

$4,555 $4,555

-67.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 $1,142

$3,040 $3,040

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,574 $2,574

$9,742 $9,742

-73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$5,331 $5,331

-58.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,600 $5,600

$18.2K $18.2K

-69.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

$6,685 $6,685

-30.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,795 $3,795

$5,096 $5,096

-25.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.89

-3.92%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 166% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 20.7% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 25% $124

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 25.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 80.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 152% $97

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 1176% $152

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,463 in Hilo, HI versus $4,555 in New York, NY. 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 34% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Hilo, HI versus $117 in New York, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $715 in Hilo, HI vs $567 in New York, NY – so New York, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

5 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hilo, HI New York, NY 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,297 per month in Hilo, HI and $7,358 in New York, NY. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,463 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,865 in Hilo, HI and $4,906 in New York, NY. That makes Hilo, HI about 42% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,865 in Hilo, HI and $4,906 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,865 in Hilo, HI to $4,906 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hilo, HI. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.