Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honolulu, HI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,708 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,708

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honolulu, HI and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $3,708 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,708
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,954 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $5,954
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $8,200 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,200
Chicago, IL $5,999

Honolulu, HI costs about 22% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honolulu, HI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 172%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.73 $27.73

$20.71 $20.71

33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$89.2 $89.2

56.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 $15.03

$13.19 $13.19

13.95%

Cappuccino

$10.28 $10.28

$5.66 $5.66

81.63%

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

$4.84 $4.84

$2.64 $2.64

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.28 $2.28

56.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 $10.68

$6.87 $6.87

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.28 $11.28

$8.84 $8.84

27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.25 $1.25

74.40%

White Bread (500g)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.72 $3.72

102.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$5.39 $5.39

88.68%

Eggs

$8.69 $8.69

$4.74 $4.74

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.68 $27.68

$13.84 $13.84

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$14.40 $14.40

39.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 $21.26

$18.38 $18.38

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$7.99 $7.99

$5.22 $5.22

53.07%

Banana (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.98 $1.98

159.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$4.06 $4.06

66.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.48 $9.48

$4.97 $4.97

90.74%

Potato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.67 $2.67

80.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.66 $2.66

83.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.24 $2.24

129.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.13 $3.13

1.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 $12.91

$13.82 $13.82

-6.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.31 $18.31

$14.88 $14.88

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.54 $2.54

7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.51 $3.51

65.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.43 $2.43

26.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 $90.8

$73.5 $73.5

23.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.18 $3.18

7.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.39 $1.39

85.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.37 $45.37

$25.03 $25.03

81.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.20 $1.20

20.00%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

3.22%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.12%

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

$259 $259

$194 $194

33.08%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$69.5 $69.5

-4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$61.6 $61.6

7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 $53.8

$47.90 $47.90

12.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.55 $31.55

$27.34 $27.34

15.40%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$17.81 $17.81

11.51%

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

$2,174 $2,174

$1,794 $1,794

21.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-16.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$67.0 $67.0

-6.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.12 $47.12

$52.1 $52.1

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$102 $102

-1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$144 $144

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$2,526 $2,526

0.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,741 $1,741

$1,578 $1,578

10.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,407 $4,407

$4,738 $4,738

-6.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,603 $3,603

$2,693 $2,693

33.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,028 $9,028

$4,190 $4,190

115.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 $7,207

$2,768 $2,768

160.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,079 $4,079

$4,931 $4,931

-17.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.81

-1.62%

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

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honolulu, HI

$1.7K 47%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 9.4% $163

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$710 19.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 37% $262

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$500 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 31% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$391 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 16.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$153 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7.2% $11

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 21.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$94 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 10.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,529 in Honolulu, HI versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 21% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $140 in Honolulu, HI versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $710 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

4 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Honolulu, HI Chicago, IL 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, HI
Chicago, IL

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

Honolulu, HI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,708 in Honolulu, HI, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,562 per month in Honolulu, HI and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,529 in Honolulu, HI and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Honolulu, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $140 in Honolulu, HI and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,708 in Honolulu, HI and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,708 in Honolulu, HI. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.