Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Honolulu, HI: $3,943 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Angeles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

190

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

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honolulu, 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 Honolulu, HI and in Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,943 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,943
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

A couple spends around $6,041 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $6,041
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

A family of three spends $8,140 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,140
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Honolulu, HI is about 7% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honolulu, HI and Los Angeles, CA sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 194%, Los Angeles, CA by 218%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.98 $27.98

$27.00 $27.00

3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$122 $122

13.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.98 $14.98

-0.07%

Cappuccino

$10.46 $10.46

$5.84 $5.84

79.11%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$3.77 $3.77

34.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.67 $2.67

31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.29 $10.29

$8.05 $8.05

27.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.46 $11.46

$9.84 $9.84

16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.30 $1.30

72.31%

White Bread (500g)

$7.93 $7.93

$4.84 $4.84

63.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$4.48 $4.48

128.13%

Eggs

$8.68 $8.68

$6.14 $6.14

41.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.37 $28.37

$11.32 $11.32

150.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$15.78 $15.78

24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 $21.26

$19.94 $19.94

6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.24 $5.24

56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.33 $2.33

121.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$4.69 $4.69

44.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$5.65 $5.65

72.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.28 $3.28

52.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.88 $2.88

61.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.10 $2.10

151.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.44 $2.44

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.47 $12.47

$12.78 $12.78

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$15.05 $15.05

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.96 $2.96

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$2.81 $2.81

98.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.79 $1.79

65.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 $90.5

$104 $104

-12.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.08 $3.08

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.88 $1.88

36.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.98 $43.98

$31.58 $31.58

39.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.62 $1.62

-11.73%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$37.7K $37.7K

-5.85%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.38%

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

$252 $252

$288 $288

-12.43%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$77.9 $77.9

-15.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$80.5 $80.5

-17.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 $62.9

$74.2 $74.2

-15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.80 $31.80

$11.90 $11.90

167.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$19.79 $19.79

0.35%

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

$2,138 $2,138

$1,678 $1,678

27.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-14.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$91.3 $91.3

-31.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 $45.96

$65.7 $65.7

-30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$121 $121

-17.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$206 $206

-35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$2,545 $2,545

14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,443 $2,443

-20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,002 $5,002

$5,518 $5,518

-9.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,662 $3,662

$4,275 $4,275

-14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,608 $8,608

$7,211 $7,211

19.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,060 $7,060

$6,930 $6,930

1.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$4,173 $4,173

-0.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.86

-2.33%

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

Last update for Honolulu, 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

Honolulu, HI

$1.9K 49.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 26.1% $506

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 34.7% $249

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$503 12.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 17.1% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$384 9.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 16.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 41.7% $64

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 4.1% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$103 2.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 10.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,908 in Honolulu, 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 1% higher in Los Angeles, CA, 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 $139 in Honolulu, HI versus $122 in Los Angeles, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $716 vs $467 – making Los Angeles, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

3 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

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

Honolulu, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, 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

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

Los Angeles, CA costs about 8% more than Honolulu, 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 $5,914 per month in Honolulu, 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 Honolulu, 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 $3,943 in Honolulu, HI and $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Honolulu, HI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,943 in Honolulu, 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. Honolulu, HI costs $3,943 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 Honolulu, 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.