Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Honolulu, HI: $3,963 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New York, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

190

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index
239

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

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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,963

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honolulu, 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 Honolulu, HI and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,963 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,963
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $6,161 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $6,161
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $8,359 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,359
New York, NY $9,608

Honolulu, HI is about 20% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honolulu, HI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 193%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.50 $28.50

$24.99 $24.99

14.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 $143

$120 $120

18.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.74 $13.74

10.99%

Cappuccino

$10.44 $10.44

$6.60 $6.60

58.18%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$3.82 $3.82

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.87 $2.87

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.40 $10.40

$7.95 $7.95

30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.66 $11.66

$10.06 $10.06

15.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.37 $1.37

59.85%

White Bread (500g)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.75 $4.75

58.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.69 $7.69

30.30%

Eggs

$8.50 $8.50

$5.87 $5.87

44.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.23 $28.23

$19.25 $19.25

46.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.21 $20.21

$17.83 $17.83

13.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.80 $21.80

$19.03 $19.03

14.56%

Apples (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$6.69 $6.69

23.77%

Banana (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.29 $2.29

134.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$6.41 $6.41

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.80 $9.80

$6.75 $6.75

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.93 $3.93

23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.52 $4.52

7.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.79 $2.79

89.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.51 $2.51

21.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 $13.26

$18.10 $18.10

-26.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.77 $17.77

$20.16 $20.16

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.26 $3.26

-17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.75 $3.75

51.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.92 $2.92

0.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 $90.7

$143 $143

-36.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.06 $3.06

16.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.16 $2.16

18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.20 $45.20

$41.33 $41.33

9.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.12 $1.12

23.21%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$33.1K $33.1K

9.11%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.99%

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

$256 $256

$219 $219

16.52%

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

$67.4 $67.4

$75.3 $75.3

-10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$70.5 $70.5

-5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 $64.9

$116 $116

-43.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.37 $31.37

$67.6 $67.6

-53.61%

Cinema Ticket

$20.22 $20.22

$21.37 $21.37

-5.38%

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

$2,123 $2,123

$3,432 $3,432

-38.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$61.7K $61.7K

-56.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$74.9 $74.9

-16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.82 $45.82

$52.1 $52.1

-12.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$117 $117

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$135 $135

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,941 $2,941

$4,347 $4,347

-32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$3,117 $3,117

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,026 $5,026

$9,110 $9,110

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,687 $3,687

$5,379 $5,379

-31.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,589 $8,589

$19.3K $19.3K

-55.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$6,943 $6,943

5.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,099 $4,099

$5,238 $5,238

-21.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.85

-2.19%

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

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 17, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honolulu, HI

$2K 49.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 58.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.1%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 22.8% $163

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$509 12.8%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 20% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$389 9.8%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 6.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 10.5% $16

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 41.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$105 2.7%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 50.2% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,941 in Honolulu, HI versus $4,347 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 28% 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 $143 in Honolulu, HI versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $716 vs $552 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

11:41 11:41 AM

6 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Honolulu, HI New York, NY 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 25% 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 $5,945 per month in Honolulu, HI and $7,407 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 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 $3,963 in Honolulu, HI and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 57% 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 $3,963 in Honolulu, HI and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Honolulu, HI costs $3,963 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. 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, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.