Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kahului, HI: $3,921 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Kahului, HI
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Kahului, 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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Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,921

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,921 in Kahului, HI versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kahului, HI $3,921
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,707 in Kahului, HI versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kahului, HI $5,707
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Kahului, HI versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kahului, HI $7,492
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in Kahului, HI costs roughly 8% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kahului, HI 193% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$48.90 $48.90

$27.00 $27.00

81.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$122 $122

-38.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.62 $18.62

$14.98 $14.98

24.30%

Cappuccino

$7.03 $7.03

$5.84 $5.84

20.38%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$3.77 $3.77

-25.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.67 $2.67

29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 $4.91

$8.05 $8.05

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$9.84 $9.84

-22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.30 $1.30

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$7.01 $7.01

$4.84 $4.84

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.74 $8.74

$4.48 $4.48

95.09%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$6.14 $6.14

6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$11.32 $11.32

-21.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.78 $15.78

-3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$19.94 $19.94

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$12.85 $12.85

$5.24 $5.24

145.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.33 $2.33

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$5.65 $5.65

139.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.81 $2.81

118.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.79 $1.79

14.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.08 $45.08

$104 $104

-56.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.74 $34.74

$31.58 $31.58

10.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.62 $1.62

-22.22%

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

$40.0K $40.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

6.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.50%

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

$297 $297

$288 $288

3.04%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$77.9 $77.9

-9.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 $52.6

$80.5 $80.5

-34.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

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)

$55.1 $55.1

$91.3 $91.3

-39.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$65.7 $65.7

-39.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 $94.5

$121 $121

-22.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$206 $206

-40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 $2,308

$2,545 $2,545

-9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 $2,251

$2,443 $2,443

-7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,955 $3,955

$5,518 $5,518

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,772 $3,772

$4,275 $4,275

-11.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K $11.7K

$7,211 $7,211

62.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K $11.8K

$6,930 $6,930

70.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,765 $4,765

$4,173 $4,173

14.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: October 5, 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

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 57.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 8.6% $193

Eating Out

Kahului, HI

$596 15.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 30.1% $180

Groceries & Markets

Kahului, HI

$469 * 11.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 0.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kahului, HI

$420 10.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 6.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Kahului, HI

$141 3.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 54.8% $77

Getting Around

Kahului, HI

$53 * 1.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 132% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Kahului, HI

- * 0%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,308 in Kahului, HI and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Kahului, HI vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $469 vs $467, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

3 h ahead of Kahului, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,337

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

Kahului, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kahului, 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

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

Kahului, HI wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Los Angeles, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kahului, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Kahului, HI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,308 in Kahului, HI versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Angeles, CA pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,921 per month in Kahului, HI versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kahului, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kahului, HI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kahului, HI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kahului, HI and Los Angeles, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kahului, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.