Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Kailua, HI and in Los Angeles, CA: $4,119 and $4,197 a month, rent and utilities included.

201

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index
204

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,119

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,119 in Kailua, HI versus $4,197 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kailua, HI $4,119
Los Angeles, CA $4,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,034 in Kailua, HI versus $6,205 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kailua, HI $6,034
Los Angeles, CA $6,205

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,950 in Kailua, HI versus $8,214 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kailua, HI $7,950
Los Angeles, CA $8,214

Living in Kailua, HI costs roughly 2% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kailua, HI 205% above, Los Angeles, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.44 $27.44

$26.28 $26.28

4.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$118 $118

17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 $11.31

$15.19 $15.19

-25.54%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$6.04 $6.04

4.14%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.76 $3.76

-18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.75 $2.75

-16.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.78 $9.78

$7.84 $7.84

24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.20 $9.20

$10.15 $10.15

-9.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.34 $1.34

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.84 $4.84

60.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.90 $7.90

$4.65 $4.65

69.89%

Eggs

$8.13 $8.13

$5.54 $5.54

46.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.97 $18.97

$11.32 $11.32

67.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$15.73 $15.73

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.45 $21.45

$19.68 $19.68

8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.18 $5.18

53.09%

Banana (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.32 $2.32

93.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$4.64 $4.64

45.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$5.50 $5.50

73.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.42 $3.42

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.89 $2.89

61.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.95 $1.95

129.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.45 $2.45

23.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.67 $12.67

$13.20 $13.20

-4.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 $16.63

$15.09 $15.09

10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.98 $2.98

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.70 $2.70

-21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.74 $1.74

125.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 $90.7

$106 $106

-14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.08 $3.08

16.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.82 $1.82

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.40 $45.40

$32.69 $32.69

38.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.56 $1.56

-16.67%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$37.7K $37.7K

-5.84%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.07%

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

$249 $249

$278 $278

-10.37%

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

$49.11 $49.11

$77.7 $77.7

-36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$79.0 $79.0

-16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 $71.4

$76.0 $76.0

-6.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.59 $39.59

$12.18 $12.18

225.04%

Cinema Ticket

$18.47 $18.47

$19.72 $19.72

-6.34%

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

$2,175 $2,175

$1,706 $1,706

27.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K $26.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$90.3 $90.3

-31.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.54 $47.54

$65.3 $65.3

-27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$118 $118

-15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$212 $212

-38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 $2,786

$2,502 $2,502

11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 $2,320

$2,426 $2,426

-4.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$5,595 $5,595

-25.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,679 $3,679

$4,226 $4,226

-12.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K $12.3K

$7,335 $7,335

67.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,689 $9,689

$7,136 $7,136

35.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,797 $4,797

$3,972 $3,972

20.79%

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 Kailua, HI: October 10, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 4.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Kailua, HI

$632 15.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$464 11.1% 26.6% $168

Eating Out

Kailua, HI

$418 10.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$414 9.9% 0.9% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kailua, HI

$364 8.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$434 10.4% 19.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Kailua, HI

$153 3.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$219 5.2% 42.8% $65

Getting Around

Kailua, HI

$123 3%

Los Angeles, CA

$125 3% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$115 2.8% 6.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,786 in Kailua, HI and $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kailua, HI pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Kailua, HI vs $118 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $632 vs $464 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

13:32 1:32 PM

3 h ahead of Kailua, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,975

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kailua, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kailua, 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

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

Kailua, HI is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Kailua, 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: $2,786 in Kailua, HI versus $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kailua, HI runs roughly 17% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,175 in Kailua, HI versus $1,706 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $4,000. Kailua, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kailua, HI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kailua, 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 Kailua, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.