Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kailua, HI and Ridgecrest, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ridgecrest, CA: $2,460 a month against $4,083 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

198

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ridgecrest, CA
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Ridgecrest, CA Living Index

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Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,083

/mo nomad

Ridgecrest, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,083 in Kailua, HI versus $2,460 in Ridgecrest, CA.

Kailua, HI $4,083
Ridgecrest, CA $2,460

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,047 in Kailua, HI versus $3,873 in Ridgecrest, CA.

Kailua, HI $6,047
Ridgecrest, CA $3,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,011 in Kailua, HI versus $5,286 in Ridgecrest, CA.

Kailua, HI $8,011
Ridgecrest, CA $5,286

Living in Kailua, HI is roughly 66% more expensive than in Ridgecrest, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kailua, HI 202% above, Ridgecrest, CA 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.34 $27.34

$22.30 $22.30

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$91.3 $91.3

52.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$14.94 $14.94

-24.36%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$6.09 $6.09

0.99%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.09 $3.09

-5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.02 $2.02

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 $9.27

$7.85 $7.85

18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.88 $10.88

-15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.97 $0.97

126.80%

White Bread (500g)

$7.29 $7.29

$4.52 $4.52

61.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.15 $7.15

8.95%

Eggs

$8.22 $8.22

$5.11 $5.11

60.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$19.37 $19.37

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.23 $16.23

$14.79 $14.79

9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.84 $21.84

$22.18 $22.18

-1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$7.72 $7.72

$8.38 $8.38

-7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.25 $3.25

35.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.36 $6.36

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$10.09 $10.09

-4.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$8.88 $8.88

-57.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.92 $4.92

-2.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.54 $3.54

27.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.79 $2.79

13.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.63 $11.63

11.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.74 $16.74

$15.69 $15.69

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.30 $2.30

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$4.62 $4.62

-55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 $3.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 $90.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.95 $2.95

18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.44 $2.44

8.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.72 $44.72

$61.1 $61.1

-26.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.53 $1.53

-16.34%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.31%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.5K $26.5K

-0.52%

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

$248 $248

$257 $257

-3.32%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$74.5 $74.5

-32.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$50.2 $50.2

31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 $70.2

$31.74 $31.74

121.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 $40.36

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 $18.85

$9.76 $9.76

93.14%

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

$2,142 $2,142

$1,015 $1,015

111.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$40.6K $40.6K

-32.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$85.9 $85.9

-28.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 $46.91

$46.29 $46.29

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$79.3 $79.3

26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$132 $132

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 $2,798

$915 $915

205.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 $2,290

$904 $904

153.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$1,912 $1,912

118.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,745 $3,745

$1,805 $1,805

107.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K $12.3K

$13.2K $13.2K

-6.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,901 $9,901

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,744 $4,744

$5,556 $5,556

-14.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.63

2.41%

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

Last update for Kailua, HI: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ridgecrest, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.1%

Ridgecrest, CA

$904 36.7% 60.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Kailua, HI

$633 15.5%

Ridgecrest, CA

$576 23.4% 9% $57

Eating Out

Kailua, HI

$413 10.1%

Ridgecrest, CA

$378 15.4% 8.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kailua, HI

$364 8.9%

Ridgecrest, CA

$381 15.5% 4.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kailua, HI

$152 3.7%

Ridgecrest, CA

$155 6.3% 1.4% $2.1

Getting Around

Kailua, HI

$123 3%

Ridgecrest, CA

$15 * 0.6% 87.7% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6%

Ridgecrest, CA

$51 2.1% 52.5% $57

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 $2,798 in Kailua, HI and $915 in Ridgecrest, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ridgecrest, CA pays 17% 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 $91 in Ridgecrest, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $633 vs $576 per month, with Ridgecrest, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 Ridgecrest, CA

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

16:43 4:43 PM

2 h ahead of Kailua, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,975

27,959

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kailua, HI Ridgecrest, CA 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kailua, HI
Ridgecrest, 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 Ridgecrest, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ridgecrest, CA is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Kailua, HI. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,798 in Kailua, HI versus $915 in Ridgecrest, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,142 in Kailua, HI versus $1,015 in Ridgecrest, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ridgecrest, CA – a meal for two runs $91 versus $139 in Kailua, HI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.