Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kailua, HI and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,762 a month against $4,083 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,083

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kailua, HI and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,083 in Kailua, HI versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

Kailua, HI $4,083
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,047 in Kailua, HI versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

Kailua, HI $6,047
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,011 in Kailua, HI versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

Kailua, HI $8,011
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in Kailua, HI is roughly 9% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kailua, HI 202% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.34 $27.34

$23.80 $23.80

14.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$98.6 $98.6

41.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$14.94 $14.94

-24.36%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$6.79 $6.79

-9.43%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.23 $3.23

-9.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.15 $3.15

-24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.21 $8.21

12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.87 $7.87

17.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.17 $1.17

88.03%

White Bread (500g)

$7.29 $7.29

$5.29 $5.29

37.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.76 $5.76

35.24%

Eggs

$8.22 $8.22

$4.89 $4.89

68.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$20.25 $20.25

-5.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.23 $16.23

$17.95 $17.95

-9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.84 $21.84

$23.35 $23.35

-6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$7.72 $7.72

$5.94 $5.94

29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.89 $1.89

132.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.35 $5.35

32.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$6.57 $6.57

47.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.39 $3.39

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.88 $2.88

65.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.89 $2.89

56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.43 $2.43

30.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.18 $12.18

6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.74 $16.74

$15.24 $15.24

9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.38 $4.38

-39.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.89 $5.89

-65.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.96 $2.96

34.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 $90.5

$109 $109

-17.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.52 $2.52

38.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.72 $1.72

54.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.72 $44.72

$29.70 $29.70

50.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$36.2K $36.2K

-3.08%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.62%

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

$248 $248

$289 $289

-14.09%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$69.1 $69.1

-27.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$84.8 $84.8

-22.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.4 $69.4

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 $40.36

$35.05 $35.05

15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 $18.85

$17.97 $17.97

4.90%

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

$2,142 $2,142

$2,819 $2,819

-23.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$43.9K $43.9K

-37.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$91.2 $91.2

-32.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 $46.91

$55.1 $55.1

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$127 $127

-20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$162 $162

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 $2,798

$2,579 $2,579

8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 $2,290

$1,943 $1,943

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$5,100 $5,100

-17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,745 $3,745

$3,541 $3,541

5.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K $12.3K

$7,357 $7,357

67.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,901 $9,901

$4,921 $4,921

101.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,744 $4,744

$6,448 $6,448

-26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.8

-0.15%

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

Last update for Kailua, HI: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 15.2% $348

Groceries & Markets

Kailua, HI

$633 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 14.1% $89

Eating Out

Kailua, HI

$413 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kailua, HI

$364 8.9%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 21.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Kailua, HI

$152 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 28.5% $43

Getting Around

Kailua, HI

$123 3%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 7.3% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 2.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,798 in Kailua, HI and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% 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 $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $633 vs $544 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

2 h ahead of Kailua, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,975

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Kailua, HI Seattle, WA 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kailua, HI
Seattle, WA

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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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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 $2,579 in Seattle, WA. 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 Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,142 in Kailua, HI versus $2,819 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.