Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Kauai, Hawaii: $2,605 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
195

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

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Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,605
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,851
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,097
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Living in Kauai, Hawaii costs roughly 36% 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: Kauai, Hawaii 91% above, Los Angeles, CA 198% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$27.02 $27.02

-28.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$121 $121

-37.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$15.21 $15.21

-27.81%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$5.78 $5.78

-14.36%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.79 $3.79

-33.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.69 $2.69

-27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$7.76 $7.76

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$9.98 $9.98

-30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 $1.29

-23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.68 $4.68

-25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.58 $4.58

-6.77%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$5.35 $5.35

-23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.27 $11.27

10.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$16.16 $16.16

-28.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$19.42 $19.42

-19.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.24 $5.24

-8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.33 $2.33

-30.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.62 $4.62

-5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$5.56 $5.56

-17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.38 $3.38

-15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.93 $2.93

-1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.95 $1.95

2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.43 $2.43

-10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$11.99 $11.99

-21.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$15.05 $15.05

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.94 $2.94

-39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.71 $2.71

26.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.72 $1.72

19.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$105 $105

-46.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.05 $3.05

16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.87 $1.87

-16.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$32.19 $32.19

-9.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.57 $1.57

-46.50%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-15.10%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

-3.78%

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

$185 $185

$280 $280

-34.11%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$78.4 $78.4

-31.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$79.1 $79.1

-13.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$71.2 $71.2

-39.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 $13.53

$18.32 $18.32

-26.15%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$1,722 $1,722

-25.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$31.7K $31.7K

-27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$91.6 $91.6

-45.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 $39.37

$65.7 $65.7

-40.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$117 $117

-27.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$210 $210

-46.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$2,547 $2,547

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$2,295 $2,295

-42.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,647 $2,647

$5,372 $5,372

-50.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$4,158 $4,158

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$7,171 $7,171

-60.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$6,923 $6,923

-64.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.86

-5.10%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 25, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 72.7% $966

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 19.8% $76

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 34.4% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 42.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 68.9% $89

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 64.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 53.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii and $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $121 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $462 per month, with Kauai, Hawaii cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

3 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Los Angeles, CA 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
Los Angeles, CA

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kauai, Hawaii vs Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kauai, Hawaii wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Los Angeles, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kauai, Hawaii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii and $6,090 in Los Angeles, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kauai, Hawaii runs roughly 47% less than in Los Angeles, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,282 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,722 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 $2,000. Kauai, Hawaii 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 Kauai, Hawaii delivers better value at $2,605 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kauai, Hawaii hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kauai, Hawaii gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.