Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lihue, HI: $3,142 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Lihue, HI
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Lihue, 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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Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,142

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,142 in Lihue, HI versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

Lihue, HI $3,142
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,482 in Lihue, HI versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Lihue, HI $5,482
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,823 in Lihue, HI versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Lihue, HI $7,823
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in Lihue, HI costs roughly 26% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lihue, HI 134% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 $25.05

$27.00 $27.00

-7.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$122 $122

-10.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 $13.46

$14.98 $14.98

-10.15%

Cappuccino

$6.45 $6.45

$5.84 $5.84

10.45%

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

$3.69 $3.69

$3.77 $3.77

-2.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.67 $2.67

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.05 $8.05

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$9.84 $9.84

-16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.30 $1.30

40.77%

White Bread (500g)

$6.70 $6.70

$4.84 $4.84

38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.48 $4.48

-37.50%

Eggs

$10.28 $10.28

$6.14 $6.14

67.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.43 $15.43

$11.32 $11.32

36.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$15.78 $15.78

-4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 $19.57

$19.94 $19.94

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.24 $5.24

-7.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.33 $2.33

40.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$4.69 $4.69

89.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$5.65 $5.65

73.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.28 $3.28

46.65%

Onion (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.88 $2.88

107.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$12.78 $12.78

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 $16.00

$15.05 $15.05

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.96 $2.96

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.81 $2.81

-40.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.79 $1.79

12.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 $52.5

$104 $104

-49.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.08 $3.08

152.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.88 $1.88

-2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 $14.96

$31.58 $31.58

-52.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.62 $1.62

-21.60%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

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

$26.3K $26.3K

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

$288 $288

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

$29.64 $29.64

$77.9 $77.9

-61.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$80.5 $80.5

-25.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 $91.5

$74.2 $74.2

23.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 $8.86

$19.79 $19.79

-55.23%

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

$1,193 $1,193

$1,678 $1,678

-28.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$31.9K $31.9K

-49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 $2,435

$2,545 $2,545

-4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 $2,018

$2,443 $2,443

-17.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,150 $5,150

$5,518 $5,518

-6.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,275 $4,275

10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,019 $2,019

$4,173 $4,173

-51.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.86

-2.48%

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

Last update for Lihue, 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

Lihue, HI

$2K 63%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 21.1% $425

Groceries & Markets

Lihue, HI

$517 * 16.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 9.6% $49

Eating Out

Lihue, HI

$393 12.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 5.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Lihue, HI

$109 3.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 4.2% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihue, HI

$90 * 2.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 397% $357

Getting Around

Lihue, HI

$78 2.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 59.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Lihue, HI

- * 0%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

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 $2,435 in Lihue, HI and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $110 in Lihue, HI vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $517 vs $467, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

00:58 12:58 AM

3 h ahead of Lihue, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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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Highest

Between locations

Lihue, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihue, 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

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

Lihue, HI 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 Lihue, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $2,435 in Lihue, HI versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,142 per month in Lihue, HI versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 98% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lihue, HI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI 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.