Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and San Francisco, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lihue, HI: $3,194 a month against $4,356 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index

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Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,194 in Lihue, HI versus $4,356 in San Francisco, CA.

Lihue, HI $3,194
San Francisco, CA $4,356

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,556 in Lihue, HI versus $6,614 in San Francisco, CA.

Lihue, HI $5,556
San Francisco, CA $6,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,919 in Lihue, HI versus $8,871 in San Francisco, CA.

Lihue, HI $7,919
San Francisco, CA $8,871

Living in Lihue, HI costs roughly 27% less than in San Francisco, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lihue, HI 135% above, San Francisco, CA 220% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$27.55 $27.55

-8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$122 $122

-9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$14.92 $14.92

-12.67%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$6.00 $6.00

9.17%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.23 $3.23

18.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.71 $2.71

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.76 $7.76

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.78 $8.78

-9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.77 $1.77

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$6.56 $6.56

$5.24 $5.24

25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.80 $4.80

-41.46%

Eggs

$10.19 $10.19

$4.95 $4.95

105.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$16.60 $16.60

-7.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$15.50 $15.50

-2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$22.61 $22.61

-10.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$6.10 $6.10

-21.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.70 $2.70

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$4.46 $4.46

92.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$6.90 $6.90

46.81%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.91 $2.91

73.54%

Onion (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$3.61 $3.61

75.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.99 $11.99

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$14.33 $14.33

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.21 $3.21

-47.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.53 $3.53

-52.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.04 $3.04

-35.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$91.6 $91.6

-42.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 $7.88

$4.04 $4.04

95.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.08 $2.08

-8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 $15.25

$39.29 $39.29

-61.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.56 $1.56

-16.67%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

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

$26.6K $26.6K

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

$214 $214

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

$30.21 $30.21

$61.6 $61.6

-50.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$76.9 $76.9

-21.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 $91.9

$104 $104

-12.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 $20.59

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 $9.01

$17.82 $17.82

-49.44%

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

$1,200 $1,200

$2,982 $2,982

-59.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$41.9K $41.9K

-61.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.71 $49.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$3,572 $3,572

-34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$2,648 $2,648

-24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,245 $5,245

$5,705 $5,705

-8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,812 $4,812

$4,902 $4,902

-1.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K $10.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,203 $8,203

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,987 $1,987

$6,813 $6,813

-70.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.76

-1.04%

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

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.8%

Groceries & Markets

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$514 11.8%

Eating Out

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$417 9.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$166 3.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$140 3.2%

Getting Around

Lihue, HI

–

San Francisco, CA

$118 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,353 in Lihue, HI and $3,572 in San Francisco, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco, CA pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $111 in Lihue, HI vs $122 in San Francisco, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $519 vs $514, with San Francisco, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

2 h ahead of Lihue, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

873,965

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lihue, HI San Francisco, CA 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihue, HI
San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lihue, HI wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in San Francisco, 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 71% lower in Lihue, 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: $2,353 in Lihue, HI versus $3,572 in San Francisco, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,200 in Lihue, HI versus $2,982 in San Francisco, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lihue, HI – a meal for two runs $111 versus $122 in San Francisco, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lihue, HI wins on affordability, San Francisco, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.