Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilo, HI: $2,966 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA and in Hilo, HI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Los Angeles, CA and in Hilo, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,259 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $2,966 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Hilo, HI $2,966

A couple spends around $6,260 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $4,340 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Hilo, HI $4,340

A family of three spends $8,260 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $5,713 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Hilo, HI $5,713

Los Angeles, CA costs about 44% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Los Angeles, CA and Hilo, HI sit above the global median – Los Angeles, CA by 218%, Hilo, HI by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$19.26 $19.26

40.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$76.1 $76.1

60.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$12.21 $12.21

22.69%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.72 $5.72

2.10%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.69 $2.69

40.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.20 $2.20

21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.12 $6.12

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.07 $7.07

39.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.76 $1.76

-26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$9.55 $9.55

-49.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.28 $4.28

4.67%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$6.72 $6.72

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$19.71 $19.71

-42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$17.73 $17.73

-11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$30.34 $30.34

-34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$8.58 $8.58

-38.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.48 $2.48

-6.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$10.21 $10.21

-54.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$11.90 $11.90

-52.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$8.87 $8.87

-63.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$7.58 $7.58

-62.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$5.52 $5.52

-61.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.06 $3.06

-20.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

$12.04 $12.04

6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$21.62 $21.62

-30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.76 $1.76

68.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.15 $4.15

-25.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.23 $1.23

52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.44 $1.44

12.50%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$30.3K $30.3K

24.32%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.89%

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

$288 $288

$297 $297

-3.05%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$65.7 $65.7

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$126 $126

-36.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

$43.55 $43.55

70.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

$24.52 $24.52

-51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

$13.14 $13.14

50.61%

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

$1,678 $1,678

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

$37.10 $37.10

146.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$30.30 $30.30

116.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$66.8 $66.8

81.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

$83.8 $83.8

145.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$1,682 $1,682

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$1,255 $1,255

94.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$2,187 $2,187

152.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$2,093 $2,093

104.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

$5,484 $5,484

31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

$5,339 $5,339

29.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$4,434 $4,434

-5.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.62

3.63%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Hilo, HI

$1.3K 42.5% 48.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Hilo, HI

$707 * 23.9% 51.2% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Hilo, HI

$489 16.6% 9.5% $42

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Hilo, HI

$324 11% 22.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.3% 55% $120

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4% 91.7% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Hilo, HI

$70 2.4% 38.6% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,682 in Hilo, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Hilo, HI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Los Angeles, CA versus $76.0 in Hilo, HI. Groceries tell a different story – $467 in Los Angeles, CA vs $707 in Hilo, HI – so Los Angeles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

44,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Hilo, HI 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, CA
Hilo, HI

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

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

Los Angeles, CA costs about 44% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,388 per month in Los Angeles, CA and $4,450 in Hilo, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hilo, HI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,966 in Hilo, HI. That's a gap of about 44%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 51% cheaper in Los Angeles, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,966 in Hilo, HI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hilo, HI costs $2,966 versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hilo, HI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Angeles, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.