Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kahului, HI: $3,921 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
176

Cost of Living Index in Kahului, HI
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Kahului, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,921 in Kahului, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Kahului, HI $3,921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,707 in Kahului, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Kahului, HI $5,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $7,492 in Kahului, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Kahului, HI $7,492

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kahului, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 218% above, Kahului, HI 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$48.90 $48.90

-44.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$75.0 $75.0

62.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$18.62 $18.62

-19.55%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$7.03 $7.03

-16.93%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.79 $2.79

35.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.46 $3.46

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.91 $4.91

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.64 $7.64

28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.43 $1.43

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$7.01 $7.01

-30.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$8.74 $8.74

-48.74%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$6.52 $6.52

-5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$8.86 $8.86

27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$15.21 $15.21

3.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$20.09 $20.09

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$12.85 $12.85

-59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.71 $2.71

-14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$13.53 $13.53

-58.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$6.14 $6.14

-54.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.05 $2.05

-12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$45.08 $45.08

130.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$34.74 $34.74

-9.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.26 $1.26

28.57%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$40.0K $40.0K

-5.77%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.51%

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

$288 $288

$297 $297

-2.95%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$70.3 $70.3

10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$52.6 $52.6

53.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

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

$55.1 $55.1

65.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$39.98 $39.98

64.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$94.5 $94.5

28.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

$123 $123

67.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$2,308 $2,308

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$2,251 $2,251

8.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$3,955 $3,955

39.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$3,772 $3,772

13.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

$11.7K $11.7K

-38.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

$11.8K $11.8K

-41.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$4,765 $4,765

-12.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

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 Kahului, HI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 57.3% 7.9% $193

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Kahului, HI

$469 * 11.9% 0.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Kahului, HI

$420 10.7% 6% $27

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Kahului, HI

$596 15.2% 43.1% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Kahului, HI

$141 3.6% 35.4% $77

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Kahului, HI

$53 * 1.4% 56.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Kahului, HI

- * 0% 100%

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 $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,308 in Kahului, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Los Angeles, CA vs $75.0 in Kahului, HI. Groceries flip the comparison at $467 vs $469, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

01:58 1:58 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

26,337

💱 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 Kahului, HI 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kahului, HI wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Los Angeles, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kahului, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Kahului, 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: $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,308 in Kahului, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Angeles, CA pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $4,259 per month in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,921 in Kahului, HI – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kahului, 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 Kahului, HI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kahului, HI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Los Angeles, CA and Kahului, HI 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 Kahului, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.