Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Los Angeles, CA and in Kailua, HI: $4,197 and $4,119 a month, rent and utilities included.

204

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
Learn more

Kailua, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,197 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,119 in Kailua, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,197
Kailua, HI $4,119

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,205 in Los Angeles, CA versus $6,034 in Kailua, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,205
Kailua, HI $6,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,214 in Los Angeles, CA versus $7,950 in Kailua, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,214
Kailua, HI $7,950

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 2% more expensive than in Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 211% above, Kailua, HI 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 $26.28

$27.44 $27.44

-4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$139 $139

-15.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.31 $11.31

34.31%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$6.29 $6.29

-3.97%

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

$3.76 $3.76

$3.08 $3.08

22.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.29 $2.29

20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$9.78 $9.78

-19.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$9.20 $9.20

10.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.26 $2.26

-40.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$7.79 $7.79

-37.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$7.90 $7.90

-41.14%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$8.13 $8.13

-31.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$18.97 $18.97

-40.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$15.95 $15.95

-1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 $19.68

$21.45 $21.45

-8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$7.93 $7.93

-34.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$4.49 $4.49

-48.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.77 $6.77

-31.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$9.55 $9.55

-42.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.61 $3.61

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.66 $4.66

-37.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.47 $4.47

-56.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.02 $3.02

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.67 $12.67

4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$16.63 $16.63

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.66 $2.66

12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.12 $2.12

27.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.92 $3.92

-55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$90.7 $90.7

16.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.60 $3.60

-14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.66 $2.66

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.69 $32.69

$45.40 $45.40

-28.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.30 $1.30

20.00%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

6.21%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.06%

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

$278 $278

$249 $249

11.57%

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

$77.7 $77.7

$49.11 $49.11

58.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$66.0 $66.0

19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$71.4 $71.4

6.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 $12.18

$39.59 $39.59

-69.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.72 $19.72

$18.47 $18.47

6.77%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$2,175 $2,175

-21.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

17.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 $90.3

$62.0 $62.0

45.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.3 $65.3

$47.54 $47.54

37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$99.5 $99.5

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$212 $212

$131 $131

61.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 $2,502

$2,786 $2,786

-10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 $2,426

$2,320 $2,320

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,595 $5,595

$4,185 $4,185

33.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,226 $4,226

$3,679 $3,679

14.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,335 $7,335

$12.3K $12.3K

-40.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,136 $7,136

$9,689 $9,689

-26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,972 $3,972

$4,797 $4,797

-17.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.7

2.39%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.3% 4.4% $106

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$464 11.1%

Kailua, HI

$632 15.4% 36.3% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$434 10.4%

Kailua, HI

$364 8.8% 16.2% $70

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$414 9.9%

Kailua, HI

$418 10.1% 1% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$219 5.2%

Kailua, HI

$153 3.7% 30% $65

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$125 3%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$115 2.8%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 6.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,786 in Kailua, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kailua, HI pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in Los Angeles, CA vs $139 in Kailua, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $464 vs $632 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

12:28 12:28 PM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Kailua, HI 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kailua, HI is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Kailua, 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: $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,786 in Kailua, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kailua, HI runs roughly 17% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,706 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,175 in Kailua, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $4,000. Kailua, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kailua, HI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Los Angeles, CA and Kailua, 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 Kailua, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.