Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Kauai, Hawaii

For one person, living is cheaper in Kauai, Hawaii: $2,605 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA and in Kauai, Hawaii

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 Kauai, Hawaii actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Los Angeles, CA $4,060
Kauai, Hawaii $2,605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Los Angeles, CA $6,104
Kauai, Hawaii $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Los Angeles, CA $8,148
Kauai, Hawaii $5,097

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Kauai, Hawaii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 198% above, Kauai, Hawaii 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.02 $27.02

$19.36 $19.36

39.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$75.8 $75.8

59.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$10.98 $10.98

38.52%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.95 $4.95

16.77%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$2.53 $2.53

49.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.95 $1.95

37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$6.07 $6.07

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$6.97 $6.97

43.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$0.99 $0.99

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.48 $3.48

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.27 $4.27

7.26%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$4.09 $4.09

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$12.44 $12.44

-9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$11.49 $11.49

40.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$15.60 $15.60

24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.77 $4.77

9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.61 $1.61

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.35 $4.35

6.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.59 $4.59

21.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.87 $2.87

17.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.89 $2.89

1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.00 $2.00

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.17 $2.17

11.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.47 $9.47

26.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.83 $13.83

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.77 $1.77

66.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.44 $3.44

-21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.06 $2.06

-16.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$55.5 $55.5

88.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.54 $3.54

-13.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.57 $1.57

19.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$29.13 $29.13

10.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.84 $0.84

86.90%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.3K $29.3K

17.78%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.93%

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

$280 $280

$185 $185

51.76%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$53.9 $53.9

45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$68.1 $68.1

16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$43.26 $43.26

64.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 $18.32

$13.53 $13.53

35.40%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$1,282 $1,282

34.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$23.1K $23.1K

37.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 $91.6

$50.1 $50.1

82.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$39.37 $39.37

66.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$85.0 $85.0

37.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 $210

$112 $112

87.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$1,605 $1,605

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$1,329 $1,329

72.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,372 $5,372

$2,647 $2,647

102.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,266 $2,266

83.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,171 $7,171

$2,817 $2,817

154.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,923 $6,923

$2,482 $2,482

178.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.51

5.38%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5%

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51% 42.1% $966

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4%

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8% 16.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8%

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8% 30% $131

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2%

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9% 25.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4%

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5% 40.8% $89

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1%

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9% 39.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7%

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7% 34.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA and $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Los Angeles, CA vs $76 in Kauai, Hawaii for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $385 per month, with Kauai, Hawaii cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

73,610

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Kauai, Hawaii 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Los Angeles, CA
Kauai, Hawaii

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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 Kauai, Hawaii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kauai, Hawaii 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 Kauai, Hawaii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $6,090 in Los Angeles, CA and $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kauai, Hawaii runs roughly 47% less than in Los Angeles, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,722 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,282 in Kauai, Hawaii. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kauai, Hawaii 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 Kauai, Hawaii delivers better value at $2,605 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kauai, Hawaii hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kauai, Hawaii 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.