Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lihue, HI: $3,142 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
Learn more

Los Angeles, CA Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Lihue, HI
Learn more

Lihue, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,142 in Lihue, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Lihue, HI $3,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,482 in Lihue, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Lihue, HI $5,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $7,823 in Lihue, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Lihue, HI $7,823

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 36% more expensive than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 218% above, Lihue, HI 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$25.05 $25.05

7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$110 $110

11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$13.46 $13.46

11.29%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$6.45 $6.45

-9.46%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$3.69 $3.69

2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.45 $2.45

8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.85 $6.85

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.17 $8.17

20.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.83 $1.83

-28.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.70 $6.70

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.80 $2.80

60.00%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$10.28 $10.28

-40.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$15.43 $15.43

-26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$15.13 $15.13

4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$19.57 $19.57

1.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.84 $4.84

8.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.27 $3.27

-28.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$8.89 $8.89

-47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$9.83 $9.83

-42.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.81 $4.81

-31.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$5.97 $5.97

-51.76%

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

$11.85 $11.85

7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.00 $16.00

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.64 $1.64

80.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.67 $1.67

68.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.02 $2.02

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$52.5 $52.5

98.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$7.79 $7.79

-60.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.84 $1.84

2.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$14.96 $14.96

111.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.27 $1.27

27.56%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

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

$26.3K $26.3K

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

$288 $288

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

$77.9 $77.9

$29.64 $29.64

162.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$60.1 $60.1

33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

$91.5 $91.5

-18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

$8.86 $8.86

123.36%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$1,193 $1,193

40.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.2K $16.2K

96.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$2,435 $2,435

4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$2,018 $2,018

21.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$5,150 $5,150

7.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$4,738 $4,738

-9.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$2,019 $2,019

106.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.69

2.54%

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 Lihue, 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%

Lihue, HI

$2K 63% 17.4% $425

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Lihue, HI

$517 * 16.1% 10.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Lihue, HI

$90 * 2.8% 79.9% $357

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Lihue, HI

$393 12.3% 5.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Lihue, HI

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Lihue, HI

$78 2.4% 37.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Lihue, HI

$109 3.4% 4% $4.6

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 $2,435 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in Los Angeles, CA vs $110 in Lihue, HI. Groceries flip the comparison at $467 vs $517, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Lihue, HI 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Lihue, HI 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 Lihue, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Los Angeles, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,435 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,259 per month in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,142 in Lihue, HI – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 98% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 work as nomad bases, but Lihue, HI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lihue, HI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Los Angeles, CA and Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI 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.