Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Angeles, CA: $4,197 a month against $4,792 in Maui, HI, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
231

Cost of Living Index in Maui, HI
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Maui, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Maui, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,792

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,197 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,792 in Maui, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,197
Maui, HI $4,792

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,205 in Los Angeles, CA versus $6,666 in Maui, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,205
Maui, HI $6,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,214 in Los Angeles, CA versus $8,540 in Maui, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,214
Maui, HI $8,540

Living in Los Angeles, CA costs roughly 12% less than in Maui, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 211% above, Maui, HI 255% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 $26.28

$35.44 $35.44

-25.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$122 $122

-3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.78 $14.78

2.77%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$6.86 $6.86

-11.95%

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

$3.76 $3.76

$3.20 $3.20

17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.79 $2.79

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.12 $8.12

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$8.84 $8.84

14.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.31 $2.31

-41.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$8.86 $8.86

-45.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$9.04 $9.04

-48.56%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$8.75 $8.75

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$27.07 $27.07

-58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$15.53 $15.53

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 $19.68

$22.33 $22.33

-11.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$10.20 $10.20

-49.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.23 $2.23

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$9.83 $9.83

-52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$8.02 $8.02

-31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$6.70 $6.70

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$7.59 $7.59

-61.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.88 $4.88

-60.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.57 $3.57

-31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 $13.20

$17.30 $17.30

-23.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$20.36 $20.36

-25.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.72 $1.72

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$8.22 $8.22

-67.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.73 $2.73

-36.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$101 $101

4.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$9.94 $9.94

-69.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.95 $0.95

91.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.69 $32.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.36 $1.36

14.71%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$36.9K $36.9K

2.19%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.1K $33.1K

-20.07%

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

$278 $278

$384 $384

-27.60%

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

$77.7 $77.7

$62.8 $62.8

23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$72.7 $72.7

8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$29.98 $29.98

153.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 $12.18

Cinema Ticket

$19.72 $19.72

$15.26 $15.26

29.23%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$1,646 $1,646

3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$16.5K $16.5K

92.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 $90.3

$88.5 $88.5

2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.3 $65.3

$54.4 $54.4

19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$129 $129

-8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$212 $212

$202 $202

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 $2,502

$2,216 $2,216

12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 $2,426

$2,664 $2,664

-8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,595 $5,595

$4,650 $4,650

20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,226 $4,226

$3,827 $3,827

10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,335 $7,335

$14.4K $14.4K

-49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,136 $7,136

$9,152 $9,152

-22.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,972 $3,972

$5,757 $5,757

-31.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.52

5.21%

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 Maui, HI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Maui, HI

$2.7K 55.6% 9.8% $238

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$464 11.1%

Maui, HI

$716 14.9% 54.3% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$434 10.4%

Maui, HI

$519 10.8% 19.5% $85

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$414 9.9%

Maui, HI

$492 10.3% 19% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$219 5.2%

Maui, HI

$214 4.5% 2.3% $5

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$125 3%

Maui, HI

$127 2.6% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$115 2.8%

Maui, HI

$61 1.3% 47.6% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,216 in Maui, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maui, HI pays 45% 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: $118 in Los Angeles, CA vs $122 in Maui, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $464 vs $716 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Maui, HI

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

09:20 9:20 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

6,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Maui, HI 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Los Angeles, CA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Maui, 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 $2,216 in Maui, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Los Angeles, CA runs roughly 5% less than in Maui, HI. 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 $1,646 in Maui, 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. Los Angeles, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Safety-wise, Los Angeles, CA and Maui, 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 Los Angeles, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Maui, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.