Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waikiki, HI: $2,891 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,891 in Waikiki, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,060
Waikiki, HI $2,891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,468 in Waikiki, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,104
Waikiki, HI $4,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA versus $6,044 in Waikiki, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,148
Waikiki, HI $6,044

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 40% more expensive than in Waikiki, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 198% above, Waikiki, HI 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.02 $27.02

$24.77 $24.77

9.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$142 $142

-14.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.28 $15.28

-0.46%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.92 $5.92

-2.36%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$5.02 $5.02

-24.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.50 $3.50

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$10.46 $10.46

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$11.64 $11.64

-14.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.05 $1.05

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.66 $3.66

27.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$10.20 $10.20

-55.10%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$8.59 $8.59

-37.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$12.38 $12.38

-8.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$19.60 $19.60

-17.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$21.55 $21.55

-9.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$8.24 $8.24

-36.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.58 $1.58

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$6.99 $6.99

-33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$9.67 $9.67

-42.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.93 $4.93

-31.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.87 $4.87

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$5.27 $5.27

-63.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.93 $2.93

-17.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$13.32 $13.32

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.12 $18.12

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.68 $2.68

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$5.87 $5.87

-53.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-19.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$58.9 $58.9

77.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.45 $3.45

-11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.55 $2.55

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$44.16 $44.16

-27.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.43 $1.43

9.79%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-3.94%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.38%

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

$280 $280

$259 $259

8.02%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$67.1 $67.1

16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$65.7 $65.7

20.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$43.31 $43.31

64.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 $18.32

$19.72 $19.72

-7.10%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$2,113 $2,113

-18.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

17.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 $91.6

$62.8 $62.8

45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$46.75 $46.75

40.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$102 $102

15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 $210

$134 $134

57.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$1,570 $1,570

62.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$1,162 $1,162

97.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,372 $5,372

$2,347 $2,347

128.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,158 $4,158

$1,991 $1,991

108.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,171 $7,171

$2,836 $2,836

152.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,923 $6,923

$1,996 $1,996

246.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

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 27, 2026

Last update for Waikiki, HI: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5%

Waikiki, HI

$1.2K 40.2% 49.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4%

Waikiki, HI

$591 20.4% 28% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8%

Waikiki, HI

$392 13.6% 10.4% $45

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2%

Waikiki, HI

$425 14.7% 2.1% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4%

Waikiki, HI

$155 5.4% 28.8% $63

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1%

Waikiki, HI

$84 2.9% 32.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7%

Waikiki, HI

$83 2.9% 23.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA and $1,570 in Waikiki, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Los Angeles, CA vs $142 in Waikiki, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $591 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

19,862

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Waikiki, HI 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Waikiki, HI is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $6,090 in Los Angeles, CA and $4,337 in Waikiki, HI 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 $1,570 in Waikiki, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Waikiki, HI runs roughly 44% 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 $2,113 in Waikiki, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Waikiki, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.