Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Wailuku, HI: $2,662 a month against $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Wailuku, HI
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Wailuku, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,219

/mo nomad

Wailuku, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,662 in Wailuku, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,219
Wailuku, HI $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,290 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,969 in Wailuku, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,290
Wailuku, HI $3,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,361 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,276 in Wailuku, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,361
Wailuku, HI $5,276

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Wailuku, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 211% above, Wailuku, HI 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$19.70 $19.70

35.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$76.1 $76.1

56.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.52 $11.52

31.86%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.21 $5.21

17.47%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$2.74 $2.74

38.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.96 $1.96

41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.11 $6.11

28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$7.30 $7.30

35.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.04 $1.04

27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.58 $3.58

36.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.23 $4.23

9.93%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.11 $4.11

34.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$12.22 $12.22

-7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$11.72 $11.72

36.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 $19.56

$16.91 $16.91

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.90 $4.90

1.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.64 $1.64

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.33 $4.33

12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.74 $4.74

12.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.86 $2.86

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.89 $2.89

-2.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.19 $2.19

-8.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 $2.22

10.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.64 $10.64

8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.02 $15.02

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.72 $1.72

70.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.30 $3.30

-17.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.97 $1.97

-13.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$120 $120

-12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.11 $3.11

-3.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.71 $1.71

5.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$29.35 $29.35

9.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.52 $1.52

6.58%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

29.18%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.16%

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

$280 $280

$197 $197

41.89%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$56.8 $56.8

35.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$71.0 $71.0

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 $76.4

$43.32 $43.32

76.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 $11.81

$71.0 $71.0

-83.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$14.18 $14.18

26.80%

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

$1,657 $1,657

$1,379 $1,379

20.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 $89.3

$52.6 $52.6

69.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 $65.2

$41.76 $41.76

56.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$87.1 $87.1

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$216 $216

$114 $114

89.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,574 $1,574

62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$1,278 $1,278

91.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,485 $5,485

$2,551 $2,551

114.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,362 $4,362

$2,168 $2,168

101.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,194 $7,194

$2,735 $2,735

163.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,065 $7,065

$2,250 $2,250

213.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.57

4.41%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Wailuku, HI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.9%

Wailuku, HI

$1.3K 48% 47.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$463 11%

Wailuku, HI

$396 14.9% 14.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.4%

Wailuku, HI

$325 12.2% 25.8% $113

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$418 9.9%

Wailuku, HI

$319 12% 23.7% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$221 5.2%

Wailuku, HI

$133 5% 39.8% $88

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3%

Wailuku, HI

$140 5.2% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$112 2.7%

Wailuku, HI

$72 2.7% 36.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,565 in Los Angeles, CA and $1,574 in Wailuku, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $119 in Los Angeles, CA vs $76.0 in Wailuku, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $396 per month, with Wailuku, HI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Wailuku, HI

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

15,313

💱 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 Wailuku, HI 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Wailuku, HI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,328 in Los Angeles, CA and $3,992 in Wailuku, 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: $2,565 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,574 in Wailuku, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Wailuku, HI runs roughly 14% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,657 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,379 in Wailuku, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Wailuku, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Wailuku, 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.

Expats usually find Wailuku, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.