Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waipahu, HI: $3,241 a month against $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Angeles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Waipahu, HI
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Waipahu, HI Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,219

/mo nomad

Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,241 in Waipahu, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $4,219
Waipahu, HI $3,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,290 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,998 in Waipahu, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $6,290
Waipahu, HI $4,998

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,361 in Los Angeles, CA versus $6,755 in Waipahu, HI.

Los Angeles, CA $8,361
Waipahu, HI $6,755

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 30% more expensive than in Waipahu, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 211% above, Waipahu, HI 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$28.51 $28.51

-6.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$139 $139

-14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.17 $15.17

0.13%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$10.40 $10.40

-41.15%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$5.05 $5.05

-24.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.57 $3.57

-22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$10.42 $10.42

-24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$11.46 $11.46

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.01 $1.01

31.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.44 $3.44

41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$10.25 $10.25

-54.63%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$7.59 $7.59

-27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$12.38 $12.38

-8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$19.66 $19.66

-18.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 $19.56

$21.76 $21.76

-10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$8.35 $8.35

-40.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.59 $1.59

43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$6.83 $6.83

-28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$9.43 $9.43

-43.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.85 $4.85

-29.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.80 $4.80

-41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$5.05 $5.05

-60.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.01 $3.01

-18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$9.86 $9.86

17.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$18.08 $18.08

-18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.81 $2.81

4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$5.65 $5.65

-51.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.95 $1.95

-12.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$81.2 $81.2

29.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.54 $3.54

-14.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.56 $2.56

-29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$45.51 $45.51

-29.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.38 $1.38

17.39%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.6K $35.6K

0.28%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.16%

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

$280 $280

$256 $256

9.29%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$66.0 $66.0

16.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$64.9 $64.9

25.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 $76.4

$47.25 $47.25

61.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 $11.81

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$20.14 $20.14

-10.72%

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

$1,657 $1,657

$2,124 $2,124

-21.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$27.6K $27.6K

17.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 $89.3

$45.49 $45.49

96.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 $65.2

$39.66 $39.66

64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$84.0 $84.0

43.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$216 $216

$133 $133

62.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,574 $1,574

62.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$1,433 $1,433

70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,485 $5,485

$2,861 $2,861

91.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,362 $4,362

$2,556 $2,556

70.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,194 $7,194

$2,474 $2,474

190.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,065 $7,065

$2,316 $2,316

205.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

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 20, 2026

Last update for Waipahu, HI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.9%

Waipahu, HI

$1.4K 44.2% 41.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$463 11%

Waipahu, HI

$584 18% 26.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.4%

Waipahu, HI

$387 11.9% 11.7% $51

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$418 9.9%

Waipahu, HI

$508 15.7% 21.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$221 5.2%

Waipahu, HI

$136 4.2% 38.4% $85

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3%

Waipahu, HI

$105 3.3% 15.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$112 2.7%

Waipahu, HI

$88 2.7% 22.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $119 in Los Angeles, CA vs $139 in Waipahu, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $584 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Waipahu, HI

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

71,894

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Waipahu, HI 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Los Angeles, CA
Waipahu, HI

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Waipahu, HI is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and transport. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,328 in Los Angeles, CA and $4,861 in Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Waipahu, HI runs roughly 30% 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 $2,124 in Waipahu, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Waipahu, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.