Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

231

Cost of Living Index in Maui, HI
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Maui, HI Living Index
204

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

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Maui, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,792

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maui, HI and in Los Angeles, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maui, HI and in Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Maui, HI is roughly 14% more expensive than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.44 $35.44

$26.28 $26.28

34.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$118 $118

3.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.78 $14.78

$15.19 $15.19

-2.70%

Cappuccino

$6.86 $6.86

$6.04 $6.04

13.58%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$3.76 $3.76

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.75 $2.75

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$7.84 $7.84

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.15 $10.15

-12.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.34 $1.34

72.39%

White Bread (500g)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.84 $4.84

83.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.65 $4.65

94.41%

Eggs

$8.75 $8.75

$5.54 $5.54

57.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.07 $27.07

$11.32 $11.32

139.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$15.73 $15.73

-1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.33 $22.33

$19.68 $19.68

13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$5.18 $5.18

96.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.32 $2.32

-3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$4.64 $4.64

111.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$5.50 $5.50

45.82%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$3.42 $3.42

95.91%

Onion (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$2.89 $2.89

162.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.95 $1.95

150.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.45 $2.45

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.30 $17.30

$13.20 $13.20

31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.36 $20.36

$15.09 $15.09

34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.98 $2.98

-42.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$2.70 $2.70

204.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.74 $1.74

56.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$106 $106

-4.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 $9.94

$3.08 $3.08

222.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.82 $1.82

-47.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.69 $32.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.56 $1.56

-12.82%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$37.7K $37.7K

-2.15%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

25.10%

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

$384 $384

$278 $278

38.12%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$77.7 $77.7

-19.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$79.0 $79.0

-7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.98 $29.98

$76.0 $76.0

-60.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 $12.18

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$19.72 $19.72

-22.62%

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

$1,646 $1,646

$1,706 $1,706

-3.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$31.8K $31.8K

-48.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 $88.5

$90.3 $90.3

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 $54.4

$65.3 $65.3

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$118 $118

9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 $202

$212 $212

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 $2,216

$2,502 $2,502

-11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,664 $2,664

$2,426 $2,426

9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,650 $4,650

$5,595 $5,595

-16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$4,226 $4,226

-9.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K $14.4K

$7,335 $7,335

96.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,152 $9,152

$7,136 $7,136

28.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,757 $5,757

$3,972 $3,972

44.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.86

-4.96%

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

Last update for Maui, HI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maui, HI

$2.7K 55.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 8.9% $238

Groceries & Markets

Maui, HI

$716 14.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$464 11.1% 35.2% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maui, HI

$519 10.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$434 10.4% 16.3% $85

Eating Out

Maui, HI

$492 10.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$414 9.9% 16% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Maui, HI

$214 4.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$219 5.2% 2.4% $5

Getting Around

Maui, HI

$127 2.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$125 3% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Maui, HI

$61 1.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$115 2.8% 90.8% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,216 in Maui, HI and $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $122 in Maui, HI vs $118 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $716 vs $464 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Maui, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

3 h ahead of Maui, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,452

4,030,904

💱 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

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

From you

Maui, HI
Los Angeles, CA

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

Maui, HI vs Los Angeles, CA: 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.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Maui, HI, 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: $2,216 in Maui, HI versus $2,502 in Los Angeles, CA. 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 $1,646 in Maui, HI versus $1,706 in Los Angeles, CA. 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, Maui, HI and Los Angeles, CA 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.