Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Hilo, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilo, HI: $2,865 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Hilo, HI

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Hilo, HI $2,865

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,388 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Hilo, HI $4,388

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $5,910 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Hilo, HI $5,910

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Hilo, HI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Hilo, HI by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$20.77 $20.77

29.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$79.9 $79.9

46.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.17 $12.17

19.97%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.63 $5.63

16.16%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.90 $2.90

33.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.42 $2.42

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.32 $6.32

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.57 $7.57

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.75 $1.75

-25.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$10.08 $10.08

-50.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.28 $4.28

79.91%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$7.07 $7.07

-13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$19.98 $19.98

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$17.57 $17.57

0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$30.15 $30.15

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$8.57 $8.57

-18.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.39 $2.39

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$10.48 $10.48

-35.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$12.21 $12.21

-41.69%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$9.04 $9.04

-49.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$7.81 $7.81

-38.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$5.36 $5.36

-46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.02 $3.02

-10.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.90 $11.90

60.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$22.03 $22.03

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.76 $1.76

88.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.95 $2.95

3.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.00 $2.00

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$23.57 $23.57

75.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.41 $1.41

-19.86%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

35.09%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.72%

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

$232 $232

$302 $302

-23.05%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$67.7 $67.7

4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$125 $125

-46.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$37.04 $37.04

211.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$25.30 $25.30

203.60%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$13.24 $13.24

69.26%

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

$3,606 $3,606

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$11.8K $11.8K

480.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$36.77 $36.77

115.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$29.88 $29.88

72.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$66.8 $66.8

81.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$83.9 $83.9

67.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,463 $1,463

211.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,142 $1,142

166.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,574 $2,574

278.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,199 $2,199

142.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$5,600 $5,600

225.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$4,662 $4,662

43.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,795 $3,795

34.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9% 62.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25% 26.1% $148

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8% 20.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3% 33.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4% 44.6% $79

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5% 92.2% $152

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2% 60.3% $97

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $80 in Hilo, HI. Groceries tell a different story – $567 in New York, NY vs $715 in Hilo, HI – so New York, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

5 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

44,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Hilo, HI 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Hilo, 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

New York, NY vs Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $4,297 in Hilo, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hilo, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,463 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. That makes Hilo, HI about 42% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,865 in Hilo, HI to $4,906 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hilo, HI. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.