Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kailua, HI: $4,158 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
199

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Kailua, 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 Kailua, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $4,158 in Kailua, HI.

New York, NY $4,941
Kailua, HI $4,158

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $6,091 in Kailua, HI.

New York, NY $7,225
Kailua, HI $6,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $8,024 in Kailua, HI.

New York, NY $9,509
Kailua, HI $8,024

Living in New York, NY is roughly 19% more expensive than in Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Kailua, HI 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$27.99 $27.99

2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$139 $139

-14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.68 $11.68

28.77%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.44 $6.44

1.40%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.02 $3.02

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.38 $2.38

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$9.40 $9.40

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.23 $9.23

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.16 $2.16

-36.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.58 $7.58

-34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.95 $7.95

-1.76%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$8.24 $8.24

-27.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$18.83 $18.83

0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$16.04 $16.04

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$21.78 $21.78

-12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$7.80 $7.80

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$4.32 $4.32

-47.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.07 $7.07

-3.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$9.39 $9.39

-24.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.62 $3.62

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.85 $4.85

-4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$4.51 $4.51

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.18 $3.18

-18.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.08 $13.08

43.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.76 $16.76

20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.69 $2.69

28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.12 $2.12

89.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.90 $3.90

-25.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$91.1 $91.1

52.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.60 $3.60

-14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.59 $2.59

-18.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$44.45 $44.45

-5.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.26 $1.26

-7.14%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-1.47%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.82%

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

$219 $219

$249 $249

-11.92%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$50.1 $50.1

48.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$66.9 $66.9

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$70.8 $70.8

58.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$40.13 $40.13

86.54%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.73 $18.73

18.21%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,109 $2,109

68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

131.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$62.3 $62.3

21.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.57 $47.57

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$103 $103

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$129 $129

8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,725 $2,725

65.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,351 $2,351

30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,306 $4,306

119.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,733 $3,733

39.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$12.3K $12.3K

47.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$9,638 $9,638

-30.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,764 $4,764

9.57%

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 New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Kailua, HI

$2.4K 56.5% 23.6% $728

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Kailua, HI

$632 15.2% 12.3% $69

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Kailua, HI

$423 10.2% 3.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Kailua, HI

$366 8.8% 0.6% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Kailua, HI

$154 3.7% 12.2% $21

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 25% $41

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 30.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,725 in Kailua, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 10% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $139 in Kailua, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $632 per month, with New York, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

6 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Kailua, HI 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kailua, HI is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,725 in Kailua, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kailua, HI runs roughly 34% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $2,109 in Kailua, HI. 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. Kailua, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kailua, HI wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.