Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waipahu, HI: $3,234 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
155

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,234 in Waipahu, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Waipahu, HI $3,234

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,991 in Waipahu, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Waipahu, HI $4,991

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,748 in Waipahu, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Waipahu, HI $6,748

New York, NY costs about 53% more than Waipahu, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Waipahu, HI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Waipahu, HI by 138%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$27.50 $27.50

3.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$141 $141

-16.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.92 $14.92

0.80%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$10.38 $10.38

-37.09%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$4.95 $4.95

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.49 $3.49

-13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$10.59 $10.59

-22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$11.61 $11.61

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.59 $3.59

38.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$9.96 $9.96

-21.59%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$7.47 $7.47

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.40 $12.40

52.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$20.02 $20.02

-9.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$21.86 $21.86

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$8.11 $8.11

-16.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.59 $1.59

42.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.12 $7.12

-4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$9.73 $9.73

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.86 $4.86

-13.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.87 $4.87

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$5.26 $5.26

-45.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.16 $3.16

-17.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.18 $10.18

84.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$18.20 $18.20

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.68 $2.68

28.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.61 $5.61

-28.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.05 $2.05

41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.5 $60.5

129.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.44 $3.44

-10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.68 $2.68

-20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$44.50 $44.50

-5.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.43 $1.43

-18.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.6K $35.6K

-3.24%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.97%

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

$219 $219

$257 $257

-14.48%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$67.1 $67.1

10.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$65.6 $65.6

7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$43.68 $43.68

156.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$19.66 $19.66

12.61%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,167 $2,167

64.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

133.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$44.60 $44.60

69.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.71 $40.71

25.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$86.5 $86.5

42.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$131 $131

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,614 $1,614

178.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,451 $1,451

112.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,815 $2,815

235.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,590 $2,590

100.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,199 $3,199

466.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,502 $2,502

167.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

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 Waipahu, HI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Waipahu, HI

$1.5K 44.9% 52.9% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Waipahu, HI

$590 18.3% 4.8% $27

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Waipahu, HI

$499 15.4% 13.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Waipahu, HI

$389 12% 7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Waipahu, HI

$136 4.2% 22.4% $39

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Waipahu, HI

$86 2.6% 47.9% $79

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Waipahu, HI

$83 2.6% 46.9% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,614 in Waipahu, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $141 in Waipahu, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $590 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Waipahu, HI

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

22:57 10:57 PM

6 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

71,894

💱 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 Waipahu, HI 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 53% more than Waipahu, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,852 in Waipahu, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waipahu, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,614 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,167 in Waipahu, HI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,234 in Waipahu, HI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Waipahu, HI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.