Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Lihue, HI: $3,154 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Lihue, HI
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Lihue, HI Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco, CA and in Lihue, HI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,342 in San Francisco, CA versus $3,154 in Lihue, HI.

San Francisco, CA $4,342
Lihue, HI $3,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,433 in San Francisco, CA versus $5,524 in Lihue, HI.

San Francisco, CA $6,433
Lihue, HI $5,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,523 in San Francisco, CA versus $7,895 in Lihue, HI.

San Francisco, CA $8,523
Lihue, HI $7,895

Living in San Francisco, CA is roughly 38% more expensive than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Francisco, CA 222% above, Lihue, HI 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$25.30 $25.30

7.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$108 $108

11.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.02 $13.02

15.67%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.30 $6.30

-3.81%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.69 $3.69

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.48 $2.48

10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.09 $7.09

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$7.82 $7.82

18.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.89 $1.89

-8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.42 $6.42

-16.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.95 $2.95

61.36%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$9.94 $9.94

-51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$15.28 $15.28

5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$15.46 $15.46

-0.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$20.02 $20.02

13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.87 $4.87

27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.30 $3.30

-14.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$8.96 $8.96

-51.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$9.79 $9.79

-31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.78 $4.78

-39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$6.25 $6.25

-40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$12.06 $12.06

-2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$16.08 $16.08

-9.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.70 $1.70

82.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.64 $1.64

117.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.01 $2.01

44.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$52.2 $52.2

83.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$8.22 $8.22

-48.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.82 $1.82

9.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$15.26 $15.26

155.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.35 $1.35

11.85%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

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

$25.4K $25.4K

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

$214 $214

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

$62.2 $62.2

$29.85 $29.85

108.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$60.2 $60.2

27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$93.6 $93.6

30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$9.16 $9.16

96.40%

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

$2,943 $2,943

$1,194 $1,194

146.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$15.8K $15.8K

169.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$2,413 $2,413

55.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$1,964 $1,964

33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$5,301 $5,301

8.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$4,810 $4,810

-5.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$1,961 $1,961

233.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.69

1.05%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3%

Lihue, HI

$2K 62.3% 25% $653

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

Lihue, HI

$518 * 16.4% 1.2% $6.1

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

Lihue, HI

$393 12.5% 5.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Lihue, HI

$90 * 2.9% 74.5% $263

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Lihue, HI

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

Lihue, HI

$112 3.6% 29.3% $46

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

Lihue, HI

$78 2.5% 36.2% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA and $2,413 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco, CA pays 234% 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: $120 in San Francisco, CA vs $108 in Lihue, HI. Groceries flip the comparison at $512 vs $518, with San Francisco, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

3 h behind San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Francisco, CA Lihue, HI 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco, CA
Lihue, 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

San Francisco, CA vs Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lihue, HI wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in San Francisco, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lihue, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 234% higher in San Francisco, CA, 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: $3,749 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,413 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,342 per month in San Francisco, CA versus $3,154 in Lihue, HI – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 84% less than in San Francisco, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Lihue, HI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,154 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lihue, HI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Francisco, CA and Lihue, HI 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 Lihue, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in San Francisco, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.