Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Honolulu, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,744 a month against $3,943 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Honolulu, HI

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,943 in Honolulu, HI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Honolulu, HI $3,943

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,041 in Honolulu, HI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Honolulu, HI $6,041

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,140 in Honolulu, HI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Honolulu, HI $8,140

Seattle, WA is about 5% cheaper than Honolulu, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Honolulu, HI sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Honolulu, HI by 194%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$27.98 $27.98

-12.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$139 $139

-28.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$14.97 $14.97

2.20%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$10.46 $10.46

-36.71%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$5.06 $5.06

-35.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.52 $3.52

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$10.29 $10.29

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$11.46 $11.46

-30.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.24 $2.24

-45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$7.93 $7.93

-37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$10.22 $10.22

-39.63%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$8.68 $8.68

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$28.37 $28.37

-33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$19.64 $19.64

-4.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$21.26 $21.26

8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$8.21 $8.21

-27.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$5.15 $5.15

-62.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.79 $6.79

-23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$9.75 $9.75

-32.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.99 $4.99

-27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$4.66 $4.66

-32.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$5.28 $5.28

-44.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.16 $3.16

-24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$12.47 $12.47

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$17.69 $17.69

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.80 $2.80

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$5.59 $5.59

1.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.96 $2.96

3.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$90.5 $90.5

19.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.52 $3.52

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.56 $2.56

-32.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$43.98 $43.98

-31.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 $1.43

2.10%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

3.60%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.81%

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

$299 $299

$252 $252

18.76%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$66.1 $66.1

5.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$66.1 $66.1

36.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$62.9 $62.9

27.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$31.80 $31.80

12.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$19.86 $19.86

-12.74%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$2,138 $2,138

39.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$27.3K $27.3K

14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$62.5 $62.5

24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$45.96 $45.96

19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$100 $100

25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$133 $133

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,908 $2,908

-17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,938 $1,938

1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$5,002 $5,002

-4.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$3,662 $3,662

-2.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$8,608 $8,608

-13.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$7,060 $7,060

-29.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,135 $4,135

51.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.7

2.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Honolulu, HI

$1.9K 49.5% 1.3% $25

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.3% 32.4% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Honolulu, HI

$384 9.8% 16.3% $75

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Honolulu, HI

$503 12.8% 25.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9% 19.3% $37

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Honolulu, HI

$119 3% 10.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Honolulu, HI

$103 2.6% 10.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $2,908 in Honolulu, 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 52% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $139 in Honolulu, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $716 – making Seattle, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

21:45 9:45 PM

3 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

350,964

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Honolulu, HI 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Honolulu, 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

Seattle, WA vs Honolulu, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honolulu, HI costs about 5% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,914 in Honolulu, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $3,943 in Honolulu, HI. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Seattle, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $3,943 in Honolulu, HI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,744 versus $3,943 in Honolulu, HI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honolulu, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.