Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaneohe, HI: $2,754 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Kaneohe, HI
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Kaneohe, HI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Kaneohe, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Kaneohe, 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 Kaneohe, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,754 in Kaneohe, HI.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Kaneohe, HI $2,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $4,026 in Kaneohe, HI.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Kaneohe, HI $4,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,298 in Kaneohe, HI.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Kaneohe, HI $5,298

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kaneohe, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Kaneohe, HI 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.48 $17.48

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$76.2 $76.2

29.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.71 $12.71

17.55%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.54 $5.54

22.56%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.93 $1.93

67.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.99 $1.99

58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.17 $7.17

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.08 $5.08

54.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.58 $3.58

47.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$6.65 $6.65

-13.38%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$7.53 $7.53

-35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.65 $12.65

60.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.83 $10.83

65.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.88 $17.88

30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$8.34 $8.34

-28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.59 $1.59

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$7.02 $7.02

-23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$9.38 $9.38

-29.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.81 $3.81

-11.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.77 $4.77

-39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.04 $3.04

-4.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.07 $3.07

-20.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.40 $8.40

45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$6.92 $6.92

120.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.80 $2.80

56.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.85 $5.85

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.94 $1.94

52.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$60.1 $60.1

81.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.47 $3.47

-27.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.59 $2.59

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$44.99 $44.99

-33.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.44 $1.44

4.86%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$35.6K $35.6K

1.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

-0.10%

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

$289 $289

$255 $255

13.45%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$65.7 $65.7

5.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$65.3 $65.3

29.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.10 $40.10

73.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$16.78 $16.78

7.09%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$888 $888

217.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$28.2K $28.2K

55.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$64.2 $64.2

42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$45.89 $45.89

19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

24.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$111 $111

45.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,567 $1,567

64.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,275 $1,275

52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,585 $2,585

97.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,081 $2,081

70.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,590 $2,590

184.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,184 $2,184

125.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,427 $4,427

45.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.5

23.64%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kaneohe, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Kaneohe, HI

$1.3K 46.3% 34.4% $668

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Kaneohe, HI

$484 17.6% 10.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Kaneohe, HI

$386 14% 12.9% $57

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Kaneohe, HI

$306 11.1% 23.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Kaneohe, HI

$145 5.3% 25.8% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Kaneohe, HI

$84 3.1% 36.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Kaneohe, HI

$74 2.7% 30.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,567 in Kaneohe, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Kaneohe, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $484 per month, with Kaneohe, HI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Kaneohe, HI

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

2 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

34,597

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Kaneohe, HI 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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

Kaneohe, HI wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kaneohe, HI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,567 in Kaneohe, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaneohe, HI – a meal for two runs $76 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kaneohe, 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.

Expats usually find Kaneohe, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.