Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waikiki, HI: $3,148 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index
234

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

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Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,148

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waikiki, HI and in New York, NY

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

A single person spends $3,148 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $3,148
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $4,580 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $4,580
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $6,011 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $6,011
New York, NY $9,641

Waikiki, HI is about 36% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Waikiki, HI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Waikiki, HI by 133%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 $25.12

$26.93 $26.93

-6.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$117 $117

19.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.23 $15.23

$14.60 $14.60

4.32%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$6.54 $6.54

-9.17%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$3.86 $3.86

31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.95 $2.95

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.44 $10.44

$8.08 $8.08

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.37 $11.37

$9.85 $9.85

15.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.31 $1.31

-22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.97 $4.97

-29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.70 $7.70

31.69%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$6.09 $6.09

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$19.55 $19.55

-36.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.34 $20.34

$17.59 $17.59

15.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.60 $21.60

$20.26 $20.26

6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$6.99 $6.99

18.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.21 $2.21

-24.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$6.72 $6.72

3.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$7.12 $7.12

30.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.61 $4.61

5.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.78 $4.78

2.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.87 $2.87

84.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.69 $2.69

13.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 $12.88

$19.14 $19.14

-32.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$19.63 $19.63

-7.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.32 $3.32

-18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.19 $4.19

35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.02 $3.02

-25.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$139 $139

-57.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.04 $3.04

18.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.20 $2.20

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.63 $45.63

$41.33 $41.33

10.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.13 $1.13

32.74%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$34.5K $34.5K

4.70%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

2.94%

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

$250 $250

$232 $232

7.70%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$71.0 $71.0

-7.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$67.7 $67.7

-4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 $41.02

$115 $115

-64.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 $19.78

$22.41 $22.41

-11.74%

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

$2,118 $2,118

$3,606 $3,606

-41.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K $28.2K

$68.7K $68.7K

-58.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$79.3 $79.3

-19.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 $47.25

$51.4 $51.4

-8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$121 $121

-15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$140 $140

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$4,555 $4,555

-64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 $1,424

$3,040 $3,040

-53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$9,742 $9,742

-73.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 $1,965

$5,331 $5,331

-63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,676 $2,676

$18.2K $18.2K

-85.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$6,685 $6,685

-63.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.89

-1.45%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: November 2, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waikiki, HI

$1.4K 45.2%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 114% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Waikiki, HI

$594 18.9%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 4.5% $27

Eating Out

Waikiki, HI

$428 13.6%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 0.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waikiki, HI

$380 12.1%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 2.4% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Waikiki, HI

$156 5%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 13.2% $21

Getting Around

Waikiki, HI

$86 2.7%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 93.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Waikiki, HI

$81 2.6%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 98.8% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Waikiki, HI versus $4,555 in New York, NY. 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 $140 in Waikiki, HI versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $594 vs $567 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

11:57 11:57 AM

5 h ahead of Waikiki, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,862

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Waikiki, HI New York, NY 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Waikiki, HI
New York, NY

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

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

New York, NY costs about 56% more than Waikiki, 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 $4,722 per month in Waikiki, HI and $7,358 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waikiki, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,612 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,118 per month in Waikiki, HI and $3,606 in New York, NY. 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,148 in Waikiki, HI and $4,906 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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