Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wailuku, HI and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wailuku, HI: $2,662 a month against $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Wailuku, HI
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Wailuku, HI Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Wailuku, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,662

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wailuku, HI and in Los Angeles, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Wailuku, HI versus $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA.

Wailuku, HI $2,662
Los Angeles, CA $4,219

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,969 in Wailuku, HI versus $6,290 in Los Angeles, CA.

Wailuku, HI $3,969
Los Angeles, CA $6,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,276 in Wailuku, HI versus $8,361 in Los Angeles, CA.

Wailuku, HI $5,276
Los Angeles, CA $8,361

Living in Wailuku, HI costs roughly 37% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wailuku, HI 96% above, Los Angeles, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.70 $19.70

$26.68 $26.68

-26.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$119 $119

-35.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 $11.52

$15.19 $15.19

-24.16%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$6.12 $6.12

-14.87%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.79 $3.79

-27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.78 $2.78

-29.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.85 $7.85

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 $7.30

$9.87 $9.87

-26.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.33 $1.33

-21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.87 $4.87

-26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.65 $4.65

-9.03%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$5.54 $5.54

-25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.32 $11.32

7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$15.99 $15.99

-26.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.91 $16.91

$19.56 $19.56

-13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.99 $4.99

-1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.28 $2.28

-28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.89 $4.89

-11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.34 $5.34

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.41 $3.41

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.81 $2.81

2.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.01 $2.01

8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.45 $2.45

-9.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 $10.64

$11.56 $11.56

-7.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.80 $14.80

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.94 $2.94

-41.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.72 $2.72

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.71 $1.71

15.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$105 $105

13.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.01 $3.01

3.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.81 $1.81

-5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.35 $29.35

$32.13 $32.13

-8.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.62 $1.62

-6.17%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.7K $35.7K

-22.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.99%

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

$197 $197

$280 $280

-29.52%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$77.1 $77.1

-26.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$81.4 $81.4

-12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 $43.32

$76.4 $76.4

-43.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$71.0 $71.0

$11.81 $11.81

500.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$17.98 $17.98

-21.13%

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

$1,379 $1,379

$1,657 $1,657

-16.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$32.3K $32.3K

-27.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$89.3 $89.3

-41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 $41.76

$65.2 $65.2

-35.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$120 $120

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$216 $216

-47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$2,565 $2,565

-38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$2,442 $2,442

-47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,551 $2,551

$5,485 $5,485

-53.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 $2,168

$4,362 $4,362

-50.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,735 $2,735

$7,194 $7,194

-61.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,250 $2,250

$7,065 $7,065

-68.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.86

-4.23%

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

Last update for Wailuku, HI: October 18, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wailuku, HI

$1.3K 48%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.9% 91.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Wailuku, HI

$396 14.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$463 11% 17% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wailuku, HI

$325 12.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.4% 34.8% $113

Eating Out

Wailuku, HI

$319 12%

Los Angeles, CA

$418 9.9% 31.1% $99

Getting Around

Wailuku, HI

$140 5.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3% 10.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Wailuku, HI

$133 5%

Los Angeles, CA

$221 5.2% 66.2% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Wailuku, HI

$72 2.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$112 2.7% 56.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,574 in Wailuku, HI and $2,565 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Wailuku, HI vs $119 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $463 per month, with Wailuku, HI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wailuku, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

3 h ahead of Wailuku, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,313

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Wailuku, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Wailuku, HI
Los Angeles, CA

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

Wailuku, HI vs Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wailuku, HI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,992 in Wailuku, HI and $6,328 in Los Angeles, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,574 in Wailuku, HI versus $2,565 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Wailuku, HI runs roughly 14% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,379 in Wailuku, HI versus $1,657 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Wailuku, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Wailuku, HI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Wailuku, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.