Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waipahu, HI: $3,241 a month against $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Angeles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

157

Cost of Living Index in Waipahu, HI
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Waipahu, 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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Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,241

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI and in Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,241 in Waipahu, HI versus $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA.

Waipahu, HI $3,241
Los Angeles, CA $4,219

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,998 in Waipahu, HI versus $6,290 in Los Angeles, CA.

Waipahu, HI $4,998
Los Angeles, CA $6,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,755 in Waipahu, HI versus $8,361 in Los Angeles, CA.

Waipahu, HI $6,755
Los Angeles, CA $8,361

Living in Waipahu, HI costs roughly 23% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waipahu, HI 139% above, Los Angeles, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.51 $28.51

$26.68 $26.68

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$119 $119

17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.17 $15.17

$15.19 $15.19

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$10.40 $10.40

$6.12 $6.12

69.93%

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

$5.05 $5.05

$3.79 $3.79

33.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.78 $2.78

28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 $10.42

$7.85 $7.85

32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.46 $11.46

$9.87 $9.87

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.33 $1.33

-24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.87 $4.87

-29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.25 $10.25

$4.65 $4.65

120.43%

Eggs

$7.59 $7.59

$5.54 $5.54

37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 $12.38

$11.32 $11.32

9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.66 $19.66

$15.99 $15.99

22.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 $21.76

$19.56 $19.56

11.25%

Apples (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$4.99 $4.99

67.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.28 $2.28

-30.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.89 $4.89

39.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$5.34 $5.34

76.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.41 $3.41

42.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.81 $2.81

70.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.01 $2.01

151.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.45 $2.45

22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.56 $11.56

-14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.08 $18.08

$14.80 $14.80

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.94 $2.94

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.72 $2.72

107.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 $81.2

$105 $105

-23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.01 $3.01

17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.81 $1.81

41.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.51 $45.51

$32.13 $32.13

41.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.62 $1.62

-14.81%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.7K $35.7K

-0.28%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.11%

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

$256 $256

$280 $280

-8.50%

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

$66.0 $66.0

$77.1 $77.1

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$81.4 $81.4

-20.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 $47.25

$76.4 $76.4

-38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 $11.81

Cinema Ticket

$20.14 $20.14

$17.98 $17.98

12.01%

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

$2,124 $2,124

$1,657 $1,657

28.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$32.3K $32.3K

-14.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.49 $45.49

$89.3 $89.3

-49.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.66 $39.66

$65.2 $65.2

-39.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 $84.0

$120 $120

-30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$216 $216

-38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$2,565 $2,565

-38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$2,442 $2,442

-41.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 $2,861

$5,485 $5,485

-47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 $2,556

$4,362 $4,362

-41.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,474 $2,474

$7,194 $7,194

-65.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 $2,316

$7,065 $7,065

-67.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.86

-2.33%

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

Last update for Waipahu, HI: October 19, 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

Waipahu, HI

$1.4K 44.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.9% 70.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Waipahu, HI

$584 18%

Los Angeles, CA

$463 11% 20.7% $121

Eating Out

Waipahu, HI

$508 15.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$418 9.9% 17.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waipahu, HI

$387 11.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.4% 13.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Waipahu, HI

$136 4.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$221 5.2% 62.3% $85

Getting Around

Waipahu, HI

$105 3.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3% 18% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Waipahu, HI

$88 2.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$112 2.7% 28.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $139 in Waipahu, HI vs $119 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $584 vs $463 per month, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

18:32 6:32 PM

3 h ahead of Waipahu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,894

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Waipahu, HI Los Angeles, CA 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Waipahu, HI
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Waipahu, HI is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and transport. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,861 in Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI runs roughly 30% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,124 in Waipahu, 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 $2,000. Waipahu, HI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.