Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Kahului, HI

For one person, living costs are similar in Washington, DC and in Kahului, HI: $3,983 and $3,988 a month, rent and utilities included.

194

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Kahului, HI
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Kahului, HI Living Index

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,983

/mo nomad

Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Washington, DC and in Kahului, HI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,983 in Washington, DC versus $3,988 in Kahului, HI.

Washington, DC $3,983
Kahului, HI $3,988

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,228 in Washington, DC versus $5,766 in Kahului, HI.

Washington, DC $6,228
Kahului, HI $5,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,473 in Washington, DC versus $7,544 in Kahului, HI.

Washington, DC $8,473
Kahului, HI $7,544

Monthly costs are close between Washington, DC and Kahului, HI; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Washington, DC 195% above, Kahului, HI 195% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.77 $27.77

$48.73 $48.73

-43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$76.0 $76.0

42.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$18.78 $18.78

-35.25%

Cappuccino

$6.33 $6.33

$7.22 $7.22

-12.33%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$2.89 $2.89

10.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.53 $3.53

-24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 $9.05

$4.94 $4.94

83.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.64 $7.64

31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.44 $1.44

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$6.84 $6.84

-40.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.72 $8.72

-21.22%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$6.70 $6.70

-14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$8.77 $8.77

95.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$15.18 $15.18

9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$19.87 $19.87

-5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$12.71 $12.71

-44.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.78 $2.78

-16.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$14.03 $14.03

-58.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 $14.17

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 $16.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$6.03 $6.03

-4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.95 $1.95

71.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$44.70 $44.70

167.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.11 $25.11

$34.86 $34.86

-27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.33 $1.33

-18.05%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$39.3K $39.3K

-8.33%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.10%

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

$211 $211

$297 $297

-29.07%

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

$81.6 $81.6

$70.4 $70.4

15.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$51.6 $51.6

52.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

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

$3,178 $3,178

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K $41.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$54.3 $54.3

33.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$40.77 $40.77

7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$95.7 $95.7

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$122 $122

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,730 $2,730

$2,376 $2,376

14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$2,309 $2,309

-3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,011 $5,011

$3,930 $3,930

27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 $4,437

$3,868 $3,868

14.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,288 $8,288

$11.8K $11.8K

-29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,671 $3,671

$11.6K $11.6K

-68.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,188 $6,188

$4,667 $4,667

32.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

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

Last update for Washington, DC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kahului, HI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56%

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 57.9% 3.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$513 12.9%

Kahului, HI

$469 * 11.8% 8.6% $44

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$423 10.6%

Kahului, HI

$598 15% 41.4% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$371 9.3%

Kahului, HI

$419 10.5% 12.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

Kahului, HI

$141 3.5% 8.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$148 3.7%

Kahului, HI

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$145 3.6%

Kahului, HI

$52 * 1.3% 63.8% $93

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,730 in Washington, DC and $2,376 in Kahului, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Washington, DC pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $108 in Washington, DC vs $76.0 in Kahului, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $513 vs $469 per month, with Kahului, HI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

10:30 10:30 AM

6 h behind Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

26,337

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Washington, DC Kahului, HI 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Washington, DC
Kahului, 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

Washington, DC vs Kahului, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 33% higher in Washington, DC, 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: $2,730 in Washington, DC versus $2,376 in Kahului, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kahului, HI pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

A monthly transit pass in Washington, DC runs roughly 167% less than in Kahului, HI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Washington, DC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Washington, DC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,983 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Washington, DC hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Washington, DC and Kahului, HI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Washington, DC wins on affordability, Kahului, HI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.