Median rent is 5% lower in Urban Honolulu ($1,783/mo vs $1,879/mo). Buying is cheaper in Urban Honolulu, where the median home runs $834,100 versus $879,500. Households earn more in Urban Honolulu ($85,428 vs $80,366 a year).
City A
Los Angeles, CA
City B
Urban Honolulu, HI
How much would you need to earn in Urban Honolulu, HI to maintain your standard of living from Los Angeles, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Los Angeles
California
Urban Honolulu
Hawaii
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $1,879/mo in Los Angeles and $1,783/mo in Urban Honolulu. Median home values are within 5% of each other: $879,500 in Los Angeles and $834,100 in Urban Honolulu.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% versus 11.00% in Hawaii, so Urban Honolulu is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 7.25% in California and 4.00% in Hawaii; Urban Honolulu has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
Los Angeles
Income tax: 13.30%
Sales tax: 7.25%
Urban Honolulu
Income tax: 11.00%
Sales tax: 4.00%
Urban Honolulu has cleaner air on average: 34.0 AQI (Good) compared to 77.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize higher median household income ($85,428/yr).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 34.0).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize lower state income tax (11.00%).
Is Los Angeles cheaper than Urban Honolulu?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Los Angeles vs Urban Honolulu?
Median rent is $1,879/mo in Los Angeles, CA and $1,783/mo in Urban Honolulu, HI. Urban Honolulu, HI has the lower rent by about 5%.
Which has higher salaries — Los Angeles or Urban Honolulu?
Median household income is $80,366 in Los Angeles, CA and $85,428 in Urban Honolulu, HI. Urban Honolulu, HI has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Urban Honolulu, HI has better air quality on average: 34.0 AQI versus 77.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Los Angeles or Urban Honolulu?
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% and Hawaii's is 11.00%. Urban Honolulu, HI has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in Urban Honolulu to match my Los Angeles income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology