Median rent is 21% lower in Urban Honolulu ($1,823/mo vs $2,313/mo). Buying is cheaper in Urban Honolulu, where the median home runs $843,400 versus $906,700. Households earn more in San Diego ($108,077 vs $86,504 a year).
City A
San Diego, CA
City B
Urban Honolulu, HI
How much would you need to earn in Urban Honolulu, HI to maintain your standard of living from San Diego, 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 metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
San Diego
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: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Urban Honolulu — median rent of $1,823/mo versus $2,313/mo in San Diego, a 21% difference. Median home values are within 7% of each other: $906,700 in San Diego and $843,400 in Urban Honolulu.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
San Diego
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Urban Honolulu
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Urban Honolulu has cleaner air on average: 18.0 AQI (Good) compared to 59.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick San Diego if you prioritize higher median household income ($108,077/yr).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,823/mo median).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 18.0).
Is San Diego cheaper than Urban Honolulu?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in San Diego vs Urban Honolulu?
Median rent is $2,313/mo in San Diego, CA and $1,823/mo in Urban Honolulu, HI. Urban Honolulu, HI has the lower rent by about 21%.
Which has higher salaries — San Diego or Urban Honolulu?
Median household income is $108,077 in San Diego, CA and $86,504 in Urban Honolulu, HI. San Diego, CA 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: 18.0 AQI versus 59.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — San Diego or Urban Honolulu?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Urban Honolulu to match my San Diego income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
