Median rent is 32% lower in Urban Honolulu ($1,823/mo vs $2,669/mo). Buying is cheaper in Urban Honolulu, where the median home runs $843,400 versus $1,233,200. Households earn more in San Jose ($146,427 vs $86,504 a year).
City A
San Jose, 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 Jose, 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 Jose
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 $2,669/mo in San Jose, a 32% difference. Home buyers face a steeper market in San Jose: the median home is $1,233,200 versus $843,400 in Urban Honolulu — 32% more expensive.
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 Jose
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 65.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick San Jose if you prioritize higher median household income ($146,427/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 Jose cheaper than Urban Honolulu?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in San Jose vs Urban Honolulu?
Median rent is $2,669/mo in San Jose, CA and $1,823/mo in Urban Honolulu, HI. Urban Honolulu, HI has the lower rent by about 32%.
Which has higher salaries — San Jose or Urban Honolulu?
Median household income is $146,427 in San Jose, CA and $86,504 in Urban Honolulu, HI. San Jose, 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 65.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — San Jose 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 Jose 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
