City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 5.3% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $105,300 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.7% moving from Anchorage, AK to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,348 → $111,119), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.3% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,256 in Urban Honolulu | $95,006 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
41 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Anchorage → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $64,438 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $77,964 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $93,445 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $111,119 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $131,310 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $73,080 | $69,431 (−12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $120,230 | $114,226 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $74,990 | $71,245 (−13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $139,260 | $132,306 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.