City comparison
Boston, MA 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 2.5% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $102,500 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,290 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Boston, MA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,548 → $111,119), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,489 in Urban Honolulu | $97,571 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,290/yr.
49 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$1,290/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Boston → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,438 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $77,964 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,445 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,119 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,310 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $73,080 | $71,305 (−27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $120,230 | $117,310 (−29.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $74,990 | $73,169 (−26.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $139,260 | $135,878 (+28.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.