City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 18.1% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $118,100 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,102 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Cleveland, OH to Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,138 → $111,119), while prices change by +18.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cleveland, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,140 in Urban Honolulu | $84,645 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$4,102/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,102/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Cleveland → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,438 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,964 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,445 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,119 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,310 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $73,080 | $61,859 (−19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $120,230 | $101,769 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $74,990 | $63,475 (−20.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $139,260 | $117,877 (+40.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.