City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 2.3% higher than in Urban Honolulu, HI. Someone earning $100,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI would need about $102,300 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA and $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Los Angeles, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($124,085 → $111,119), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (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
| Los Angeles, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,706 in Urban Honolulu | $102,348 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
64 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Los Angeles → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,438 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,964 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,445 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,119 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,310 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $73,080 | $74,796 (−26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $120,230 | $123,053 (−23.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $74,990 | $76,751 (−18.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $139,260 | $142,529 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.