City comparison
Manchester, NH 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 5.0% higher than in Manchester, NH. Someone earning $100,000 in Manchester, NH would need about $105,000 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 $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Manchester, NH to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,548 → $111,119), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.2% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (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
| Manchester, NH | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,020 in Urban Honolulu | $95,220 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Manchester, NH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH 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 Manchester, NH to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Manchester → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,438 | −12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $77,964 | −12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,445 | −12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,119 | −12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,310 | −12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $73,080 | $69,587 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $120,230 | $114,483 (−29.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $74,990 | $71,405 (−14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $139,260 | $132,603 (+34.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.