City comparison
Miami, FL vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 2.9% higher than in Urban Honolulu, HI. Someone earning $100,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI would need about $102,900 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,995 a month in Miami, FL and $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Miami, FL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,356 → $111,119), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (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
| Miami, FL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,202 in Urban Honolulu | $102,878 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
66 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Miami → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $64,438 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $77,964 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $93,445 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $111,119 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $131,310 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $73,080 | $75,184 (+29.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $120,230 | $123,691 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $74,990 | $77,149 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $139,260 | $143,269 (+56.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.