City comparison
Minneapolis, MN 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 5.9% higher than in Minneapolis, MN. Someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN would need about $105,900 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 $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $793 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Minneapolis, MN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Minneapolis, MN to Urban Honolulu, HI ($116,038 → $111,119), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (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
| Minneapolis, MN | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,857 in Urban Honolulu | $94,467 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$793/yr.
39 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$793/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Minneapolis → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $64,438 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $77,964 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $93,445 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $111,119 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $131,310 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $73,080 | $69,037 (−13.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $120,230 | $113,578 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $74,990 | $70,841 (−18.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $139,260 | $131,555 (+27.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.