City comparison
New Orleans, LA 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 19.8% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $119,800 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,456 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from New Orleans, LA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +19.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.9% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,832 in Urban Honolulu | $83,450 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,456/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,456/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, New Orleans → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −12.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −12.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −12.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −12.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −12.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $73,080 | $60,985 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $120,230 | $100,332 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $74,990 | $62,579 (−19.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $139,260 | $116,213 (+42.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.