City comparison
New York, NY vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 1.4% higher than in Urban Honolulu, HI. Someone earning $100,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI would need about $101,400 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,210 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in New York, NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from New York, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI ($125,431 → $111,119), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (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
| New York, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,577 in Urban Honolulu | $101,444 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Urban Honolulu, HI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,210/yr.
61 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → New York, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$1,210/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, New York → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,438 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,964 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,445 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,119 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,310 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $73,080 | $74,135 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $120,230 | $121,966 (−26.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $74,990 | $76,073 (−28.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $139,260 | $141,271 (+18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.