City comparison
Philadelphia, PA 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 8.2% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $108,200 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 $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,000 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Philadelphia, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,284 → $111,119), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (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
| Philadelphia, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,198 in Urban Honolulu | $92,423 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,000/yr.
33 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,000/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Philadelphia → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,438 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,964 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,445 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,119 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,310 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $73,080 | $67,543 (−14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $120,230 | $111,121 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $74,990 | $69,308 (−19.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $139,260 | $128,709 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.