City comparison
Phoenix, AZ 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 7.4% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $107,400 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,779 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,338 → $111,119), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,400 in Urban Honolulu | $93,110 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,779/yr.
35 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,779/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Phoenix → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $64,438 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $77,964 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $93,445 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $111,119 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $131,310 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $73,080 | $68,045 (+15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $120,230 | $111,946 (−15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $74,990 | $69,823 (−13.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $139,260 | $129,665 (+28.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.