City comparison
Portland, ME 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 8.9% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $108,900 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 $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $416 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Portland, ME.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Portland, ME to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,548 → $111,119), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- 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
| Portland, ME | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,937 in Urban Honolulu | $91,796 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$416/yr.
31 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$416/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Portland → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,438 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $77,964 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,445 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,119 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,310 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $73,080 | $67,085 (−12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $120,230 | $110,367 (−14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $74,990 | $68,838 (−13.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $139,260 | $127,835 (+44.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.