City comparison
Portland, OR 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 5.3% higher than in Portland, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, OR would need about $105,300 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 $1,677 in Portland, OR. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 28% in Portland, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,851 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Portland, OR to Urban Honolulu, HI ($114,684 → $111,119), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (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
| Portland, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,255 in Urban Honolulu | $95,007 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,851/yr.
41 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Portland, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$1,851/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Portland → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $64,438 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $77,964 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $93,445 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $111,119 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $131,310 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $73,080 | $69,431 (−15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $120,230 | $114,227 (−26.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $74,990 | $71,246 (−22.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $139,260 | $132,307 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.