City comparison
Spokane, WA 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 10.6% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $110,600 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 $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.9% moving from Spokane, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,991 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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
| Spokane, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,578 in Urban Honolulu | $90,434 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
27 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Spokane → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $64,438 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $77,964 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $93,445 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $111,119 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $131,310 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $73,080 | $66,089 (−33.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $120,230 | $108,728 (−16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $74,990 | $67,816 (−21.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $139,260 | $125,938 (+12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.