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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Hawaii — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Honolulu (index 149, rent $2,548/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Hawaii — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Honolulu (index 149, rent $2,548/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Here's Honolulu by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 149. Rent: $2,548/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Income: $85,428/year. Home price: $758,507. Population: 341,778. The strongest category is Healthcare at 110; the most expensive is Housing at 149. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $7,836 more per year vs. the national median. Even in a down market, this kind of cost structure protects household budgets (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Honolulu leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers (more on that below).
#1 Ranked: Honolulu — cost index 149, rent $2,548/mo, income $85,428
0 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
341,778 residents · Hawaii
Why Honolulu ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And for many people, at 149 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 38% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,548/month while the median household pulls in $85,428/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 110, though Housing (149) lags behind. Home prices average $758,507 — $291,137 above the national median.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Honolulu | 11% | 4.44% | 0.27% | $55,649 |
Cities are ranked by effective property tax rate within Hawaii. Property taxes can vary significantly between municipalities even within the same state due to local levies, school districts, and assessment practices. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Honolulu ranks #1 in Hawaii for this analysis with a cost index of 149 and median income of $85,428.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Honolulu is $2,548/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $653 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Honolulu is $758,507, which is 8.9× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Hawaii has a 11% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 4.44%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.27%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.