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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Hawaii trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Honolulu at index 149 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving H…
#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
Premium market, smart picks: while Hawaii trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Honolulu at index 149 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Hawaii.
Honolulu earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 149 cost index sits 38 points above the national baseline, and the $85,428 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $758,507 — $291,137 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 110, while Housing trails at 149.
Against the national baseline, though: The 1 cities we track in Hawaii paint a premium but nuanced picture. Average cost index: 149. Median rent: $2,548/month. Household income: $85,428. Hawaii is known for the most isolated and expensive housing market in the US — and the data backs that reputation with some caveats.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
341,778 residents · Hawaii
Honolulu is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $2,548/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 149. Income sits at $85,428. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Cities with the highest rents in Hawaii are ranked from most expensive to least. High rent doesn't always mean unaffordable — we pair rent data with income to show the full picture. 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.