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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Hawaii isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Honolulu proves it with a cost index of 149 — we had to double-check this one — , the lowest in Hawaii, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best …
#1 Ranked: Honolulu — cost index 149, rent $2,548/mo, income $85,428
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Let's be honest: Hawaii isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Honolulu proves it with a cost index of 149 — we had to double-check this one — , the lowest in Hawaii, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
The #1 spot goes to Honolulu, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,548/month — costing renters $7,836 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 110, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 149. The 36% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: The 1 cities we track in Hawaii paint a premium but nuanced picture. It lines up with what you'd expect. 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 (we double-checked this one).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Honolulu | 11% | 4.44% | 0.27% | $27,972 |
341,778 residents · Hawaii
The #1 spot goes to Honolulu, and the breakdown explains why. And depending on your situation, renters here pay $2,548/month — costing renters $7,836 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 110, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 149. The 36% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
We model what a $40K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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.
Yes. On a $40K salary in Honolulu, rent would consume about 76% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 11% state income tax, estimated take-home on $40K in Honolulu is approximately $27,972/year ($2,331/month). After median rent of $2,548/month, you'd have roughly $0/year for all other expenses.
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.