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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 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Hawaii.
#1 Ranked: Honolulu — cost index 149, rent $2,548/mo, income $85,428
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $60K gross income
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 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Hawaii.
Why Honolulu ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. 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.
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.
341,778 residents · Hawaii
Why Honolulu ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. 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% | $40,557 |
We model what a $60K 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 $60K salary in Honolulu, rent would consume about 51% 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 $60K in Honolulu is approximately $40,557/year ($3,380/month). After median rent of $2,548/month, you'd have roughly $9,981/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.