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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 — we had to double-check this one — , 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.
#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
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Hawaii — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Honolulu (index 149 — we had to double-check this one — , 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.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Honolulu (index 149, rent $2,548). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Here's Honolulu by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 149. Rent: $2,548/month. 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. In the context of rising national rents, this stability is worth noting.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. And from what we can tell, zoom out and it's complicated. In Honolulu, the housing index sits at 149 — above average and worth factoring in.
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.
341,778 residents · Hawaii
The #1 spot goes to Honolulu, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,548/month — we had to double-check this one — — 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.
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.