Cost of living in Honolulu: rent, homes and salary
Running 11.0% above the US average, the cost of living in Honolulu has a BEA regional price parity (RPP) of 111.0. That 2024 figure for the metro area named Urban Honolulu, HI compares with a US average of 100, and housing alone is 135.5.
- Level of prices
- 111.0US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 135.5. Rent, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Honolulu
For one place, a regional price parity prices the same basket of goods and services, then compares that cost with the US average (US = 100). Honolulu lies in the metro area known as Urban Honolulu, HI, and BEA prices all of it as one area. Utilities are the part that differs most from the US average, at 187.3, and that is 87.3% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Urban Honolulu, HI metro | Hawaii | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 111.0 | 110.0 | +11.0% |
| Goods | 111.6 | 111.6 | +11.6% |
| Housing (rents) | 135.5 | 125.3 | +35.5% |
| Utilities | 187.3 | 190.2 | +87.3% |
| Other services | 102.9 | 102.9 | +2.9% |
From the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024 regional price parities, listed by metro area and state. BEA parities
Honolulu rent
In Honolulu, the typical asking rent runs $2,715 a month, measured by the Zillow Observed Rent Index, known as ZORI. It covers rent on homes listed now, up +4.2% on a year. In the US, the figure is $1,932. According to the Census, the median gross rent is $1,815. That figure counts every renting household, not only new leases. One year of the asking rent equals 38% of the median household income.
| Rent | Honolulu | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $2,715 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +4.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,815 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, share of median income | 38% | 28% |
Sources: Zillow Observed Rent Index and Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, where the Census figures are one-year estimates.
Honolulu home prices
In September 2026, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical Honolulu home at $774,710. That index measures what a home that sits in the middle of the market is worth. The yearly change is +2.3%, and the US figure is $366,157. That price equals 9.0 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Honolulu | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $774,710 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +2.3% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +25.2% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 9.0 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 23.8 | 15.8 |
Days on market, a forecast, and the price chart since 2000: Honolulu housing market.
Salary you need to live in Honolulu
What you earn today, and where you live, together set the Honolulu salary that holds your buying power.
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Every city shown side by side, along with the method: cost of living comparison.
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Other cities compared with Honolulu on cost of living
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | 111.0 | 135.5 | $2,715 | $774,710 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities 2024, where US = 100. Rent data: Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
Every city ranked: city cost of living comparison. Every state: state-by-state cost of living.