What does a cost-of-living index of 193 mean?

An index of 193 means everyday costs in Honolulu are about 93% above the US average, which is set to 100. A dollar buys roughly half as much locally as it would in an average-cost city.

Which categories drive Honolulu's high index?

Housing is by far the biggest factor, running roughly three times the national average. Utilities and groceries are also well above 100 because nearly everything is shipped to the islands.

How do I compare two cities?

Convert a salary using each city's index. If Honolulu is 193 and another city is 100, you would need nearly twice the income in Honolulu to maintain the same standard of living.

Is this an official figure?

It is a representative composite for planning, not an official government statistic. Real costs vary by neighborhood, island, and lifestyle, so treat the index as a directional guide.

Does the index include taxes?

Cost-of-living indices focus on consumer prices rather than income taxes. Use a separate tax tool for Hawaii's state income tax and general excise tax effects.

Honolulu Cost-of-Living Index

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Compare Honolulu living costs

Honolulu is one of the most expensive cities in the United States, with a composite cost-of-living index near 193 against a national baseline of 100. This tool shows how far an income stretches on Oahu and the per-category picture behind that headline number.

How it works

A cost-of-living index expresses local prices as a percentage of the national average. To convert purchasing power between cities, you scale income by the ratio of indices:

equivalent income = your income * (target index / 100)
purchasing power  = your income * (100 / local index)

The composite is a weighted blend of housing, groceries, transportation, utilities, and healthcare, with housing weighted most heavily. Because Honolulu real estate and imported goods are so costly, the overall index lands far above 100.

Tips and example

If you earn 80000 and Honolulu’s index is 193, your effective purchasing power equals 80000 * (100 / 193) = 41451 of an average-cost city’s dollars — a steep haircut. To match an 80000 lifestyle in an average city, you would need 80000 * (193 / 100) = 154400 of Honolulu income.

Use the per-category bars to see where Honolulu costs the most; housing is overwhelmingly the dominant factor.