City comparison
Albany, NY vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 11.4% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $111,400 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,210 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Albany, NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.2% moving from Albany, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI ($109,810 → $111,119), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,445 in Urban Honolulu | $89,731 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,210/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,210/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Albany → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $64,438 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $77,964 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $93,445 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $111,119 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $131,310 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $73,080 | $65,575 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $120,230 | $107,883 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $74,990 | $67,289 (−20.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $139,260 | $124,959 (+25.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.