City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 24.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $124,300 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,503 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($112,556 → $111,119), while prices change by +24.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −20.6% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,262 in Urban Honolulu | $80,475 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,503/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Columbus → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,438 | −20.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,964 | −20.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,445 | −20.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,119 | −20.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,310 | −20.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $73,080 | $58,811 (−4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $120,230 | $96,755 (−16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $74,990 | $60,348 (−18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $139,260 | $112,070 (+35.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.