City comparison
Madison, WI 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 14.1% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $114,100 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 $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Madison, WI to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,055 in Urban Honolulu | $87,677 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Madison, WI to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Madison → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $73,080 | $64,074 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $120,230 | $105,414 (−19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $74,990 | $65,749 (−19.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $139,260 | $122,099 (+20.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.