City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 20.7% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $120,700 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,399 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Omaha, NE to Urban Honolulu, HI ($107,501 → $111,119), while prices change by +20.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.4% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,727 in Urban Honolulu | $82,832 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,399/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,399/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Omaha → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $64,438 | −14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $77,964 | −14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $93,445 | −14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $111,119 | −14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $131,310 | −14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $73,080 | $60,533 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $120,230 | $99,589 (−20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $74,990 | $62,116 (−19.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $139,260 | $115,352 (+36.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.