City comparison
San Jose, CA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in San Jose, CA (110.4) and Urban Honolulu, HI (111.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in San Jose, CA goes as far as $100,500 in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in San Jose, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.5% moving from San Jose, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($133,060 → $111,119), while prices change by +0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.9% in real buying power.
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
- 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
| San Jose, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,487 in Urban Honolulu | $99,515 in San Jose |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,982/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $84,050 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Jose | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 211.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 156.7 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 110.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Jose, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
55 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → San Jose, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Jose, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from San Jose, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Jose, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, San Jose → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,438 | −16.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,964 | −16.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,445 | −16.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,119 | −16.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,310 | −16.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Jose, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in San Jose dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,860 | $73,080 | $72,726 (−29.3%) |
| Software Developers | $213,110 | $120,230 | $119,647 (−43.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $121,700 | $74,990 | $74,626 (−38.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $216,740 | $139,260 | $138,585 (−36.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.