City comparison
San Luis Obispo, CA 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 2.2% higher than in San Luis Obispo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Luis Obispo, CA would need about $102,200 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 31% in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from San Luis Obispo, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($124,085 → $111,119), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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 Luis Obispo, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,178 in Urban Honolulu | $97,869 in San Luis Obispo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,914/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 | 31% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,770 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Luis Obispo | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 144.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 147.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 108.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Luis Obispo, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
50 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Luis Obispo, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from San Luis Obispo, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, San Luis Obispo → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,438 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,964 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,445 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,119 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,310 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in San Luis Obispo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,620 | $73,080 | $71,522 (−26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $135,020 | $120,230 | $117,667 (−12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,160 | $74,990 | $73,392 (−16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $138,820 | $139,260 | $136,292 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.