City comparison
St. Louis, MO 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 16.7% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $116,700 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,307 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from St. Louis, MO to Urban Honolulu, HI ($109,137 → $111,119), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.7% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (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
| St. Louis, MO | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,693 in Urban Honolulu | $85,695 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,307/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,307/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, St. Louis → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $64,438 | −12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $77,964 | −12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $93,445 | −12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $111,119 | −12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $131,310 | −12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $73,080 | $62,626 (+3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $120,230 | $103,031 (−20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $74,990 | $64,263 (−18.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $139,260 | $119,339 (+43.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.