City comparison
Tucson, AZ 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 14.5% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $114,500 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,779 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Tucson, AZ to Urban Honolulu, HI ($108,455 → $111,119), while prices change by +14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (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
| Tucson, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,516 in Urban Honolulu | $87,324 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,779/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,779/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Tucson → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $64,438 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $77,964 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $93,445 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $111,119 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $131,310 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $73,080 | $63,817 (+35.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $120,230 | $104,990 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $74,990 | $65,485 (−14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $139,260 | $121,608 (+29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.