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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Anchorage skyline
Bryan Price. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License
Honolulu skyline
eli fessler. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Anchorage vs Honolulu

$1,601/mo less in Honolulu

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

AnchorageHonoluluAbout 2,845 miles apart, a flight.

  • Honolulu costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 271 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,159/mo in Honolulu. $2,760/mo in Anchorage. −$19,212 a year.

Anchorage

$2,760

left each month

Honolulu

$1,159

−$1,601 vs Anchorage

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Honolulu wins 0 of 4Anchorage 4 · ties 0
$6,444Take-home · Anchorage$5,793
$1,392Rent · Anchorage$2,116
$2,292Other bills · Anchorage$2,518
$2,760Left over · Anchorage$1,159

Next

In 2022-2023, 112 households moved Anchorage → Honolulu (avg AGI $63,830). 93 went the other way. The whole move →

−$1,601 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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Honolulu · this breakdownAnchorage · homeBoth cities sit outside this lower-48 frame.
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Anchorage, AK and Honolulu, HI
Per monthAnchorageHonoluluDifference
Gross pay$8,167$7,964−$203
Income and payroll tax$1,723$2,171+$448
Take-home pay$6,444$5,793−$651
Rent$1,392$2,116+$724
Getting around$636$619−$17
Groceries$457$524+$67
Healthcare$514$590+$76
Utilities$286$328+$42
Everything else$400$459+$59
Left over$2,760$1,159−$1,601

Salary to match Anchorage

$127,000

Gross pay in Honolulu that leaves the same amount as $98,000 in Anchorage.

Tax difference

−$6,100

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.1% in Anchorage, 27.3% in Honolulu.

More about Honolulu

Anchorage, AK in full

No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,657 and 138 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

Honolulu, HI in full

Lowest property tax in the nation, highest grocery bill.

The other way

Start in Honolulu.

Honolulu → Anchorage →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Honolulu than Anchorage?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Honolulu leaves about $1,601 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,392 in Anchorage and $2,116 in Honolulu.

Does Honolulu have state income tax?

Honolulu is in Hawaii, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Anchorage to Honolulu?

The paycheck is taxed in Hawaii. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Anchorage and Honolulu changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.