City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Hilo | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $1,322/mo | 7.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $417,600 | $340,200 | 22.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $75,589 | $72,092 | 4.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 97.7 | 6.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 102.9 | 21.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Hilo, you'd need $111,554 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Hilo, HI is about 10.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Hilo than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Hilo, you'd need about $89,243 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.