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 | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $2,080/mo | 41.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $417,600 | $783,300 | 46.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $75,589 | $98,657 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 106.8 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 159.5 | 21.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 101.1 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 101.0 | 3.1% higher in A |
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 $142,912 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Hilo, HI is about 30% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Hilo than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Hilo, you'd need about $114,329 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.