Hilo, HI Cost Of Living

Hilo cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Hilo	Hawaii	National
Cost of living index	145	176	100
Index	Hilo	Hawaii	National
Goods & Services index	129	129	100
Groceries index	152	157	100
Health care index	119	117	100
Housing index	144	250	100
Transportation index	146	141	100
Utilities index	203	196	100

A general overview of the cost of living index for Hilo, HI is displayed above. In Hilo, HI, the overall cost of living index is 145, which is 18% lower than the Hawaii average and 45% higher than the U.S. average. The following categories are used to calculate the overall cost of living index: goods/services (33%), housing (30%), groceries (13%), utilities (10%), transportation (9%) and health care (5%). From the list, it is clear that the categories of goods/services and housing are responsible for the largest portions of the overall cost of living index. As a general rule, everyday goods and services provide an accurate measure of the general cost of goods in any given city. In the case of Hilo, HI, the city's goods and services are equal to the Hawaii average and 29% higher than the U.S. average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Hilo is 18% lower than the Hawaii average.
The cost of living in Hilo is 45% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Hilo is 44% higher than the national average.
Hawaii general sales tax is 18% lower than the national average.
Hawaii state income tax is 37% lower than the national average.

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Use the salary calculator to compare your current income in Hilo, HI to any other city in the country. The calculator will tell you how much income you would need to make in a particular city to live at the same level based on the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the city you are looking to move to is higher than that of Hilo, HI, then you would need to earn a higher salary in order to enjoy the same standard of living. To use the Hilo, HI salary calculator, enter the name of the new city, then move the slider to your current salary level. The salary calculator will do the rest and let you know if your salary would need to increase or decrease for the new city. You will also see a complete overview of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$70,625	$5,885	$1,648	$2,119
Renters	$29,578	$2,465	$690	$887

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in Hilo, HI by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in Hilo, HI have a median income of $70,625. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $1,648 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $29,578, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $690.

Hawaii Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Hawaii	4.166%	4.712%

Hawaii Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Hawaii	1.4%	8.25%

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Hilo, HI is the Hawaii sales tax and Hawaii income tax rates. Sales taxes are taxes that are collected on most goods or services sold. Sales taxes can vary by state and can be as high as 7% and as low as 0% as not every state imposes a sales tax. The Hawaii sales tax rate is 4.166% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 4.712%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by both the federal and state government. The income tax rates varies by individual state and will also be higher or lower depending on the applicable tax bracket. The rates of state income tax can vary from 0% to more than 9%. The Hawaii income tax rates range from 1.4% to 8.25%.

Goods & Services

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$12.17	$16.09	24.3%
Beauty Salon	$31.47	$37.33	15.7%
Toothpaste	$4.08	$2.45	66.9%
Shampoo	$1.72	$1.00	72.2%
Movie	$10.04	$10.28	2.3%
Bowling	$13.87	$4.93	181.2%

Groceries

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.25	$3.80	11.8%
Fried Chicken	$2.19	$1.40	56.7%
Milk	$3.21	$2.01	59.7%
Potatoes	$4.25	$3.01	41.2%
Pizza	$12.30	$9.89	24.4%
Beer	$7.78	$8.90	12.6%

Health Care

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$136.85	$102.16	34.0%
Doctor	$133.68	$108.36	23.4%
Dentist	$112.79	$92.53	21.9%
Ibuprofen	$13.01	$9.28	40.2%
Lipitor	$398.63	$425.82	6.4%

Housing

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$298,500.00	$184,700.00	61.6%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$2,014.49	$1,202.44	67.5%
Apartment Rent	$961.00	$949.00	1.3%

Transportation

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.16	$2.24	40.9%
Tire Balancing	$72.96	$46.29	57.6%

Utilities

Item	Hilo	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$431.66	$165.96	160.1%
Phone	$39.39	$28.68	37.3%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Eden Roc, HI	599	121	21%
Fern Acres, HI	1,392	129	29%
Nanawale Estates, HI	1,590	130	30%
Ainaloa, HI	3,102	130	30%
Papaikou, HI	1,198	131	31%
Hilo, HI	45,579	145	45%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Charlottesville, VA	45,538	116	16%
Lacey, WA	45,644	111	11%
Wylie, TX	45,655	94	-6%
Lincoln, CA	45,675	133	33%
Maricopa, AZ	45,473	96	-4%
Hilo, HI	45,579	145	45%

Source: The Hilo, HI cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Hilo, HI Cost of Living