Question 1

Is Honolulu or Salt Lake City cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, UT is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $866/month less than in Honolulu, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,642/mo in Honolulu versus $1,747/mo in Salt Lake City.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Honolulu vs Salt Lake City?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $98,000/year before tax in Honolulu, HI and $76,500/year in Salt Lake City, UT — a difference of about $21,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Honolulu or Salt Lake City cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, the same answer as for a single person. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $12,069/month in Honolulu and $9,707/month in Salt Lake City, including county-median childcare.

Question 4

Should I move to Honolulu or Salt Lake City?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Salt Lake City costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Honolulu57	Salt Lake City56
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,964	$4,098
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$12,069	$9,707
Salary for comfort	$98,000/yr	$76,500/yr
Typical rent	$2,642	$1,747
Median home value	$834,100	$495,700
Median household income	$85,428	$74,925
Unemployment	3.0%	3.5%
Housing score	5	27
Jobs score	92	82
Safety score	35	10
Climate score	100	78
Amenities score	61	50
Population	346.3K	203.9K
Summer high / winter low	88° / 66°	93° / 22°

Honolulu, HI vs Salt Lake City, UT