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 $2,616/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 $129,500/year before tax in Honolulu, HI and $68,000/year in Salt Lake City, UT — a difference of about $61,500. 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. A four-person household runs about $12,924/month in Honolulu and $7,025/month in Salt Lake City, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

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	Honolulu50	Salt Lake City58
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,316	$3,700
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$12,924	$7,025
Salary for comfort	$129,500/yr	$68,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,642	$1,747
Median home value	$834,100	$495,700
Median household income	$85,428	$74,925
Unemployment	3.0%	3.4%
Housing score	6	30
Jobs score	88	72
Safety score	35	10
Climate score	100	90
Amenities score	61	50
Population	346.3K	203.9K
Summer high / winter low	88° / 66°	90° / 27°

Honolulu, HI vs Salt Lake City, UT