Living Cost Compare
Casper

Wyoming

$930/mo est.

vs
Honolulu

Hawaii

$2,150/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $930 in Casper, WY versus $2,150 in Honolulu, HI. Overall, Casper, WY is roughly 57% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Honolulu, HI, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $69,171 in Casper, WY and $85,428 in Honolulu, HI — about 19% higher in Honolulu, HI. Wyoming has no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax; Hawaii has a top state income tax rate of 11.00% and a 4% state sales tax.

Rent

Studio
$730
$1,390
+90% in Honolulu, HI
1 Bedroom
$764
$1,570
+105% in Honolulu, HI
2 Bedroom
$930
$1,983
+113% in Honolulu, HI
3 Bedroom
$1,299
$2,433
+87% in Honolulu, HI

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$250,700
$834,100
+233% in Honolulu, HI

Income

Median Household Income
$69,171
$85,428
+24% in Honolulu, HI
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$48,880
$57,220
+17% in Honolulu, HI

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
37.0 yr
42.9 yr
+5.9 yr in Honolulu, HI
Homeownership
70.3%
48.6%
+21.7 pp in Casper, WY
Bachelor's+ (25+)
30.0%
40.8%
+10.8 pp in Honolulu, HI
Avg Commute
16.9 min
22.3 min
+5.4 min in Honolulu, HI

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
302.4
214.1
+29% in Casper, WY
Property Crime
2,123.8
1,919.8
+10% in Casper, WY

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
45.4°F
77.7°F
+32.3°F in Honolulu, HI
Annual Precipitation
12.5 in
17.1 in
+4.6 in in Honolulu, HI

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$4.27/gal
$5.21/gal
+22% in Honolulu, HI

Area: Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) vs West Coast (PADD 5).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$3.00

Adult base one-way fare — vs TheBus (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
15.2
52.7
+246% in Honolulu, HI
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$18.28
$66.84
+266% in Honolulu, HI

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.82
$4.82
about equal
Bread (lb)
$2.04
$2.04
about equal
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$2.19
about equal
Ground Beef (lb)
$7.36
$7.36
about equal
Chicken (lb)
$2.01
$2.01
about equal
Bananas (lb)
$0.70
$0.70
about equal

Average prices — West vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (WY / HI)
4%
4%
about equal
Income Tax (top rate)
None
11.00%
+11.0 pp in HI

Casper vs Honolulu — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Casper or Honolulu?
Casper, WY is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $930 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 57% below Honolulu, HI's $2,150, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Casper than in Honolulu?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Casper versus $63,000 in Honolulu.
Which has lower taxes, Casper or Honolulu?
Casper is taxed under Wyoming's rules (no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax); Honolulu under Hawaii's (a top state income tax rate of 11.00% and a 4% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).