Popular cities
Los Angeles vs Maui cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
๐บ๐ธ Maui
At a glance
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (50%โ), Laundry (43%โ), Massage (42%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Los Angeles 3 vs Maui 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | Maui | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | $ 18$18 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | $ 15$15 | Los Angeles โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | $ 45$45 | Maui โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 5.5$5.5 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 8$8 | Maui โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | $ 16$16 | Maui โ6% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Los Angeles โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | $ 20$20 | Los Angeles โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 15$15 | Los Angeles โ33% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | $ 2$2 | Los Angeles โ12% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 70$70 | Los Angeles โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | $ 250$250 | Los Angeles โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | $ 2,200$2,200 | similar |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 7$7 | Los Angeles โ43% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 35$35 | Los Angeles โ14% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | $ 130$130 | Los Angeles โ42% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | $ 130$130 | Los Angeles โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | $ 30$30 | Los Angeles โ7% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Maui?
Los Angeles is 13% cheaper than Maui. Daily budget $368 vs $420; a month $7,222 vs $8,357.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or Maui?
About the same: Los Angeles 2.0/5, Maui 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and Maui?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 and Maui about $8,357 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.