Cost of living in Kula research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kula is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Hawaii, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kula is 227, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kula is 2.3x higher than the national average.
Kula ranks as the #50 cheapest in Hawaii out of 52.
Kula ranks as the #6,400 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kula is $1,338,976.
The median income in Kula is $91,476.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kula has an overall cost of living index of 227, which is 2.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Hawaii, Kula has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Hawaii's index of 171.
The standard of living in Kula ranks as #50 most affordable out of the 52 places we measured in Hawaii. By definition, that implies Kula ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Aloha State.
For more reading on life in Kula, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kula. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kula is 128.
The Groceries index in Kula is 115.
The Health index in Kula is 124.
The Housing index in Kula is 460.
The Transportation index in Kula is 134.
The Utilities index in Kula is 149.
| Living Expense | Kula | Hawaii | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 227 | 171 | 100 | |
| Services | 128 | 128 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 135 | 100 | |
| Health | 124 | 126 | 100 | |
| Housing | 460 | 249 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 134 | 144 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 149 | 181 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Hawaii, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kula is $1,338,976.
The Median Rent in Kula is $2,208.
The Median Income in Kula is $91,476.
The Home Value To Income in Kula is 14.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kula is 0.29x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kula. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kahului, HI has a cost of living index of 174, 0.8x Kula.
Kihei, HI has a cost of living index of 177, 0.8x Kula.
Wailuku, HI has a cost of living index of 172, 0.8x Kula.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | 27,068 | 174 | 0.8x |
| Kihei, HI | 22,564 | 177 | 0.8x |
| Wailuku, HI | 15,754 | 172 | 0.8x |
| Waihee-Waiehu, HI | 11,369 | 167 | 0.7x |
| Haiku-Pauwela, HI | 9,290 | 208 | 0.9x |
| Pukalani, HI | 8,490 | 186 | 0.8x |
| Makawao, HI | 7,263 | 177 | 0.8x |
| Wailea, HI | 6,571 | 238 | 1.0x |