Salary comparison
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: Kahului vs Bellingham
Kahului, HI pays about 12.3% more for cooks, institution and cafeteria on paper — $55,400 vs $49,320. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Kahului comes out ahead by $6,080 a year in real buying power.
Kahului, HI
$55,400
$47,510
$63,750
$26.64
100
$55,400/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Bellingham, WA
$49,320
$44,250
$57,110
$23.71
100
$49,320/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $6,080 a year (12.3%) in favor of Kahului. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Kahului runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Bellingham sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Kahului is the better deal by $6,080 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bellingham to Kahului for this role, the raise needs to beat 12.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more, Kahului or Bellingham?
Kahului pays $55,400 on median — about 12.3% more than Bellingham ($49,320). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Kahului. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Kahului gives you roughly$55,400 of real buying power versus $49,320 in the other city.