How Much Does It Cost to Live In Honolulu, HI?
Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu, is the capital and largest city of the state of Hawaii.
It is the center of government, transportation, and commerce for the state, but even though this is the case – Honolulu still has the charm of the Islands’ laid-back atmosphere and culture.
If you are moving from an area that has a low cost of living, moving to Hawaii can be somewhat of a shock.
Life here is incredibly expensive.
You will have to get used to living in a much smaller place, paying double for groceries, and not ever running your AC because the electricity will cost you a lot!
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Food, like a lot of things here, is overpriced, and it isn’t even that great.
If you want to save up some money, you can always go to one of the many chain fast-food restaurants scattered around the city.
And you can make your own food, but guess what? Groceries are also expensive and hard to afford!
MARKETS
The prices are very high in this city!
Raw chicken in Safeway will cost you $9 but you can still get a roasted one at Costco for $5.
It’s really expensive and extremely overpopulated.
A single gallon of milk is roughly about $10.
You should also know that supermarkets keep basically the same prices as all the other stores in the country.
TRANSPORTATION
The public bus service in Honolulu is called TheBus.
Fares are 3$ for adults, 1.25$ for youth, and 1$ for seniors (no change given).
Monthly bus passes are available at 7-Elevens and supermarkets.
Monthly bus passes begin on the first of each month and cost around 80$ regardless of which day of the month you purchase the pass.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Be prepared to spend around 300$ per month on electricity, water, and gas.
When there’s heavy usage of utilities, like during summer, the utility bill will likely double.
For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people), these will cost you 300$ approximately.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Hiking and beaches are great here and there are many ways for you to stay fit and in shape without spending money on a gym or a fitness club.
However, if that’s what you want to do, a membership at the gym or a fitness club costs around 55$, and you can go to a cinema if you want to pay around 15$ per person for a cinema ticket.
Renting a tennis court is very expensive.
CLOTHING & SHOES
There are several shopping centers in Honolulu, ranging from your typical large strip malls to more unique areas popular with tourists.
Honolulu, as a tourist destination, is full of shopping malls and little local shopping stores where you can buy clothes.
If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 55$, though.
Quality sneakers cost around 110$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent is through the roof in Honolulu!
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is currently $2176.00 a month.
A two-bedroom will run you about $2,400 a month.
If you’re looking to rent an apartment and save some money, you will need to stroll out of the center of Honolulu and here you can rent one for around 1,771.05$!
Cost of Living Averages Table for Honolulu, HI
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $20.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $9.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $2.17 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.98 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $6.60 |
| Eggs (12) | $7.66 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $3.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $80.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.32 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $314.45 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $65.83 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $55.92 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $38.33 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $15.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $54.14 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $48.38 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $110.00 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $2176.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1771.05 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $3908.33 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Honolulu, HI?
Most of the money in the city of Honolulu gets spent on rent which is really expensive in certain areas and takes up around 40% of one’s entire salary.
Another one of the biggest expenses in Honolulu is food, in markets and grocery stores.
As we mentioned, you can count on 200$ a week going on food, if you have a family.
Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – people like going to restaurants in Honolulu and who can blame them?
It’s Hawaii!
Transportation, on the other hand, is one of the fundamental needs, regardless of the city you live in.
Average Costs Breakdown
Honolulu, HI: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
What characterizes this gorgeous city is the high cost of living that is not offset by high-paying jobs like in New York and San Francisco.
The salaries are higher than in most other major cities in the USA but they still don’t match the very steep standard and cost of living in the entire country of Hawaii.
Their monthly average net salary is almost 3800$ which is relatively high and means that people that live in Honolulu, generally, can live a comfortable life but with some budget cuts and occasional difficulties, especially if they’re renting.
Honolulu Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Honolulu Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
