How expensive is it to live in Hawaii?

Question

Hawaii living compared to New York City living(expense wise)

Answer 1

If you have someone there that loves you. The cost of living isn't even a factor, and if that lover has contacts that will get you the good jobs, then the the cost are negligible. But that is just my opinion, I've on live here 25 YEARS

Answer 2

Compared to New York, the cost of living is about the same. What is considerably less is the average wage. Starting salary here is around $8/hr for entry level, secretarial-type work that in NY would pay $10/11. I found it very difficult finding a job here actually, which surprised me.
House prices are out of control right now. I was recently looking into the market and asking prices are much higher than they should be. As far as renting, I'm only familiar with the Honolulu area. I know housing isn't as expensive as NY, but there are much fewer conveniences. There are no "neighborhoods" and corner grocery shoppes. I live outside the city and commute in... we have a two bed, two bath, two parking stall apartment for $1500/mo. It's great but the commute is killer... the roads here have not developed at the pace of the economy so gridlock traffic is all a part of the daily grind.
Milk runs about $8 a gallon (I was shOCked when I first moved here from Upstate where we have more cows that people) and gas is always about $.10 more than on the mainland (I think it was $3.23 this morning).
I guess overall it's comparable to NY... pay is less but you get a little more for your buck housing wise. There are several malls and shopping centers that are easy to get to and have free parking.
I know that's way more than you asked for, but I hope it helps!!

Answer 3

Yes, it's expensive. Gas is over $4/gallon. A week's worth of groceries for two is usually about $150 (mostly fresh produce, not much pre-packaged stuff). Rent for a one bedroom apartment can be $1400 depending on where you live on the island. Travel is very expensive, even to the neighbor islands. It's a beautiful place and I can't imagine living anywhere else, but it comes at a price. If you aren't prepared to be constantly worried if you'll be able to pay the rent and buy groceries I don't recommend moving here. We don't have anything like an amusement park though there's lots of nature-related things to do. If you like to just get out and drive, this isn't the place for you. Well, the Big Island's good for driving but Oahu's relatively small. We have many residents who come from foreign countries and don't speak English well. I love it, myself, since I grew up around it, but for someone who's never heard a Korean or Thai person speak with a thick accent it can be difficult. One benefit of our multi-ethnic society is the variety of food, especially if you like Asian cuisine. I love living in Hawaii, but I grew up here so it's all I know. My Mom, when my Dad was first stationed here, hated it. It was far away from family, the language was different, the food was odd... you get the idea. But, on their second time being stationed here, she fell in love with it. They've lived here for shy of 40 years now and Mom can't imagine moving back to the Mainland. So, you can get used to it. You just have to have an open mind and be willing to accept our odd little State as it is.

Answer 4

I would think Hawaii is more expensive. You have to travel by plane or boat to get off the island and any food that can't be grown there or any manufactured items that aren't made there have to be shipped in and that raises the expense of the item since the store will pass on that expense to the consumer.

Answer 5

VERY expensive. Just think about the fact that almost everything has to be shipped to the island plus there is limited space. However, Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit!!

Answer 6

I lived in Hawaii for three years and although it was beautiful it was way too expensive. My father was in the military and we were stationed there otherwise we could not have afforded to live there.

Answer 7

i lived there for three years,and people have told me the prices are comparable to new york (i've never lived in new york). example: a one-bedroom apartment in a high-rise can be around $1200 a month. a gallon of milk at the drugstore was nearly $6. gas is pricier, but there's not a lot of driving.

Answer 8

Very expensive compared to any where, but the jobs pay better so that you can exist in that high cost of living

Answer 9

go to this site and you can compare the cost of living in TONS of cities: where you live now to where you want to live in Hawaii and also how much you should make to be at the same level of living as you are now, etc, etc. plus crime rates, racial diversity, local shopping ... anything.

cool site.

Answer 10

Your avatar is dressed the part already!! lol

Expensive, but compared to NYC, not much more so. Definitely line up a job and an apartment/condo/whatever before you move though. Fly out first before you quit your current job, make arrangements, then make it permanent.