Cost of Living in Hawaii (2026): Housing, Food, Energy & Taxes

The big picture: how much more expensive is Hawaii?

The cleanest official comparison is the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity (RPP), which measures how prices in a state compare with the national average. For 2024, Hawaii's all-items RPP is 110.0 — roughly 10% above the U.S. average. Within that, goods sit at 111.6 and housing rents at 125.3. Urban Honolulu (Oahu) is 111.0 overall and Maui (Kahului–Wailuku) 109.4. Source: BEA via FRED, 2024 annual, retrieved October 18, 2026.

An index like this is an average across everything people buy. Your own gap depends heavily on whether you rent or own, how much you drive, and how much power you use.

Housing: rent and home prices by island

HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2027, effective October 2026) estimate 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus basic utilities — for a standard unit. They are a planning benchmark, not the asking rent on a specific listing.

• Statewide: 1BR $1,895 · 2BR $2,467 · 3BR $3,325 per month.
• Oahu (Honolulu County): 1BR $1,951 · 2BR $2,542 · 3BR $3,520.
• Maui County: 1BR $2,030 · 2BR $2,656 · 3BR $3,351.
• Kauai County: 1BR $1,609 · 2BR $2,105 · 3BR $2,588.
• Hawaii Island (Hawaii County): 1BR $1,615 · 2BR $2,081 · 3BR $2,620.

For buying, Realtor.com's median listing price (September 2026, via FRED) was $732,450 statewide, $675,000 for the Urban Honolulu metro and $995,000 for the Kahului–Wailuku (Maui) metro. These are asking prices on active listings, not sale prices or assessed values. Realtor.com does not publish a metro series for Kauai or Hawaii Island in this dataset; check county real-estate data for those islands.

One cost that runs the other way: the Tax Foundation's effective property tax rate for Hawaii, from 2024 Census ACS 5-year data, is 0.29% of home value — among the lowest in the country.

Groceries and the shipping premium

Most of what's on a Hawaii grocery shelf arrives by ship, and freight, handling and inter-island transport are built into shelf prices. That's why staples like milk, eggs and packaged goods tend to cost more than on the mainland, while some local produce and fish can be competitive in season.

We don't publish a Hawaii-specific grocery price list because the federal government doesn't produce one: BLS average-price data is published for the U.S. city average and Census regions, not for Hawaii alone. Our cost-of-living comparison tool shows index-adjusted estimates — BLS U.S. city averages adjusted by BEA's goods price parity — and labels them as estimates, not observed local prices. The most reliable number is still your own receipts.

Electricity: the highest rates in the country

According to EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, the average residential electricity price in Hawaii in July 2026 was 48.0 cents per kilowatt-hour — the highest of any state. Much of Hawaii's power has historically come from imported oil, which ties rates to fuel costs.

Usage softens the blow. EIA's 2024 data shows the average Hawaii residential customer used about 495 kWh a month (versus about 863 kWh nationally) and paid an average bill of about $212 a month (versus about $142). Many islanders don't run heat at all, and many homes go without central air. Moving somewhere with cold winters or hot summers can raise your usage even where the rate is lower.

Gas and getting around

AAA's state average for regular gasoline in Hawaii on October 17, 2026 was $5.64 a gallon, including taxes, against a national average of $4.31. Island commutes are often short, though, so total fuel spending depends on how far you drive — many mainland moves mean more miles, not fewer.

Car insurance varies widely by driver, vehicle and ZIP code. We don't reprint industry averages; get quotes for your current and destination addresses directly from insurers.

Healthcare

Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act requires most employers to provide health coverage to employees who work at least 20 hours a week, and caps the employee's premium share. That's a real benefit that many people only notice after they leave: mainland employers have no equivalent state mandate in most places, and premiums and plan rules differ.

We don't publish average premium figures here. Compare your current pay stub with plans offered by a mainland employer or on HealthCare.gov for your destination ZIP code.

Taxes: income tax and the General Excise Tax

Hawaii taxes income on a graduated scale, and brackets and deductions have been changing in recent years. Check the current brackets on the Hawaii Department of Taxation site (tax.hawaii.gov) before you compare take-home pay.

Instead of a retail sales tax, Hawaii charges a General Excise Tax (GET) on businesses' gross receipts. Businesses usually pass it on, so it shows up on receipts much like a sales tax — and it applies to many services and rent, not just goods. Counties can add a surcharge on top of the state rate. Check the Department of Taxation for current rates.

Childcare

Childcare is one of the hardest Hawaii costs to pin down because published averages lag and vary by island, age and setting. For a sourced household-level view, the MIT Living Wage Calculator for Hawaii shows its estimated annual childcare cost for families with children by county, alongside housing, food and transportation. Hawaii's Department of Human Services lists licensed providers and child care subsidy programs.

How Hawaii compares to the mainland

Every destination trades some costs for others. Lower rent can come with higher power usage, longer commutes or a state sales tax. These destination guides walk through what changes:

• Moving from Hawaii to California
• Moving from Hawaii to Nevada
• Moving from Hawaii to Washington
• Moving from Hawaii to Texas
• Moving from Hawaii to Arizona
• Moving from Hawaii to Oregon

To put your own numbers side by side, use the Cost of Living Comparison tool and the First-Year Budget planner. To estimate what the move itself costs, try the Cost Estimator. None of these can promise savings; they help you see the trade-offs with your own figures.