Despite the high expenses, is Hawaii worth it? Some people take decades to realize the answer. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I came up with something that’s deep and significant that came to me after decades of living here. Hope you enjoy it!
You asked:
“What is the real cost comparisons between living on the main land and living in Hawaii ie..rent. Transportation, utilities, insurance, food, dining out, entertainment. I would like to know if it is more expensive, and if so how much and in your opinion what offsets the cost and makes it worth the extra money”
Watch this short YouTube for the answer and check out this Q&A playlist for lots of other answers.
Got a question I haven’t already answered? Send me yours in this form and I might answer it on YouTube!
Selected Comments from the YouTube video:
I picked a few that I thought really illustrated the difference between the two choices – materialistic and spiritualistic:
Great example of the spiritualistic view from campindave1:
I lived on Oahu from February of 1988 until July of 1996. I was stationed there with the Army for about half that time, and married to a local girl from about 1990 until I left in 96. I worked at Sports Authority on Ward Avenue after leaving the military and lived in a studio apartment on Namahana street off Kuhio Avenue and rode a bike to work everyday. I have been back to Oahu on vacation with my current wife 3 times, the most recent trip being in October of 2018 to see my son who is stationed there right now.
There isn’t a day that I don’t think about my life in the islands. The food, the weather, the Aloha spirit. I love your videos, but I think you are on an impossible mission. There just is no way to put into words how wonderful living in the islands is. It isn’t any one thing, and you can’t experience it by visiting for a week, or even a month on vacation. Hawaii is just -different. Yep, it costs more there, a lot more, but people live there right now, so it’s “do-able”. Like you said, you just have to decide where your priorities lie. I have a nice home with over 10 acres in the country in Southern Indiana, and my pay goes a long way, but the weather here is absolutely horrid. You have a 2 month “window” to do outside things before it becomes too hot, too rainy, or too cold. You don’t see people outside here. -Straight from the house, to the car, to walmart, or mall, or wherever. Even if you were rich here, what is the quality of life? How many “spiritual” outdoor experiences can you really have if you are hiding from the elements, and the crime, and the boredom everyday?
You have to ask yourself- what is your soul worth? I am not a religious person. I’m talking about when you are on your death bed, will you be able to say to yourself, I lived a full life. Will you be able to, or did you sit in front of the computer or tv everyday watching life go by?
The Islands are priceless. By that I mean being there is worth whatever it takes to do so. Sell all that crap you’ve accumulated. Move to the islands. Share a studio apartment with someone if you have to, eat ramen every day, ride the bus or a bike everyday like I did when I left the Army there. It is ALL worth it! You may have to make concessions, but at least you will wake up every-single-day filled with excitement for life and filled with the aloha spirit.My current wife and I are already making our “escape plan” to Oahu when I retire in 2 years and my youngest 2 children are off to college, so maybe you and I will be sitting on a bench at Ala Moana beach park someday having this very same conversation. Until then, keep “fighting the good fight” Peter.
Mahalo for your time sir.P.S. Based on my decade-long island experience, this is your best video so far for helping folks decide why or why not to make the move to the islands.
Dave K.
Great example of the spiritualistic view from Reg Leg Outdoors:
This one is interesting because clearly he’s not a materialist but at the same time does not place a high value on the spiritual:
For most, it’s not worth it. I agree, living with less is a good thing, but there’s a difference between that and deprivation. Paradise isn’t paradise if you are just one thing away from getting behind in a bill.
I don’t care who you are, you aren’t getting ahead in Hawaii. You’re just surviving. That’s not living.
I’m not materiistic anymore. Paid off cars. No credit cards. We are debt free and our home will be paid off soon. We could afford to cut half our Income and move to Hawaii……but for what? To just survive? Just to see the ocean and some Mountains? most of the mainland you can get ahead. You can live comfortably. You can travel wherever even international and not worry about money. Ever. Even on a moderate to lower income.
If you don’t own your own business, or make 80k or more, or have a few hundred thousand in the bank, don’t move to Hawaii. Just don’t do it. You will become homeless or be working two or three jobs and burn out. 80k a year on the mainland is 40-50k in Hawaii. Be happy wherever you are. Live simple wherever you are. Live with less wherever you are…You cannot run from yourself or your life to be happy. Hawaii is pretty , ……but it’s just a place. So many other great and gorgeous places in America where deprivation isnt a necessity
Peter, we have followed you since our intent to move to Hawaii. It is the best decision ever! We’re just 1.5 yrs here on Maui and couldn’t be happier. Everything you say is just the plain TRUTH and Mahalo for not sugar coating anything. And yes, we’re here because of the ALOHA, the people, the beauty, and of course, the weather is a no brainer.
We have never needed “things’, we came here with 6 suitcases + 4 carry-ons, and even that was too much. Our home back on the mainland had the original furnishings of 22 years. And so true, when we started our journey here, we did look around our mainland home and said, we only live in the living room, kitchen and bedroom. We don’t need much else! Our cars were paid for, one was 20yrs old, and the other was 14 yrs old. Too long of a story, but we couldn’t bring them here, so we sold them and used the money to buy a 4-dr 2016 Nissan here.
Our whole being here is about the quality of life. We are beach people and want to be on the beach everyday, and we get to do that. We want to enjoy the outdoors everyday, and we’re never in the small apartment that we have. Actually, we have a decent 2br 800sq ft place, it’s a mansion!!! (hahaha) And the beach is just across the street, omg, couldn’t be more fortunate!
It’s freeing to have simplicity in your life. And what really matters are the relationships we develop as we grow older. And amazingly, we get to vacation every single day. My husband and I keep asking, “how did we get here?” However it came to be, we are forever grateful for this opportunity to live in such an amazing place!
Again, Mahalo to you Peter for your information. It was very helpful in our move to Maui.
What a great story! Love it! So happy for you folks!
Peter, with Taina and her family they are a typical example of people who live very communal with each others in the Aloha spirit! Whenever they could they help anyone when they are in need and suffer hardship! They have a big heart, I never see them they have any trouble with anyone! They just like to live in peace and harmony! They are very spiritual, walking everyday in the nature and enjoy life! They are truly happy and lucky people for which we are dreaming for! I love such life!
Thanks Peter! I mentioned the 82-years old Hawaiian grandma Taina Putifarne, she is descendants from a very old Hawaiian noble class of people, whose ancestors may have been chieftain earlier and had own big lands on diferent islands and controlled the native tribes when warfare was around! There are still such familes in Hawaii! But, nowdays they dont care anymore about their glorious past, they are just like any other Hawaiians an ordinary citizens and very communal! They working for the welfare of their fellow brothers, and looking after the elderly and taking care of children!
Very cool
Yes, Peter you are correct! You see such contacts is essentially if you want to move to Hawaii, since all this people and good friends of mine would help and guide me in anyway to find a confortable place in Honolulu, where I can deepen my scientific study on geography, nature, wildlife and I would than have a nice place where I can make my meditation, since I was also depressiv in my earlier lifephase! So, I have to close my earlier life and start a new life!
how exciting!
Hi Peter! The one I mentioned above for you and who has before lived in Waikiki, Honolulu is a native original Hawaiian woman of 82 years old, she is now grandma and her name is Taina Putifarne. She is married to a Norwegian guy Mr. Hansen, who was back then a captain of a big ship from Oslo, Norway and later became US citizen after many years of work in America, and together with Taina they moved to Hilo, on the Big island Hawaii where they ever since live very confortable! Im still in touch with them, they have 3 beautiful grandchildren of Hawaiian-Norwegian descent, totally nice and funny people! Just like the Hawaiians in general, very open to anyone and social-minded, helpful people! They really follow the Aloha-spirit, and live with everybody in harmony! Now, this kind of lifestyle Im searching for!
Sounds like you’ve got your ‘ohana plans all lined up!
Peter thank you for your reply! I had several friends who had lived long time in Honolulu, one of them spend 12 years there and worked with her husband a Japanese-American as university teacher on anthropology at the Honolulu University campus! They lived on the Kuhio avenue 2117, Waikiki. Another one same in Honolulu for a while, and then moved to Hilo, Hawaii Island for permanent settlement. And also a friend who was then a Hotel owner in Waikiki, but after he sell his property moved on to Niiiahu island for retirement! So I have several friends as well contact I still maintain, and really want to move there, probably to Honolulu to by a property with big garden in the suburbs of Honolulu and will stay there!
Having those kinds of connections are priceless and will make it much easier for you as I’m sure you know.
I think that everyone has diferent opinion and experience about living in Hawaii! I have a constant income of 150k per year, and I dont even need to work, at least I study since 13 years and need a tranquil lifestyle and change, a beautiful environment, sunshine all the year around. Im already bored and tired very much of rush, overstressed big citylife, depression, burn-out etc… I need silence around me to further deepening my study and meditation! I looking therefore for a right place for escape, and I think that Hawaii is just the right place to live for me!
You should at least go on a long vacation here, for sure. Then you will have a better idea.
I plan on moving from the San Francisco Bay Area and I have found that the island life might be cheaper! Can’t wait to make it a reality!
I actually specifically addressed San Francisco in the video and the cost of living. Did you watch that?
Great video – I agree, probably one of the most insightful as to what to really think about before making the move to Hawaii.
I think I will be okay there…I’m financially secure and don’t care about fancy cars, clothes, furniture, jewelry…none of that stuff. I’m so looking forward to getting up every morning and seeing the sun and feeling the warm weather; going for a walk to the beach or a hike in the mountains; tending to the fruits in my garden and my animals; saying Hello to the neighbors, maybe having coffee with them. I look forward to learning about the culture and history, seeing and experiencing the different places on the Big Island; visiting the neighboring islands; getting involved in my community through volunteer work or a part-time job — or both.
I think you can be happy or unhappy no matter where you are; you either change your attitude or location. I think it’s easier to decide you will be happy no matter where you wind up.
Mahalo! As I was doing the production work it was really becoming clear that I had landed upon something really fundamental about Hawaii.
Everybody has a diferent opinion and personal experience about life in Hawaii, no matter who they are! It is up to you where you want to live! I have enough money, about 150k per year constant income from my accumulated wealth and dont even need to work anymore! Therefore Hawaii is just the right place to enjoy freedom, natural beauty, sunshine all the year around! Im searching for a place where I can find tranqulity, peace, silence, nice wheater to deep my study and just enjoy life without noise, stress, rush, burn-out big city life, from which I got bored and tired and sick! Simply I need a fundamental change in my life, thats all! Everything else is no particular interest to me! Hawaii is waiting for me!
I dont really share the opinions made by others! Everyone has a different opinion about what is life on Hawaii! Everyone make his own experience which could be different from anyone else! For me Hawaii is just a right place, I have enough money to live there even without work, and what I searching for is just tranqulity, peace, no rush, no noise, just the endless silence-thats what I need! I get bored and tired from big city life-I need so desperatelly a change in my life! I will very soon move to Hawaii and make my own paradise there, just alone!
I Have Always Enjoy All of Your Videos ! , I’m a certified open water scuba diver, i love mountain biking , i love walking on the beach being out doors, going to the parks , it about being close to Nature and going for nice car ride like you do, and share what you love to see, .i love sailing, kayaking and canoeing , i hope to make a lot of friends that love out doors things
Amanda
This is the place fore those things!
How da Lefts, brah?
Okay Peter, with the making of this video I’m going to begin calling you the “Go to Hawaii Guru.”
I’ve been here only eight years (so far) and agree with everything you presented. And in all these eight years I’ve pondered the questions you’re answering: what makes me so fully contented upon moving to Oahu (Makaha Valley), while my wife, after eight years here, still seems conflicted.
Her only (adult) child lives here. Her only grandchild lives here. Our quality of life the very vitality of it all is so much more vigorous here. And the weather, oh the weather! (Even my wife does admit she’s gotten use to the warmer temps!)
It’s exactly how you put it so very succinctly: Materialism versus spiritualism.
For me, from modest means and lifestyle, for the first time in my life, I feel wealthy, wealthy in the connection I have with this place, wealthy in the (for first time in my life) magnificent view I have from my apartment’s floor-to-ceiling windows, and wealthy in that having only modest means still buys me a permanent, year-round home where I get to sit and listen to visitors and seasonal neighbors complain about having to leave and return to their permanent homes, while marveling that I do not!
Aloha Mark and I’m so incredibly honored and humbled you gave me such a title! I’m so glad this has helped you figure it all out. It took me over 3 decades to get there!