Are you Shocked by Hawaii’s High Cost of Living?
When most people from the US mainland visit our beautiful state, they experience “sticker shock” on their first grocery store visit. The reason why the cost of living in Hawaii so high is due to three simple reasons: we have some of the highest costs (if not THE highest cost) of land, transportation, and fuel, all of which underlie the cost of nearly everything we buy.
It is estimated that – in general – things cost about 30% more on Hawaii than they do on the mainland. Shipping the food over the ocean in boats (or planes) is one reason, but another is that the grocers have to maintain huge stocks of food in warehouses to keep food on the shelves all the time, especially in the case of some emergency.
This requires a lot more money to pay the rent and people for running the warehouses.
Another reason is Hawaii’s 4% excise tax. Which is added to just about everything business related.
Should you move to Hawaii? Find out and take the quiz.
Hawaii House and Condo Median and Average Sale Prices – 2023
| Island | Type | Median | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oahu | Condo | $492,000 | $631,000 |
| Maui | Condo | $680,000 | $1,052,000 |
| Kauai | Condo | $764,000 | $924,000 |
| Big Island | Condo | $635,000 | $927,000 |
| Oahu | Home | $986,000 | $1,141,000 |
| Maui | Home | $1,175,000 | $2,297,000 |
| Kauai | Home | $809,000 | $1,204,000 |
| Big Island | Home | $520,000 | $921,000 |
Average Housing Rentals in Honolulu – 2023
| Type | Sq Ft | Avg Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 300 | $1,032 |
| 1 Bedroom | 450 | $1,548 |
| 2 Bedroom | 900 | $3,096 |
| Home | 1400 | $4,816 |
How home expenses affect the cost of living in Hawaii
Of course the main issue factoring into the high cost of living in Hawaii is the cost of housing – owning and renting homes.
The reason land and homes are so expensive is simple supply and demand economics. With the rugged terrain there is a lot of land it isn’t possible to build on. Most of the land in Hawaii is prohibited from being built on. Only a very small percentage of our total land mass is zoned for housing and there are a lot of people (like you!) that want to live here. High demand and limited supply drives prices up.
Want to know the big reason prices are so high?
Demand. There are many people who are willing to pay over $1M USD for a regular sized home on Oahu or Maui. In most cases they are moving from Japan or California and have sold their home there – and received about the same amount. It’s a rather affordable move for them.
The number of people that would answer ‘yes’ if you asked them, ‘if you could, would you live in Hawaii?’ is astounding.
I don’t know many that would answer ‘no’ – do you?
Why is the demand so high for housing and rental units in Hawaii?
Well, there is a whole lot to like about the islands! Personally I rate it as one of the two top places to live in the world. Krabi, Thailand is one, and somewhere on Maui is another one. It’s a tough call to label one as better than the other – there are vast differences between them. Hawaii is, without a doubt, the best place to live in the USA. Hands down – the winner if you can afford the high cost of living in Hawaii.
Hawaii has clean air, clean water, what I’d call perfect weather, a wide range of environments – forest, desert, beaches, a great group of people, great restaurants, and decent nightlife.
If you’ve already lived in Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Hollywood, California, or New York City, New York you’ll think Hawaii cost of living is reasonable and won’t be affected by it. If you’ve lived anywhere else you will probably become very cost-conscious once you start living on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, or Big Island.
For two people living in Waikiki or downtown Honolulu on Oahu you should budget $1,500 for a studio or maybe a sketchy 1-bedroom. Sketchy is an Aussie word I’ve been using for a little while, hope it doesn’t put you off. It means same thing as “dodgy”.
Car insurance, health insurance, fire insurance, every insurance, is more expensive in Hawaii. If you ride a motorcycle, be prepared to sign away a good portion of your monthly income to insurance. The whole living in Hawaii experience is outrageously expensive and it may go against your common sense to live here – but, you may not be able to resist!
Many Hawaii residents have 2 and 3 jobs to keep up with expenses. It’s safe to say you’ll meet more people working 2-3 jobs in Hawaii than you have ever met anywhere else in your life.
For most folks living in the US mainland, grocery shopping will be a shocking experience. In 2023 you simply can’t spend less than $50 for even a few items and the regular weekly trips will run you between $200-$250. I can’t remember the last time I went to Costco and DIDN’T have a grocery tab over $200. How much does a gallon of milk cost in Hawaii? If you’re lucky and it’s on sale, no less than $8.
Add to that the cost of gas, renting apartments that are very small and with pay for parking issues all over Waikiki if that’s where you plan to stay, and it gets expensive. Auto and health insurance is expensive too. Can you earn $75,000 per year and survive Hawaii’s high cost of living? Maybe. But, be prepared to be really frugal and live in a manner you may not be accustomed to (slumming).
In the end, living in Hawaii is not about a quantity of life but a quality of life. If you need material things to be happy, you better be rich in Hawaii. If you need natural things to be happy, Hawaii could work for you, but you will be tested.
How much does kilowatt of electricity cost in Hawaii?
Hawaii’s electrical generators are run on oil and coal for the most part. When the price of oil went through the roof – so did electricity in Hawaii. The islands “boast” (if you can call it that!) the highest cost for electricity per unit – in the USA. It’s about 300% of the national average.
As of 2023 the average cost for one month of utilities, Hawaii has historically always had the most expensive utilities in the nation. On average, residents are paying $612 per month. This obviously varies based on occupancy and usage. When you consider that most residences in Hawaii use electric stoves and dryers, not to mention air conditioning, the usage can get quite high.
OTHER UTILITIES?
Water, Gas, Gasoline, Sewage, Garbage are all very expensive.
OTHER EXPENSES?
Going out to movies (cinema) or other entertainment is not any more expensive than in most big cities, for the most part. I think most people on a budget rent movies from Netflix or some other online provider. Amazon and Apple’s iTunes store have downloadable movies you can buy or rent for a fee.
There are activities at the beach – sometimes “Movies on the Beach” in different locations. Waikiki had a long-running activity like this for a long time, then it went away, then it came back. Not sure what the status will be by the time you arrive, but look for it – it’s fun to watch a movie while sitting on a blanket on the sand of Waikiki Beach.
2325 Island Suburbia by Brad Smith is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
Island fever and high cost of living in Hawaii
One thing that few visitors or residents initially take into account is that there is a cost associated with being stuck on an island of 40 by 60 miles for a long period of time. Many folks feel the need to travel somewhere. Anywhere! They feel trapped or held-in, claustrophobic to be living in a place where you can’t drive for 100 miles straight in any direction.
Living on the mainland USA one never experiences this, or even considers it. Arriving on Oahu, or worst, Kauai or Maui, you are forced to face it. Once you have driven to your heart’s content and explored all that there is to explore you’re going to start thinking about a trip away from the islands. Where to? California? Tonga? Fijian islands? Tahiti? Australia?
Everything is far away and it costs a lot of money to go anywhere. Of course you can start with the other islands, and there is a lot of driving to be had when you combine them all together. Still, you’re going to want to go elsewhere after some amount of time. Maybe you last a year. Two? You’ll have to have some sort of extra savings for long trips. Don’t think you won’t – nearly everyone has to “escape” at least temporarily, every so often.
If you have family on the mainland it’s going to impact the high cost of living in Hawaii
At first, you will be the coolest person in the family because many of your family members will want to visit you especially if they can stay at your place and save money on hotels. You will be the family superstar, living the dream! It’s going to cost you a little bit because you’ll want to take time off of work to spend time with your visitors but that’s not the big hit…
What’s going to cost you dearly is when you have to visit family on the mainland. And unless you never want to see your family again, you’ll want to go there for the holiday or big family events like weddings, baptisms, and funerals. Each of those are going to cost you. For 2023, roundtrip airfares will vary widely based on conditions. You can find flights from HNL to LAX in the high $200s during slow season and upwards of $500 during busy season. A car is going to cost you over $100/day and that’s for a compact car. Assuming you will stay with family and avoid hotel costs, you’re looking at minimum $1,000 and probably more like $1,500 if you count miscellaneous spending. And because of Hawaii’s time zone difference, you have to add 2 days for travel time alone. So if you want to spend 5 days with family, you have to be away for 7 days. Add in the cost of lost wages and you’re looking at
$3,000 per trip. And this assumes it’s just you by yourself. Married with kids? You’re looking at $5,000 just to touch your feet on the ground and now you’ve got food costs you’re talking about an easy $7,000. Per trip.
Living like a local?
Is it possible to live like a Hawaiian local on the islands and save money? Sure it is. Start asking people where they go to save money on food, snacks, fruit and veggies, shirts, shorts, surfboards, cars, and everything you spend money on. There are plenty of very poor people living on the islands, and there are stores that serve them. There are flea markets on the islands during the weekends. There are local produce markets in hideaway spots on all the islands where you can get freshly grown vegetables and fruits. Maui’s upcountry has an incredible selection of delicious vegetables that is worth the drive to go get. You can often just pick produce directly off the farms for a fee. How cool is that?
Hawaii’s high cost of living is formidable. Before moving to live in Hawaii do be certain to give budget your highest consideration. Lack of money is one of the biggest reasons for the high numbers of people that bail out of living on the islands within the first year or so. I don’t foresee, and I don’t think anyone is predicting dramatic (or any) drop in prices for housing, utilities, food, or anything else in Hawaii. Hawaii is one of the most perfect places to live on the face of the earth. As more and more people figure that out, there will only be more people trying to do what it takes to get there. Those that can afford to move will be the ones that make it work for themselves and their families.
Will you make it work for you?
Hi Peter, great info thank you so much. You’re very passionate and intelligent in coming early when it all was more affordable. I LOVE HAWAII!! Every time I visit I feel giddy and when I leave it’s a feeling of being lost. I am sure I’m not the only one you’ve heard that from after all it’s close to perfection especially the climate.
I am curious if someone wanted to live on Oahu what might be the cost of shared living or perhaps an average studio? (I can always look it up) Looking to live as cheap as possible which obviously for this #1 paradise isn’t easy to do. Any idea what a person needs to make per year in order to “survive” I have read most work 2-3 jobs. My background is long term in hotels/tourism. No manager experience. Just supervisor. I know the hourly wage there is pretty low compared to cost of living. I probably will have to settle for a long vacation as it seems pretty difficult with this expensive existence and being 5 years from retirement. No doubt having at least 30k in cash is needed. Any low income rentals available? People housesitting? Driving for Uber pay well?
What is with the low priced condos that are between $85k and 150k? Is there a trap or is it high maintenance fees?
I’m sorry for all the questions. I had seen your YT videos a few years back and i can imagine a lot has changed.
Thank you Peter
Mike McMurray
Aloha Mike and thanks for commenting. For some reason, your comment got flagged as spam and I just unflagged it today. I’ve organized the home page to help you quickly get to answers like what you’re asking. You probably already dug up the answer but I’d say assume no less that $1,000/mo for shared housing and more like $1,500 for a studio.
Hi Mr Kay, I am single/widow in my early sixties thinking about retirement. I Would be looking for a laid back easy life. No big cities. But not way out in nowhere either. My one consideration is I LOVE to have a really nice car…or two. And I enjoy car club activities and shows. Would one island be more suitable than the others? Is it difficult to find qualified mechanics? It would also be important to live where the roads are acceptable. I LOVE the beach too and I have been told anywhere you live in Hawaii you will be close to the beach. So no real need to live ocean front. What might I find (and where) in the 350 to 450K range?
Aloha Mary! Watch the video on my YouTube channel about What Island is Best for You – that will help. You can probably guess that I’m a “car guy” – the bad news I have for you is that Hawaii is not a great place for car people – too few roads – no place to stretch your legs – and no race tracks on Oahu!
Hi Mary! If I may interject a consideration… The islands are surrounded by saltwater, so the salt air will be a challenge for keeping your car(s) from rusting over time. I was born and raised in Hawaii, but due to the high cost of living I moved to Texas. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hawaii and I will always consider it home. However my children and grandchildren all live on the mainland, so it’s easier and more cost effective for frequent visits.
Best of luck to your future endeavors!
Aloha!
Celeste
Mahalo Celeste for adding this!
Hi Mr. Kay.
I have been researching condos in Hawaii as I have been offered a job at UH Manoa. Can you please explain the HOA fee and the maintenance fee. Are these the same, are they separate fees? It is very confusing on Zillow and I cant find an answer anywhere on line.
Thank You!
Congrats on the job offer! Typically they are the same as HOA fees cover the maintenance. If you want my help in finding a place to live on Oahu, click on this link and fill the form. https://forms.gle/pFAuSnW6urCCYLPP7
Yes, I study still Geography! The City of Honolulu has 5 Wards and a population between 350,000 and 400,000 and spread for 27 km from east to west! It has a lot of small-medium sized cties around it like Pearl City and other which are closely connected with the central city. Now there are lot of infrastructure construction underway in the city! A new train-line are in coming which will connect the central city of Honolulu with other parts of Oahu! A large amount of investment in low-cost and other housing market segment as well in to the infrastructure will enter Hawaii and further booster the local economy! Many very wealthy Americans as well other foreigners, just like the case with Florida will choose Hawaii in the near future to settle down or people in their retirement will also come to Aloha state! The recent phenomenon of man-made artifical created homelessnes will just dissapear in the next 10 years or so, Im sure with that! Hawaii has a bright future, and we should work for that, to keep Hawaii a paradise as it was always!
Thank you Mr. Kay! Yes, I still study Geography! So, Honolulu is right now somewehere between 350,000 and 400,000, the city has 5 Wards and spread for 27 km from east to west! Yes, it has now a large built-up area and is still expanding all the way to swallow small-medium sized cities like Pearl city and others around it! It is more like a conurbation linked small cities with the central city proper of Honolulu! And also Honolulu built now an extensive express-rail-line to connect other parts of Oahu with the central City! It has a lot of construction underway now, and in near future the development will more accelerating! Therefore I believe that the social problem, regarding low-cost housing and artificial man-made homelessnes Honolulu has to cope now, will hopefully dissapear within the next 10 years or so! Investment in large quantity will enter the housing market as well the fast growing infrastructure too! Many more very wealthy Americans and others will settle over to Hawaii, just like the case with Florida as older people will retire in Aloha state and will bring their money and asset to Hawaii! to further booster the local economy! Hawaii has a bright future!
Yes, Mr. Kay you are correct in that point! When you take in to account the whole population on Oahu than you are close to a million! The whole Hawaii is more than 1.4 million, spread on many large and medium-size inlands! Between in all this islands on the countryside there are lot of small villages and settlements, as well many private properties with large gardens and grounds. In Honolulu those less than 400,000 people live in a comparatively large administrative area of over 277 sq km, but there are so many space between different wards of Honolulu still exist! So, you have still many open areas to expand the city of Honolulu! The City of Honolulu is about 25-30 km km wide in west to east direction, you can feel yourself in a big garden-city! Just like that! It is an awesome beautiful place to enjoy and spend your entire life! For that matter, wealthy Americans when they are retired choose places like Hawaii or Florida for good reason! It is simply beautiful and tranquil!
Clearly, you are a geography fan :)
I strongly believe that Hawaii is by far the best place anywhere in the US to live and enjoy the beautiful natural settings! Sunshine all the year around! Hawaii beat even Florida in that matter! It is like you live in a constant dream in a truly paradise! Honolulu is a city less than 400,000, you can not compare that size to any big American cities on the mainland! Im a Hungarian-American and I would like to live there! I prefer nature, tranqulity and peace! Hawaii is just the right place for me!
Hard to argue w/ that! Though technically Honolulu population is about 400k, you really have to look at the population of Oahu which is around 1 million to get a true representation.
Hi Peter, I came on this page after watching some of your YouTube videos. I have 2 kids (3 months old & 6 year old). I have been offered a job $90K per month at a bank and the only thing keeping me from jumping to take it is the high cost of everything in Honolulu. I will need atleast a 1BHK & pay for daycare among other things. Can you please guide me. Thank you!
We are moving to the Big Island and are trying to find a place to rent. There are places that are advertising availability until October/November. After that, they become short-term rentals for the busy winter season. If we get one of these place, will it be hard to find another place to rent? I am concerned my family of 5 will be homeless in November!
It depends on how risk averse you are. If I had a family of five, I would figure out how to get here by myself one or two months ahead of time and make sure I had the housing situation taken care of.
What’s the demand for teachers there? Average salary?
There is an acute shortage of teachers. I’ve not done the comparative salary research.
This is a great post. Thanks for the info. My husband and I (a Brit and a born and bred New Englander) are planning to make the move soon, and budget is my biggest consideration. We have visited numerous times, and we always rent a condo so that we can purchase our own food to cook, with one or two restaurant outings, as we would at home. So I have noticed the food costs in grocery stores are reasonably higher. However, once we move, I won’t be purchasing groceries for a 25 year old son with hollow legs and an extra stomach, so my costs should net out. :)
My wife and I have been to Oahu and Maui a number of times but in 2020 we will be coming to lanikai for 45 days and wonder what food items we should bring with us to help out on expenses. We have rented a condo and will rent a car and will probably have relatives visit sometime
If you have to bring food items to afford being here for 45 days I’d say you can’t afford it. Don’t bring food items with you. Costco is your best bet here.
Hi, we have been going back and forth. My husband and I met in oahu. Dated for several years there then decided to move overseas to experience new things. In the mean while we had kids and ended up in Florida (for work). We always think to move back. We have family there. None here in florida. And having Youngs kids really makes you think of family. Our family doesn’t have the means to visit. My concern is, if we move, according to online, the education isnt the best. We currently live in the #1 county in the state of florida. So to think to give that up for the lowest in the nation is a bad move right? But we love the island. The aina and the beaches. We have our family there. But here in florida, it’s cheap. We can afford a big house in a top rated school/community….
If only life can tell you what to do….
Really really tough call. No question about it! Worse, I can’t give you any further advice :(
Aloha Mhall,
We moved to St Johns County from the Hamakua side last April. We moved for our children’s education. It’s cold here. There is no surf and the ocean is brown. We have met some wonderful people here but the vibe is completely different. When I drive down A1A all the other cars overtake me! My family and I talk about going home every day. PS it is like a desert here; it neva rain!
Rough, yeah? If Hawaii is in your heart and then you leave it’s really really hard.
As far as schools go, we used the K12 online school program, because it is “ public school at home “, plus it’s free. K12 supplies everything ! Even the laptop & internet for low income families. The teachers were absolutely amazing!!
Wow, this article has been online for a long time. Good comments, too.
Is it feasible to garden, assuming a person has the space to do so?
What about Internet connection? High speed? Cost?
I lived on Oahu for a twitch over a year way back in early 1980’s. Loved it. Moved to the mainland for family reasons.
Will
I know this is going to make me sound like trailer trash but does Hawaii have trailer or RV parks and if so how much do they cost we live in Arkansas and r almost retirement age it would just be my husband and me and maybe grandson(don’t think I could leave him behind) if my daughter will let him go. Thank You
Surprisingly, there are no trailer parks in Hawaii. None. Which is odd as it would seem to me a great way to get low cost housing in the state which would help everyone.
The reason trailers exist at all on the mainland USA is because they’re easy to move from one state to another. Hawaii is too small for that.
My family is looking for a place to live where we can literally grow our own fruits and veggies and self sustain our life as far as our food. Any great places in maui where people are doing this already?
Aloha everyone… my question its are there dog friendly beaches restaurants ect… ? I have 2 service pets i like to bring with me to Hawaii when i move there. How about hair salons ? am a hair stylist .am looking to live in a friendly community of the beech. the type where we can watch out for each other and do lots of beach typeof actives .cook out , meditations , work outs , and love fur kids . Please let me know . I also live on a fix income but would need a part time doing hair. to make ends meet. with of the island will work for me and my fur kids. i like to be near hospitals for my self and my fur kid vets hospitals ect… I do enjoy being walking distance from everything since i don’t like to drive, more of a bike rider type of guy. Thank you looking forward to hearing from you soon.
If you recieve disability bennifits in North Carolina and you move to Hawaii can you get it there? And more or the same amount monthly?
Please tell me Bobby was joking with the kid who plans to move to Hawaii after his stint in the marines, then become a cop there in Hawaii while going to college. Bobby
(hopefully was joking with him) saying you can’t work in Hawaii unless you are related to someone there.
I feel silly for not knowing if that comment was a joke or not; common sense tells me .. Hawaii is USA territory & we citizens can move, live & work ANYWHERE WITHIN our borders we want without some crazy stipulation we gotta know someone first before we can work where we move to. Please reaffirm my common sense thinking.
D. Long
Certainly there is no legal requirement that you know someone. But just like anyplace else, your network of contacts will make a huge difference on your ability to get a good job for the simple reason that employers are far more likely to hire people that come through quality referrals. Hawaii, being a much more tight-knit community, relies on referrals that much more. I’d say it’s just like any other small town where newly arriving outsiders have to connect with the community in a meaningful way.
I have seen people going through lengthy interviews and application processes, ending up not getting the job because they lacked contacts, and others getting hired without any form of interview simply because they knew people.
The problem is, there are only so many jobs, and there are many people who need 2-3 jobs to be able to survive on these islands. With less jobs than job seekers, you really need to know someone in the field.
Hello, I am Olivia. I just graduated from college. I am considering to accept a teaching job offer in Oahu, Hawaii. It is a big move all the way from Florida. I am not sure if it is budget wise for me to deal with all high cost of living and living on my own. What would you advise? The only other option is to accept a job offer here in Florida.
Strongly suggest you do the math. Talk to the employer on Oahu and see if they can assist you with calculating the decision. Perhaps they have some subsidies or assistance programs like perhaps finding room mates or lower cost housing.
Hey Olivia I was hoping you could tell me the decision you ended up making. I’m in a similar situation and would like to know how you handled yours. I just graduated from college and I’ve been offered a job but I don’t know if the high cost of living is worth the move from Florida.
What is your experience/opinion on school system? Can teachers (two in our household) make enough to cover the cost of living there?
We have an elementary-age child.
Hard to say. I know of 2-teacher households in Hawaii but they are tenured professors at the university. Also a huge influence is whether you have a home or not and how much equity. Word of wisdom is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN and get as much of every penny figured out as you can. Will your child go to private school here? In 2016 you’re talking $10-20k/year right there.
Hi Vern,
I want to move to Maui and my hubby not so much. He’s 76 and I’m 66.
We have a good retirement income (100K/year) so pretty sure we’ve got the housing/food thing covered.
We’re avid gardeners and love street markets. Where we live (NE CA) we have to travel 3 & 1/2 hours (Reno NV, Redding CA or Bend OR) in three different directions to shop! We live in a SMALL town of 500 and pay $9 for butter and $7 for half gallon of milk. So think we’re good with the high cost of food in Maui.
We do need advice as to which spot to live that is less ‘buggy’!! Big ‘bugaphobe!’
Our biggest concern is the only hospital on Maui. Have read lots of horrifying stories on the Internet that virtually say, run and don’t look back! Everyone seems to be airlifted to Oahua? Seems Maui Memorial doesn’t take care of much more than bug bites, has problems with mold to the extent that staff’s health is compromised and lots of misdiagnosis going on? Any help with personal knowledge or search sites would be helpful and much appreciated ✌️
Thanks Much,
Sharon
While I don’t have specific advice about Maui as I’ve only lived on Oahu (since ’84) the best advice I can give you is RENT FIRST as there is dramatic diversity from one square mile to the next. You really have to live here to figure out the kinds of details you are attempting to answer. Hope this helps!
I live in the midwest where we have very cold winters and very hot summers. I have been to Maui, Oahu and Hawaii. I truly believe that the costs of heating and air conditioning would more than make up for the higher living costs in Hawaii. Also, I see no need for a vehicle on Maui with the mass transportation they have in place there. And for longer distances I could rent a car. Also, I learned that there are different prices at the local grocery stores for tourists and for locals. They have a discount card they can use in the stores that tourists don’t have access to. We spent a month at a very reasonable motel in Maui with cooking privileges and were told to get a discount card at the grocery store; which we did. Quite a discount! I love it there and hoping to move there some day.
A friend visited Hawaii in winter of 2013/2014. She brought back a newspaper with a Safeway advertisement in it. Food prices were exactly the same as here in Oregon – at least on the items I was familiar with. Maybe she tricked me with an ad from our local paper……….
Why are you prohibited from building on a lot of land in Hawaii? (Is this typical for all the islands?) I’ve seen affordable lots on the big island on Zillow.
These were my thoughts too. I currently live in Portland, and the description of prices in Oahu is actually CHEAPER than a lot of things here. Rent at those prices in Portland/Vancouver? I’d be living in a rat-infested box. I don’t have a car and routinely bike up to 24 miles a day, so that is a cost that isn’t concerning either. It’s making it hard to think of reasons why I should stay in this city cold, dark and rainy city when I could be there.
What’s the average shelf life of food on Kauai? I was wondering if the humidity makes things spoil faster? We will be living near Lihue.
I think same. Humidity cannot get in or out of a sealed container. Aloha!
Hahaha, shelf life? no one eats can goods and insects only attack cereral if open. farmer’s market everyday
I’m interested why you say no canned goods. Do you know what the staple food in Hawaii Island is? Spam. Canned Spam. If you store everything in air tight containers you shouldn’t have a problem. But if you buy local produce, was three times then put a drop of bleach in the container. We do have slugs and rat lung disease. And mosquitoes bearing 3 different diseases including Dengue and Zika. But I love it here. If it’s too hot, jump in the water. We live in the mountains without heat, just extra layers of clothes. Shop different stores with hints from your friends and you should be fine.
im only 17 but ive always wanted to live in Hawaii .. im going to the marines in about 2 years and might make it a career im not positive yet ,, if not im gonna try serving the marines one term and then become a cop and go to collage right after or while im in but do you think id be set ? if i became a cop in Hawaii and was in the military ? .. i mean benefits ,, a degree .. seems pretty good .
What Do You Thiinkk ??
You can not work here in Hawaii unless you are related to someone, hahaha. better to double dip like all the cops here — 10 years for pension…..
I spent a few years in Hawaii and then returned to Saratoga Springs, NY. When I moved back to Maui, I had long forgotten how expensive island living can be. I did spend a summer in Tokyo, in 1999, and that still makes Maui look relatively inexpensive. I think that’s why I have an amazing life… I have a bad memory.
I have learned to be open to change. I see what is on sale and I buy things that are grown locally. I actually started visiting the farmers’ markets and was able to save. The Green Dragon Farmers’ Market has much to offer and it is an indoor market. I am more of a “city girl,” so growing a garden was huge for me. Huge!!! I learned to enjoy gardening… though I needed manicures more frequently. Still… a nice trade-off.
We are moving off-island shortly and returning to the East Coast. I will miss the islands. They will ALWAYS be home to me.
Brigid Kim
Thanks for your comment Kim… I like the farmer’s markets and the market in China town on Oahu. On every island there are cheaper places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, not overlooking the streets where people with mango trees, avocado trees, and other fruits – sell it or give it away on a table in front of the house. If you have any sort of land – growing something to eat makes sense in Hawaii!