Oahu Living Cost
Hawaii is not only a beautiful place to visit but it is a great place to live, work and enjoy. Living and working in Hawaii lets you enjoy the amazing, Hawaii diverse culture and people, as well as the natural tropical beauty of the islands and beautiful beaches.
Living in Hawaii can be quite expensive when compared to some states on the mainland. However, if you are from California or the East Coast, then you may not feel so bad.
Housing Cost
Whether you are interested in renting or buying, living in Hawai’i is quite expensive. Like anywhere, the cost of housing will vary greatly from area to area, depending on both location and the quality and size of the home and property upon which the home is situated. Hawaii is about as expensive as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami or Seattle. Beach areas and areas with good views are the most expensive one.
If you are moving or relocating to Hawaii on a short or long term jobs, first you should do your online research to find a place before you move to Hawaii. Renting a place in Hawaii is quite a hassle and time consuming. On Oahu, a studio costs anywhere from $800-$$1300 per month, depending on the location. A two-bedroom apartment/condo starts from $1500 and up per month + utilities like cable, phone, electric..etc., it depends on location. The most expensive area on Oahu is in Waikiki, where a one-bedroom apartment costs approximately $1,500 per month and up.
Gas
Gas prices here are more than many, but not all, states on the mainland. With Costco and Sam’s Club (Pearl City) a few cents below the lowest gas station. Check it out the current local gas prices at, www.hawaiigasprices.com.
Try to find a place to staty nearer to your work place So, that you can depend on car less, take advantage of Bus. Oahu Bus Transportation service is very good. It is an affordable and convenient way to get around on the island. Monthly passes cost $50.00 for unlimited travel. There are many bus routes that cover all the parts of Oahu. For more information routes and schedules, visit www.thebus.org.
Groceries
As gas prices go up so will food prices. And so will prices for everything else. Groceries are expensive here. Most things have to be shipped here, so everything costs more. Especially, our Indian grocery too expensive as there is only one shop in Hawai’i.
You can also find some of our Indian items in Down to Earth and Star Market, good idea for staying in your budget is to buy what’s on sale in these two shops, they have the best sale prices. Other items, like detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc. in bulk much more cheap at Costco & Sam’s Club.
It is a good idea to bring some indian groceries while coming from mainland for at least 4 to 6 months to get on and offcourse, not to get shocked with the prices. However, after a few months you’ll get used to the hawaii cost of living :).
Utilities
Most people in Hawaii have neither central heat nor air conditioning, but you can still expect a whopping electric bill. Hawaii has the highest electricity cost of any state in the US, which can be double or even triple that of other states. At the time of writing this, Hawaii’s power cost was 22.76 a kilowatt hour, with California at 12.62, Arizona 8.46, and Oregon 7.56. As a result, many homeowners opt to use ceiling fans and gas appliances, where available, to achieve savings. In Hawaii, The Gas Company provides synthetic natural gas (SNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or liquid propane. As SNG is not available in all areas, many people use LPG which can be held in a tank in your yard, to be refilled as it is used, or in certain areas, the LPG it is piped and provided by The Gas Company. The State of Hawaii offers several tax credits for switching to gas and for using solar power.
