Prices in Hawaii?

[COZICAN]

I mentioned Hawaii for a RE destination. DW said "$6.00 for a loaf of bread!". Really what are real costs?

12 pk Bud Light (priority)
Loaf of bread
Gallon of milk
Steaks
Chicken
1.5L mid range merlot?
veggies
ETC........

Coz

 

[Dtail]

We have at least 3 regular posters who live in Hawaii. Hopefully you'll get some of their wisdom.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I mentioned Hawaii for a RE destination. DW said "$6.00 for a loaf of bread!". Really what are real costs?

12 pk Bud Light (priority)
Loaf of bread
Gallon of milk
Steaks
Chicken
1.5L mid range merlot?
veggies
ETC........

Coz

I just spent the winter on Molokai and Maui and the grocery prices are definitely higher. However, if you can afford the real estate, the grocery prices should not be a Show Stopper -- However the real estate prices could be.


With that said:


Milk was about $5 a Gallon
Bread was about $5 a loaf
Your 1.5L mid range Merlot was around $15-20 (Depending on your definition.)


You can check out other prices here.


But seriously --- If you can afford a home the grocery prices shouldn't be a concern.


https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/honolulu

 

[NYEXPAT]

Here's one place to look, there are others :https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/honolulu

 

[Bamaman]

I went to HI 3 years and visited an old college buddy who moved there in 1977. He's what I call a 72 year old surfer boy. Finally bought a pair of shoes--the first since he moved there. So many wear flip flops.

But I found potato chips and normal foods to be frighteningly expensive. I'd probably be 20 lbs. lighter if I moved there.

 

[W2R]

My family lives there (well, those few that are still living do; the rest are buried there), and I lived there back in my high school days.

Back then, people from the mainland who complained about food prices were generally trying to eat foods like steak and potatos, the way they did back where they came from. At that time, eating "mainland food" like that was insanely expensive so usually newcomers would b**ch about prices and availability for a year and then give up and move back home.

But if you could adjust to eat like an islander it was so cheap at that time (I am talking about the late 1950's, early 1960's). Fresh local fish, rice, pineapple, locally grown varieties of bananas, mango and so on were foods that islanders usually ate back then and they did not cost so much. So we transitioned to that type of food immediately.

This is one reason why I no longer eat fresh pineapple. Back then they were often as cheap as $0.02 per pineapple by the side of the road, and my dear departed mom loved a bargain. OK, (said with love) she was such a cheapskate. So, we had pineapple at every meal, even fried pineapple with our eggs for breakfast. I had enough pineapple for a lifetime and prefer not to eat it any more.

This was 50-60 years ago. I don't know how much mainland food costs in Hawaii any more, and I guess pineapple is no longer a major crop there (?). But I'd suggest spending some time at the grocery stores and figuring out what foods are affordable, and adapting to those foods.

 

[Cut-Throat]

But if you could adjust to eat like an islander it was so cheap at that time (I am talking about the late 1950's, early 1960's). Fresh local fish, rice, pineapple, locally grown varieties of bananas, mango and so on were foods that islanders usually ate back then and they did not cost so much. So we transitioned to that type of food immediately.

This is one reason why I no longer eat fresh pineapple. Back then they were often as cheap as $0.02 per pineapple by the side of the road, and my dear departed mom loved a bargain. OK, (said with love) she was such a cheapskate. So, we had pineapple at every meal, even fried pineapple with our eggs for breakfast. I had enough pineapple for a lifetime and prefer not to eat it any more.

This was 50-60 years ago. I don't know how much mainland food costs in Hawaii any more, and I guess pineapple is no longer a crop there (?). But I'd suggest spending some time at the grocery stores and figuring out what foods are affordable, and adapting to those foods.

Pineapples are $7 apiece at Farmers Markets and they are the size of a Grapefruit (Little ones).... Costco in Maui has the regular sized ones for $2.99 --- Fresh Local grown Fruit in Hawaii is very, very expensive - no bargains there anymore...


But food prices overall is not a big deal... What is a Big deal for someone in the Midwest that finding out that to replace their $200 Grand Home in Hawaii Costs about $850 Grand... If you are OK with that, the grocery store is no big deal..... My wife and I spend far more on Groceries in the Bahamas than we did in Hawaii.

 

[W2R]

Pineapples are $7 apiece at Farmers Markets and they are the size of a Grapefruit (Little ones).... Costco in Maui has the regular sized ones for $2.99 --- Fresh Local grown Fruit in Hawaii is very, very expensive - no bargains there anymore...

Right! As I alluded to above, pineapple is no longer a main crop in Hawaii. Back then, Dole got most of their pineapple there but now,

Today, pineapple is still grown in Hawaii, but times have changed. Hawaii is no longer a profitable place to grow and process pine - there are much cheaper places to do so. Currently, Hawaii produces only two percent of the world's pineapple.

https://www.to-hawaii.com/agriculture.php
I still think it would be akamai to wander about in a grocery store there as I suggested and figure out what costs more than what, and then choose accordingly since despite MUCH better shipping, and progress, Oahu is still an island, but hey, whatever.....

But food prices overall is not a big deal... What is a Big deal for someone in the Midwest that finding out that to replace their $200 Grand Home in Hawaii Costs about $850 Grand... If you are OK with that, the grocery store is no big deal..... My wife and I spend far more on Groceries in the Bahamas than we did in Hawaii.

That's great that food prices are not a big deal! I sort of figured that groceries would be not be as big a deal these days, because shipping foods in is probably easier now even though Oahu is still an island.

And as for housing prices, well, you are right, they are insane. I don't want to live in a tiny condo and I could never afford the equivalent of my present "Dream Home" there. I check on realtor dot com now and then, for a reality check if I start feeling nostalgic.

Here's one about the same size although slightly less appealing in function and appearance than my present home, but located just down the beach from where my family home was. It is priced at almost 10 times what my present "Dream home" cost. To me it would be a hardship to spend that much on a home, and so it isn't worth the price to upgrade my location.

 

[cbo111]

My perfect vacation; go to Kauai for several weeks, rent a nice place (house or condo) close to the beach through VRBO, airB, etc. They are cheaper than hotels and you get much more room. We like Poipu, but the north shore is equally awesome. Stock up on stuff at Costco, buy local fish from the market and kick back. We don't really like to eat out, which you will find to be a big expense in Hawaii Is. So, having a kitchen and a comfy king bed are top priorities for us.

 

[LOL!]

We've been to Hawaii a few times. We learned that tourists are gouged in the grocery stores, but if one has a 'shopper's card', then prices are reasonable. It turns out that our Safeway shopper's card from the mainland works in Hawaii, too. So instead of milk, bread, cereal, whatever being the double the mainland price, everything is pretty close to the mainland price when we shopped.

Of course all the posted prices look high, but that is not what one ends up paying.

Even here in Texas, I usually get 25% to 30% off the posted prices for the things I buy.

 

[Cut-Throat]

We've been to Hawaii a few times. We learned that tourists are gouged in the grocery stores, but if one has a 'shopper's card', then prices are reasonable. It turns out that our Safeway shopper's card from the mainland works in Hawaii, too. So instead of milk, bread, cereal, whatever being the double the mainland price, everything is pretty close to the mainland price when we shopped.

Of course all the posted prices look high, but that is not what one ends up paying.

Even here in Texas, I usually get 25% to 30% off the posted prices for the things I buy.

The prices I quoted were with the safeway card.... We got one our first visit. You just ask the cashier....

 

[ponyboy]

One word...Costco!

We always hit up costco in hawaii. Prices are better than the grocery stores there...gas is waaaay cheaper.

 

[COZICAN]

Thanks for the replies. We were watching a "Buying Beachfront" and they were in Hawaii. I was telling DW "heck why not Hawaii?" and she said COL would kill us. I was just curious and appreciate your comments.

Coz

 

[SpinDr]

My perfect vacation; go to Kauai for several weeks, rent a nice place (house or condo) close to the beach through VRBO, airB, etc. They are cheaper than hotels and you get much more room. We like Poipu, but the north shore is equally awesome. Stock up on stuff at Costco, buy local fish from the market and kick back. We don't really like to eat out, which you will find to be a big expense in Hawaii Is. So, having a kitchen and a comfy king bed are top priorities for us.

That is both our favorite spot, and method, for a great Hawaii vacation! Have you found Kilauea Fish market?

 

[Koolau]

I mentioned Hawaii for a RE destination. DW said "$6.00 for a loaf of bread!". Really what are real costs?

12 pk Bud Light (priority)
Loaf of bread
Gallon of milk
Steaks
Chicken
1.5L mid range merlot?
veggies
ETC........

Coz

Sorry I'm late to the party. I do live on Oahu and here is how we handle the high prices of some of these items.

Bud or most beers - roughly $1/bottle or can - even for, say, Heineken (buy at Costco or on sale elsewhere.)

Loaf of bread - yeah, at the "store" it's maybe $6, but we buy at Love's bakery in the "day old" section and pay half that or less.

Milk is $5.50 at Costco

Never buy steak or chicken (except "out" - already cooked) It's expensive, even at Costco.

Don't buy wine, but Costco has $10 wines by the case.

Veggies are all by the pound and expensive even at Costco (but much less than at the grocery.)

Gas, right now at Costco is $3 vs $3.50 at the other stations.

Canned goods are mostly sold in 6 packs or 8 packs. $10.50 for 6 15 1/2 oz Dinty Moore. $9 for huge can (6lb, 12oz) of Stagg Chili.

Fresh blueberries - about $1/oz, but MUCH less frozen.

You learn what, when and where to buy and then food bill is only about 1/3 more than on mainland. If you insist on eating just as you did in Wichita or Cincinnati, you will be paying double if you just go to the store for everything.

In short, you learn to adapt. If it weren't for all the other stuff (especially housing - either rent or buy) Hawaii isn't that bad. Probably better than SanFran or even SanDiego - except the food part.

Retirees get fantastic breaks on taxes (big exemption on RE taxes which are already low, NO state tax on pension or SS, etc.)

We pay about $300/yr for car tags and about $500/yr for car insurance each.

Electricity is most expensive in US, but you don't need heat (and some - like us who can take advantage of the trade winds) do not need AC. Elec. bill is $80/mo.

First look at Hawaii and you think - no one could afford to live here. When you adapt, you find it's expensive but manageable - or else you go back to Wichita.

 

[Nick12]

True on not needing to use AC. Survived and actually enjoyed sleeping with the windows open in Oahu on vacation. Coming from Florida where my family runs the central AC in the home from Feb thru Nov.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Be great of one could afford a place to live...

 

[ponyboy]

I dont care what people say about trade winds or ceiling fans...when im visiting hawaii, the AC is cranked. I always rent through vrbo...if the condo/townhouse doesnt have central air throughout...im not renting it. Ill gladly pay a premium. I have heard that electricity is really expensive there.

We stayed at a condo on the beach near teds bakery 4 years ago. Awesome location, cool neighbors who invited us to smoke reefer with them and hang out...but the unit had a window AC in the bedroom only. It was rough. That will never happen again.

We'll be headed back to kauai and the big island in a couple weeks. Flights were free so im not too worried about the price of food...and condo was paid for months ago.

 

[tropitan]

DW and I have lived here (Big Island) for nearly twenty years, and I can vouch for the high COL. I think one really has to WANT to live here, and then make the adjustments for living expenses.
There is a saying here that there are only two kinds of people: The ones who are working very hard so they can stay, and the ones working very hard so they can leave. I recommend it!

 

[Winemaker]

My perfect vacation; go to Kauai for several weeks, rent a nice place (house or condo) close to the beach through VRBO, airB, etc. They are cheaper than hotels and you get much more room. We like Poipu, but the north shore is equally awesome. Stock up on stuff at Costco, buy local fish from the market and kick back. We don't really like to eat out, which you will find to be a big expense in Hawaii Is. So, having a kitchen and a comfy king bed are top priorities for us.

Pretty much the same MO for us, we stay in Kapa'a. On the Big Island we stay at Kona, shop at Costco or Safeway, we never needed AC.

 

[MarieIG]

And as for housing prices, well, you are right, they are insane. I don't want to live in a tiny condo and I could never afford the equivalent of my present "Dream Home" there. I check on realtor dot com now and then, for a reality check if I start feeling nostalgic.

Here's one about the same size although slightly less appealing in function and appearance than my present home, but located just down the beach from where my family home was. It is priced at almost 10 times what my present "Dream home" cost. To me it would be a hardship to spend that much on a home, and so it isn't worth the price to upgrade my location.

I did peak at that house: that price is definitely, beyond my comfort level. Even my dinky house is in better shape and yes, a fraction of the price. Of course I don't have the lush garden and pristine beach access. I am however, running neck & neck for property taxes.