Last updated: April 2024

The Islands of Hawai’i are a one of the most diverse and beautiful areas on Earth. They offer you the chance to explore black sand beaches, beach cave hideaways, snorkel with sea life, watch surfers ride the sunset waves, and even visit snow capped volcanoes. Hawaii also boasts a rich culture that’s been celebrated throughout its history, and there will always be opportunities for you to dive in and learn about the local way of life. If all of this intrigues you, this guide will help you figure out how to move to Hawaii, even if your visit is temporary.

When I first announced that I would be packing up my life and moving to Hawaii for two months, I received quite a few questions about how I managed it in terms of logistics and finances. Many people believe that Hawaii is one of the most expensive destinations to travel to, and while I did have to plan my finances carefully to afford this move, with proper budgeting and keeping an eye out for deals and discounts, you can easily make this move yourself. Whether you’ve dreamed about moving here for years or just want a temporary relocation like I did, this post will walk you through all the expenses and considerations before coming.

Airfare

Buying your ticket will be one of the biggest expenses you’ll have to budget for when traveling to Hawaii. To lower your overall cost, you can either keep an eye out for flight deals on apps like Hopper and Kayak or, as I did, use all the airline points I collected over time. Because I had accrued a substantial amount of points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, I was able to pay for two round-trip tickets for myself and my fiancé without any out-of-pocket expense on my end.

If you are interested in using the points method, Chase is currently offering a signup bonus of 60,000 points (a $750 value) for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card if you spend $4,000 within the first three months. However, I don’t recommend this method to those who are unable to pay off their credit card every month. But if you can pay it off without incurring interest, I highly recommend this method!

Housing

Housing, depending on the length of your stay, will also be an expense to look out for. If you plan to stay in Hawaii for less than a month, Airbnb or VRBO will be your two best options to look into. However, if you plan on staying for a month or longer, I’d recommend you check out Furnished Finder. It’s a website geared towards travel nurses, but other traveling professionals can use it as well.

Transportation

If you’ve ever been on vacation before, you’ve probably experienced the massive expense of renting a car. Unfortunately, renting a car on the island will cost you around the same as your monthly rent. My suggestion to lower your cost is to either rent local or use Discount Hawaii Car Rental. They not only offer the best pricing options but also partner with rental companies such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Payless, and Thrifty.

Groceries

Grocery shopping is quite expensive in Hawaii, but with some smart shopping and looking for the right deals, you can eat well on a budget. Use Costco to stock up on basics like chicken, rice, milk, and butter, then go to local grocery stores like Choicemart and KTA for other necessities. Some of the best places to buy local food are street vendors selling local fruits and veggies like papayas, avocados, and mangos on the sides of the roads. Another option is visiting the local farmers markets that offer a wide selection of produce at a reasonable price. You’ll get a wide variety of food options as well as a chance to enjoy unique market experiences in Hawaii that support local farmers and artisans.

Activities

As I stated earlier, there are numerous things to keep you busy on the island, and as long as you don’t live the resort/vacation tourist lifestyle every day, most activities can be free. Many of the island’s activities like snorkeling, hiking, and sunbathing are free, but you might need to purchase snorkeling and other water gear for a closer experience with sea life. If you don’t mind spending some money, Hawaii offers the best sunset boat rides, deep-sea diving experiences, ATV tours, and luaus that teach you about culture while serving fresh meals. If you want to experience the best Hawaii has to offer, check out my Big Island Travel Guide.

Job

One of the most important things to note about everything I mentioned above is that I was fortunate enough to work remotely, which greatly facilitated my move to Hawaii. Because I earned an income while living here, I was able to offset the costs associated with moving. It’s also worth mentioning that my ability to work remotely allowed me to maintain my work routine on central time, even though I was based in Hawaii. This means I started working at 3 a.m. local time (8 a.m. CT) and went to bed around 6 p.m. While this adjustment was initially challenging, it turned out to be perfect because I finished working by noon and had the rest of the day to explore as much as I wanted to.