Is living in Hawaii more expensive than san jose-bay area?

Question

we're looking into moving to Hawaii. Is cost of living higher? According to cost-of-living calculator it is, but a 2-BR apartment here in Santa Clara is $1,900! For $1,900 in Hawaii you can rent homes.... in addition to that, hawaii has a lot of detached studios and cottages; something you don't find in the bay

Answer 1

Jobs in Hawaii pay less than in the San Fran area. And the housing prices are comparable. So you end up with less money in Hawaii.

Answer 2

I don't think there are all that many single family houses that will rent under 2K/month.  Maybe there are some, but they are going to be a long way from town & probably not all that nice.  There are some detached studios & cottages, but not all that many.  The people whom I know who rent places like that feel very fortunate to have found their places.

Answer 3

I am originally from Sacramento, and moved from the mainland only a few months ago.

With the prices of the bay area still fresh in my mind, I would say that the cost of living is compartable HOWEVER you will be paid less here than in the bay area.

For example: In the bay area, armed guards are paid anywhere from $18-22/hr but in Hawaii they start at $13-.

The differences such as that run across the board.

I highly suggest the book, "So you want to live in Hawaii" by Toni Polancy (Check the link at Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Live-Hawa...

It gives you a honest look at the extra costs associated with living here (food for example) and the pros and cons of living in each of the islands.

Good Luck, and be honest with why you really want to live here. It can be a difficult transition if you are not prepared!

Answer 4

You can rent a home for $1900 a month in Hawaii, but not within 1 hour drive of Honolulu. Any moeny you save from low rent is spent twice over on gas instead.

You can get a 2-BR apartment in town for $1900. TH\hat would in an older building, probably 800 SF. Utilities not included. I wouldn't say there a lot of detached studios available here. They are almost always taken by family or rented already.

As Nancy said, wages are lower until you get established and make good connections.

Overall I would say the cost of living is almost identical. I lived in San Jose, Milpitas and Los Altos.