Moving to Idaho from Hawaii
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Hawaii to Idaho — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Hawaii to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 38.2% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $46,400 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Idaho Falls averages 59°F vs 84°F in Honolulu, making it significantly cooler. Honolulu and Idaho Falls are about 3,050 mi apart.
Is Idaho cheaper than Hawaii?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 38.1% less
Groceries
pay 53.8% less
Transportation
pay 24.3% less
Housing
pay 41.6% less
Childcare
pay 23.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Idaho?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $46,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Hawaii to Idaho.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Idaho leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Idaho leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Idaho performs significantly better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho performs significantly better than Hawaii across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though Idaho leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Hawaii performs better than Idaho across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Idaho vs Hawaii
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Honolulu | Idaho Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) | 39°/19°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 69°/40°F (20°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) | 83°/49°F (29°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 45°/24°F (7°/-5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Honolulu | Idaho Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.7°/-10.2°C) |
| Feb | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) | 36°/17°F (2.3°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) | 49°/26°F (9.3°/-3.2°C) |
| Apr | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) | 59°/33°F (15.2°/0.3°C) |
| May | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) | 69°/40°F (20.3°/4.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) | 78°/47°F (25.6°/8.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) | 87°/53°F (30.7°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) | 87°/51°F (30.6°/10.7°C) |
| Sep | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) | 76°/42°F (24.3°/5.8°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) | 61°/33°F (16.3°/0.4°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) | 44°/24°F (6.4°/-4.7°C) |
| Dec | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than Hawaii?
Yes — Idaho is on average about 38% cheaper than Hawaii. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Idaho?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $11,600 in Idaho on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Idaho safe?
Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Idaho leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Idaho compared to Hawaii?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Idaho leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Idaho compared to Hawaii?
The average high temperature in Idaho Falls is 59°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Idaho Falls receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.
