Moving to Utah from Hawaii

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hawaii to Utah — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Hawaii to Utah, you would find that Utah is 24.4% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $52,115 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Salt Lake City averages 64°F vs 84°F in Honolulu, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hawaii to Utah.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $52,115

To maintain the same standard of living in Utah

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 29.6% less

Groceries

pay 48.9% less

Transportation

pay 11.2% less

Housing

pay 25.4% less

Childcare

pay 24.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 23.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Hawaii and Utah stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
187
UT
224
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
1672
UT
1576

Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Utah leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

HI
3.6%
UT
8.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

HI
25.6%
UT
32.3%

Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

HI
$808,200
UT
$455,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

HI
$1,938
UT
$1,405

Utah performs significantly better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

HI
91.2%
UT
92.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

HI
26 min
UT
22 min

Utah performs significantly better than Hawaii across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HI
2.2%
UT
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

HI
$64,124
UT
$66,207

Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though Utah leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

HI
80.7 yrs
UT
78.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

HI
25%
UT
21%

Hawaii performs better than Utah across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Honolulu Rain: 17.1 in/yr (434 mm)
84° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Salt Lake City Rain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Honolulu Salt Lake City
Jan–Mar 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) 87°/60°F (31°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) 51°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Honolulu Salt Lake City
Jan 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)
Feb 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)
Mar 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Apr 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)
May 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)
Jul 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)
Aug 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)
Sep 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)
Nov 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)
Dec 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Hawaii?

Generally yes: Utah runs about 31% cheaper than Hawaii on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Utah?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $13,029 in Utah for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Utah safe?

Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Utah leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Utah compared to Hawaii?

Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in diabetes rate.

What's the weather like in Utah compared to Hawaii?

The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.

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