Moving to Washington from Hawaii
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hawaii to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Hawaii to Washington, you would find that Washington is 10.8% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $59,802 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°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 Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $59,802
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 19.8% less
Groceries
pay 41.3% less
Transportation
pay 6.9% less
Housing
pay 15.5% less
Childcare
pay 23.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.1% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Hawaii and Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Hawaii performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
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 Washington leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Washington 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
Hawaii generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.
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 Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Hawaii generally does better on family life, though Washington leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Honolulu | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Honolulu | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Hawaii?
Generally yes: Washington runs about 20% cheaper than Hawaii on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $14,950 in Washington for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Hawaii performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Hawaii?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Washington leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Hawaii?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.
