Moving to Hawaii from Idaho

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Idaho to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 40.6% more expensive than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $108,251 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 64°F in Boise, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $108,251

To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 40.0% more

Groceries

pay 2.0 times more

Transportation

pay 31.7% more

Housing

pay 53.8% more

Childcare

pay 17.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.4% more

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 Idaho and Hawaii 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

ID
226
HI
187
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
784
HI
1672

Idaho generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

ID
8.5%
HI
3.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

ID
33.5%
HI
25.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

ID
$376,000
HI
$808,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

ID
$1,150
HI
$1,938

Idaho performs 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

ID
91.3%
HI
91.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

ID
22 min
HI
26 min

Idaho performs 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

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$49,054
HI
$64,124

Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though Idaho leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

ID
19%
HI
25%

Hawaii performs significantly better than Idaho 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.

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boise Honolulu
Jan–Mar 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) 80°/67°F (27°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 85°/71°F (29°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) 89°/74°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) 84°/71°F (29°/22°C)
View all months
Month Boise Honolulu
Jan 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C)
Feb 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C)
Mar 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C)
Apr 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C)
May 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C)
Jun 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C)
Jul 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C)
Aug 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C)
Sep 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C)
Oct 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C)
Nov 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C)
Dec 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than Idaho?

Day-to-day costs in Hawaii run about 44% higher than Idaho on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $27,063 in Hawaii for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Hawaii safe?

Idaho generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Idaho?

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

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

The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.

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