Moving to Hawaii from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Hawaii? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 47.0% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $119,521 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Hawaii.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $119,521
To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 47.6% more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 49.3% more
Housing
pay 73.0% more
Childcare
pay 15.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.9% more
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
The numbers behind daily life in Hawaii compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent 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 Iowa leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Hawaii 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 performs significantly better than Iowa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Hawaii performs significantly better than Iowa 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than Iowa?
On average Hawaii is around 59% pricier than Iowa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?
Budget about $29,880 for 3 months in Hawaii (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Hawaii safe?
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Iowa?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
