Moving to Hawaii from Minnesota

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Minnesota to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 31.5% more expensive than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $106,446 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 56°F in Saint Paul, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $106,446

To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 35.3% more

Groceries

pay 80.4% more

Transportation

pay 20.9% more

Housing

pay 52.9% more

Childcare

pay 1.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 15.5% 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 Minnesota 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

MN
257
HI
187
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MN
1675
HI
1672

Hawaii performs significantly better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

MN
4.5%
HI
3.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MN
33.9%
HI
25.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MN
$305,500
HI
$808,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MN
$1,235
HI
$1,938

Minnesota 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

MN
91.0%
HI
91.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MN
23 min
HI
26 min

Minnesota generally does better on infrastructure, though Hawaii leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MN
4.3%
HI
2.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MN
$68,478
HI
$64,124

Minnesota generally does better on employment & economy, though Hawaii leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MN
79.1 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

MN
26%
HI
25%

Minnesota generally does better on family life, though Hawaii leads in life expectancy.

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.

Saint Paul Rain: 28.5 in/yr (724 mm)
56° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Saint Paul Honolulu
Jan–Mar 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) 80°/67°F (27°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) 85°/71°F (29°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) 89°/74°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) 84°/71°F (29°/22°C)
View all months
Month Saint Paul Honolulu
Jan 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C)
Feb 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C)
Mar 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C)
Apr 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C)
May 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C)
Jun 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C)
Aug 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C)
Oct 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C)
Nov 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C)
Dec 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°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 Minnesota?

Day-to-day costs in Hawaii run about 42% higher than Minnesota 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 $26,612 in Hawaii for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Hawaii safe?

Hawaii performs significantly better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Minnesota?

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

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

The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.

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