Moving to Hawaii from New York
What to Expect
Considering a move from New York to Hawaii? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New York to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 16.1% more expensive than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $91,140 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 58°F in Albany, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New York and Hawaii.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $91,140
To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 32.4% more
Groceries
pay 62.9% more
Transportation
pay 4.5% more
Housing
pay 23.1% more
Childcare
pay 20.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.9% 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 New York.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Hawaii performs significantly better than New York 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 New York leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New York generally does better on what about housing?, though Hawaii leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Hawaii performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.
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 New York 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
New York 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Albany | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/58°F (26°/14°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 | Albany | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) |
| Mar | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) |
| Apr | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) |
| May | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) |
| Aug | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) |
| Sep | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) |
| Dec | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than New York?
On average Hawaii is around 22% pricier than New York, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?
Budget about $22,785 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?
Hawaii performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to New York?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to New York?
The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.
