Moving to Hawaii from Rhode Island
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Rhode Island to Hawaii — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Rhode Island to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 25.0% more expensive than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $93,700 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 61°F in Providence, making it significantly warmer. Providence and Honolulu are about 5,050 mi apart.
Thinking of moving to Hawaii? Get a shortlist of towns in Hawaii that match your priorities: size, cost, taxes, safety, disaster risk, hospitals and transport. Find my towns →Is Hawaii cheaper than Rhode Island?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 22.7% more
Groceries
pay 78.7% more
Transportation
pay 12.4% more
Housing
pay 13.9% more
Childcare
pay 9.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.3% 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.
What salary do you need in Hawaii?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $93,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Rhode Island to Hawaii.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs better than Hawaii 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 Rhode Island leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island generally does better on family life, though Hawaii leads in life expectancy.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Hawaii vs Rhode Island
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Providence | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Providence | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) |
| Mar | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) |
| Apr | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) |
| May | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) |
| Aug | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) |
| Sep | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) |
| Dec | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than Rhode Island?
No — Hawaii is on average about 25% more expensive than Rhode Island. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,425 in Hawaii on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Hawaii safe?
Rhode Island performs better than Hawaii across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Rhode Island?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to Rhode Island?
The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.
