Moving to Hawaii from Vermont

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Vermont to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 49.8% more expensive than Vermont. A $75,000 salary in Vermont would need to be roughly $112,000 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 55°F in Burlington, making it significantly warmer. Burlington and Honolulu are about 4,950 mi apart.

Is Hawaii cheaper than Vermont?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 34.2% more

Groceries

pay 2.0 times more

Transportation

pay 22.5% more

Housing

pay 58.0% more

Childcare

pay 7.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 31.6% 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.

What salary do you need in Hawaii?

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → $112,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii

Calculate with your salary →

Key Indicator Comparison

How Vermont 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

VT
211
HI
187
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VT
1802
HI
1672

Hawaii performs significantly better than Vermont across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

VT
3.9%
HI
3.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VT
27.2%
HI
25.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

VT
$290,500
HI
$808,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

VT
$1,193
HI
$1,938

Vermont 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

VT
88.4%
HI
91.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

VT
23 min
HI
26 min

Vermont 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

VT
2.6%
HI
2.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VT
$56,462
HI
$64,124

Hawaii performs significantly better than Vermont across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

VT
78.8 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

VT
31%
HI
25%

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

Weather in Hawaii vs Vermont

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Burlington Rain: 36.8 in/yr (935 mm)
55° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Burlington Honolulu
Jan–Mar 33°/15°F (0°/-10°C) 80°/67°F (27°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) 85°/71°F (29°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/56°F (25°/14°C) 89°/74°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/29°F (7°/-1°C) 84°/71°F (29°/22°C)
View all months
Month Burlington Honolulu
Jan 27°/10°F (-2.7°/-12.1°C) 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C)
Feb 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.8°C) 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C)
Mar 40°/22°F (4.4°/-5.6°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C)
Apr 55°/35°F (12.6°/1.6°C) 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C)
May 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.4°C) 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C)
Jul 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.7°C) 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C)
Aug 79°/58°F (26.1°/14.7°C) 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C)
Sep 70°/51°F (21.3°/10.4°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C)
Oct 57°/39°F (14.0°/3.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C)
Nov 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.6°C) 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C)
Dec 33°/18°F (0.7°/-7.5°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 Vermont?

Day-to-day costs in Hawaii run about 50% higher than Vermont 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 $28,000 in Hawaii for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Hawaii safe?

Hawaii performs significantly better than Vermont across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Vermont?

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

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

The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 55°F in Burlington. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Burlington gets 36.8 in.

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