Cost of living in Kahului research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kahului is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Hawaii, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kahului is 174, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kahului is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Kahului ranks as the #17 cheapest in Hawaii out of 52.
Kahului ranks as the #6,127 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kahului is $1,022,754.
The median income in Kahului is $92,062.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kahului has an overall cost of living index of 174, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Hawaii, Kahului has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Hawaii's index of 171.
The standard of living in Kahului ranks as #17 most affordable out of the 52 places we measured in Hawaii. By definition, that implies Kahului ranks as the #35 most expensive place in the Aloha State.
For more reading on life in Kahului, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kahului. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kahului is 126.
The Groceries index in Kahului is 116.
The Health index in Kahului is 121.
The Housing index in Kahului is 277.
The Transportation index in Kahului is 133.
The Utilities index in Kahului is 149.
| Living Expense | Kahului | Hawaii | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 174 | 171 | 100 | |
| Services | 126 | 128 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 116 | 135 | 100 | |
| Health | 121 | 126 | 100 | |
| Housing | 277 | 249 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 133 | 144 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 149 | 181 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Hawaii, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kahului is $1,022,754.
The Median Rent in Kahului is $1,473.
The Median Income in Kahului is $92,062.
The Home Value To Income in Kahului is 11.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kahului is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kahului. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Kihei, HI has a cost of living index of 177, 1.0x Kahului.
Wailuku, HI has a cost of living index of 172, 1.0x Kahului.
Lahaina, HI has a cost of living index of 187, 1.1x Kahului.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kahului |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kihei, HI | 22,564 | 177 | 1.0x |
| Wailuku, HI | 15,754 | 172 | 1.0x |
| Lahaina, HI | 11,423 | 187 | 1.1x |
| Waihee-Waiehu, HI | 11,369 | 167 | 1.0x |
| Haiku-Pauwela, HI | 9,290 | 208 | 1.2x |
| Pukalani, HI | 8,490 | 186 | 1.1x |
| Makawao, HI | 7,263 | 177 | 1.0x |
| Napili-Honokowai, HI | 6,897 | 182 | 1.0x |
| Wailea, HI | 6,571 | 238 | 1.4x |
| Kula, HI | 6,557 | 227 | 1.3x |