Before you decide to relocate to Hawaii, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Hawaii that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 52 places in Hawaii with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Hawaii for 2026.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Hawaii For 2026
What’s the most expensive place to live in Hawaii? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Wailea is the most expensive place to live in Hawaii.
Hawaiian Paradise Park (the cheapest place to live in Hawaii) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Hawaii and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Hawaii For 2026
/10
Population: 6,352
Cost Of Living Index: 236
Median Income: $90,000
Average Home Price: $1,523,581
Home Price To Income Ratio: 16.9x
More on Wailea: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Wailea is 236. The median income in Wailea comes in at $90,000 and the average home value is $1,523,581 for 2026.
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Population: 6,791
Cost Of Living Index: 228
Median Income: $100,433
Average Home Price: $1,320,089
Home Price To Income Ratio: 13.1x
More on Kula: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Kula is 228. The median income in Kula comes in at $100,433 and the average home value is $1,320,089 for 2026.
/10
Population: 51,360
Cost Of Living Index: 224
Median Income: $159,518
Average Home Price: $1,203,140
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.5x
More on East Honolulu: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in East Honolulu is 224. The median income in East Honolulu comes in at $159,518 and the average home value is $1,203,140 for 2026.
/10
Population: 5,144
Cost Of Living Index: 213
Median Income: $176,250
Average Home Price: $1,191,427
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.8x
More on Heeia: Data | Movers
The overall cost of living in Heeia is 213. The median income in Heeia comes in at $176,250 and the average home value is $1,191,427 for 2026.
/10
Population: 5,619
Cost Of Living Index: 212
Median Income: $142,045
Average Home Price: $1,204,530
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.5x
More on Kahaluu: Data | Movers
The overall cost of living in Kahaluu is 212. The median income in Kahaluu comes in at $142,045 and the average home value is $1,204,530 for 2026.
/10
Population: 5,699
Cost Of Living Index: 209
Median Income: $125,202
Average Home Price: $1,292,971
Home Price To Income Ratio: 10.3x
More on Laie: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Laie is 209. The median income in Laie comes in at $125,202 and the average home value is $1,292,971 for 2026.
/10
Population: 9,087
Cost Of Living Index: 207
Median Income: $140,308
Average Home Price: $838,395
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on Aiea: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Aiea is 207. The median income in Aiea comes in at $140,308 and the average home value is $838,395 for 2026.
/10
Population: 9,178
Cost Of Living Index: 203
Median Income: $101,396
Average Home Price: $1,085,804
Home Price To Income Ratio: 10.7x
More on Haiku-Pauwela: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Haiku-Pauwela is 203. The median income in Haiku-Pauwela comes in at $101,396 and the average home value is $1,085,804 for 2026.
/10
Population: 37,355
Cost Of Living Index: 201
Median Income: $125,613
Average Home Price: $1,091,198
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.7x
More on Kaneohe: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Kaneohe is 201. The median income in Kaneohe comes in at $125,613 and the average home value is $1,091,198 for 2026.
/10
Population: 14,385
Cost Of Living Index: 198
Median Income: $110,400
Average Home Price: $1,044,211
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.5x
More on Halawa: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Halawa is 198. The median income in Halawa comes in at $110,400 and the average home value is $1,044,211 for 2026.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Aloha State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Hawaii are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Hawaii to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 52 places in Hawaii that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Hawaii according to the data is Wailea. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Hawaii.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Hawaii For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Hawaii that have the highest cost of living, with Wailea ranking as the most expensive city in the Aloha State.
The most expensive cities in Hawaii are Wailea, Kula, East Honolulu, Heeia, Kahaluu, Laie, Aiea, Haiku-Pauwela, Kaneohe, and Halawa.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Hawaii according to the data:
- Hawaiian Paradise Park
- Hilo
- Waianae
For more Hawaii reading, check out:
Most Expensive Cities In Hawaii
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wailea | 236 | 6,352 | $90,000 | $1,523,581 | 16.9x |
| 2 | Kula | 228 | 6,791 | $100,433 | $1,320,089 | 13.1x |
| 3 | East Honolulu | 224 | 51,360 | $159,518 | $1,203,140 | 7.5x |
| 4 | Heeia | 213 | 5,144 | $176,250 | $1,191,427 | 6.8x |
| 5 | Kahaluu | 212 | 5,619 | $142,045 | $1,204,530 | 8.5x |
| 6 | Laie | 209 | 5,699 | $125,202 | $1,292,971 | 10.3x |
| 7 | Aiea | 207 | 9,087 | $140,308 | $838,395 | 6.0x |
| 8 | Haiku-Pauwela | 203 | 9,178 | $101,396 | $1,085,804 | 10.7x |
| 9 | Kaneohe | 201 | 37,355 | $125,613 | $1,091,198 | 8.7x |
| 10 | Halawa | 198 | 14,385 | $110,400 | $1,044,211 | 9.5x |
| 11 | Mililani Mauka | 192 | 21,278 | $138,942 | $980,877 | 7.1x |
| 12 | Ocean Pointe | 191 | 17,085 | $149,767 | $893,620 | 6.0x |
| 13 | Pearl City | 189 | 44,547 | $118,112 | $944,248 | 8.0x |
| 14 | Lahaina | 189 | 10,162 | $88,889 | $981,023 | 11.0x |
| 15 | Hickam Housing | 188 | 9,425 | $121,667 | $0 | 0.0x |
| 16 | Ahuimanu | 188 | 8,452 | $135,438 | $903,944 | 6.7x |
| 17 | Wailua Homesteads | 185 | 5,431 | $89,717 | $936,504 | 10.4x |
| 18 | Napili-Honokowai | 184 | 7,308 | $105,565 | $872,475 | 8.3x |
| 19 | Mililani Town | 183 | 27,668 | $127,363 | $917,146 | 7.2x |
| 20 | Makakilo | 181 | 20,735 | $118,550 | $860,861 | 7.3x |
| 21 | Royal Kunia | 181 | 13,555 | $135,361 | $856,096 | 6.3x |
| 22 | Pukalani | 179 | 8,679 | $102,976 | $966,582 | 9.4x |
| 23 | West Loch Estate | 178 | 5,544 | $122,422 | $848,849 | 6.9x |
| 24 | Kahaluu-Keauhou | 178 | 5,150 | $96,212 | $880,417 | 9.2x |
| 25 | Kihei | 177 | 21,567 | $87,772 | $1,013,506 | 11.5x |
| 26 | Kapolei | 175 | 22,232 | $128,324 | $848,166 | 6.6x |
| 27 | Lihue | 175 | 7,901 | $92,850 | $864,446 | 9.3x |
| 28 | Makawao | 175 | 7,353 | $96,444 | $1,103,697 | 11.4x |
| 29 | Iroquois Point | 174 | 5,158 | $109,561 | $0 | 0.0x |
| 30 | Waipahu | 173 | 40,482 | $103,895 | $868,669 | 8.4x |
| 31 | Schofield Barracks | 173 | 16,270 | $80,388 | $0 | 0.0x |
| 32 | Ewa Beach | 172 | 14,376 | $124,323 | $836,183 | 6.7x |
| 33 | Waikele | 172 | 7,528 | $120,525 | $699,549 | 5.8x |
| 34 | Waimanalo | 171 | 6,054 | $116,581 | $1,078,073 | 9.2x |
| 35 | Kahului | 170 | 28,288 | $98,077 | $1,035,497 | 10.6x |
| 36 | Ewa Gentry | 170 | 26,563 | $135,684 | $810,035 | 6.0x |
| 37 | Wailuku | 170 | 16,926 | $102,942 | $924,155 | 9.0x |
| 38 | Kapaa | 169 | 11,094 | $89,477 | $948,643 | 10.6x |
| 39 | Waipio | 169 | 10,870 | $109,877 | $744,021 | 6.8x |
| 40 | Wahiawa | 166 | 17,996 | $87,143 | $858,313 | 9.8x |
| 41 | Ewa Villages | 166 | 7,415 | $88,813 | $861,258 | 9.7x |
| 42 | Maili | 165 | 11,570 | $111,542 | $635,917 | 5.7x |
| 43 | Waihee-Waiehu | 165 | 10,988 | $126,735 | $771,320 | 6.1x |
| 44 | Waikoloa Village | 156 | 7,543 | $81,703 | $796,733 | 9.8x |
| 45 | Waimalu | 154 | 13,061 | $89,232 | $593,430 | 6.7x |
| 46 | Waipio Acres | 153 | 5,332 | $94,861 | $748,389 | 7.9x |
| 47 | Nanakuli | 144 | 12,383 | $86,597 | $485,028 | 5.6x |
| 48 | Makaha | 144 | 10,066 | $64,970 | $391,120 | 6.0x |
| 49 | Kailua CDP (Hawaii County) | 143 | 21,818 | $88,211 | $662,521 | 7.5x |
| 50 | Waianae | 142 | 12,918 | $81,733 | $574,226 | 7.0x |
| 51 | Hilo | 136 | 50,404 | $81,779 | $548,367 | 6.7x |
| 52 | Hawaiian Paradise Park | 132 | 13,203 | $88,348 | $453,758 | 5.1x |