Specific cost of living - Big Island (Hilo: sale, coupons)

[Brav989]

Originally Posted by yourhighness03

Nope, the food is more expensive than the mainland but A LOT not just a little. We're talking 3-5 added dollars onto mainland prices for milk, cereal and many other items you wouldn't even expect to be marked up...this is especially the case as the costs of fuel for shipping continues to rise. It adds up like you wouldn't believe. The cost of food on top of rent has definitely contribued to my tight budget lately.

Well considering I saw 2-3 dollar boxes of cereal and 5 dollar milk (2.50 - 3 here) isn't a huge amount more...if you like boxed type foods of course

[bornintheusa1966]

On our recent trip to the Big Island, we found EVERYTHING (except milk) to be dirt cheap - especially gasoline. It'll be interesting to see how water and electricity compares when we move there for good.

Oh, but then again we live in England . . . where gasoline costs OVER $9.00 a gallon! No kidding.

[TorgWhiteBeard]

I had abandoned the idea of emmigration to the B.I., given that it seemed one must move way out in the country to afford even a small place. Termite damage is apparently endemic in the affordable older homes, I must assume. However, there may be an alternative if one installs a termite-proof pad, (researched at the U. of Hawaii, I read), and then builds a green kit house thereupon. Also, engineering said house to avail itself of predominant breezes may obviate AC usages, incorporating solar panels for house needs and having an appropriate overhang to prevent hyper-insolation of the living areas.
Reducing use of grid electricity, buying minimally-packaged goods, eating 'native', and buying in bulk of low-mercury fishes and famers' market produce will reduce food cost and invigorate health: (read as low saturated fats, low or no non-whole grains/sugars, inclusion of soluble/insoluble fibers, and caloric reduction are beginning to aid my diabetes and weight ratio): all reduce cost and increase health benefits, thereby reducing future health costs, too.
Minimizing travel by single-occupancy vehicle may mean buying a motorcycle with side car, since most cannot afford a SmartCar or Hybrid. My question is: what, given these conditions, is a realistic level of income to retire to the Big Island, given that one does not need to find even a part-time job?

[mikeysmith521]

i want to move out ther ei already have a house to live in but not for a year, i was going to ship my car there after the drive from jersey to california so i am looking at around 800 for travel to cali plus 1100 for shipping of the car... so thats around 2000 plus 1200 for my first months rent and figure another 800 just incase of anything so that is 4000 to get situated but i plan on being resourcful and using the land.. can anyone htink of anything else i am forgetting to add in please help and does anyone know if chinchillas are aloud on the big island i know the are in kauai but curious of the bigg island please help me out thanks yall mahalo

[Yellowfin240]

Our electric rates here on the big island are about three times the national average.According to a reporter on KGMB news.

[KonaKat]

Bread is at least $6.00 a loaf unless you want to eat the crappy white bread that has no nutrition and less "umph" to it.
Milk is $4 to $6 a gallon
Electricity is around .41 to .45 a kwh PLUS several "surcharges". We have a large family (9 people). No AC, (I live at about 800' so no need for AC but I work at sea level and we have to have AC in order to work. Partly the humidity, partly the temperature) no need for heat at my house although after being here 5 years I get cold if it's less than 75 degrees. So, we have a water heater, lights, 1 computer, 2 or 3 TVs that might be on. Several adults who work various hours so there is something going on here practically 20 hours a day. Ceiling fans and such. We hang out our clothes when at all possible. Our electric bill hovers around $600 a month. Almost all our light bulbs are the florescent ones. No fancy outdoor lighting. Now, to compare a smaller family's use, I have tenants---say a couple in a 2/1 apartment also with no AC. They are gone to work all day so nothing's on but the fridge. Their bills are about $200/month.
Gas right now is about $2.40/gallon at CostCo.

I spent a few days in California about a year ago and went shopping with an old friend. We had lunch at Ruby's it was $12.00. I bought an armload of stuff at Target and the total was about $42.00. I thought, "did she get everything?" I had to laugh, saying "you know you live in Hawaii when California prices look cheap!"

However, almost everywhere I go each day I look out at that big beautiful jewel of blue. The worst day can be cured by sitting by the sea for an hour or two. Priceless treasures abound every place you look; flowers, the sky, shells, whales breaching, little starfish scurrying under a rock, having a giant sea turtle swim past you as you snorkel, looking up at a snow covered Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa while you drive around in short sleeves and a pair of cutoffs. Shoe budget? $40 Reefs that last at least a year . (I had to actually buy some shoes to go to the mainland, and some socks)

Truly there are trade offs no matter where one lives. The question is "What do you want, how much does it cost, and can you live with your decision to have it?"

[hollyturner]

I am wondering how much rent/cost of buying a home for a 2-3 bedroom home with 2bath would be for the Big Island. If anyone could let me know it would be much appreciated.

[henry1]

i guess i would be a real cheapskate at times for my electric bill runs me here in northern ca area about $.40.oo dollars a month ..i do not run the ac or heat dureing the summer or winter time ..i use a fan to keep cool with and a small area heater ..that with a desktop computer and combo scanner along with everything i do buy is the socalled enegry star rated type appliances ..i use the large 27 inch screen as a combo tv and desktop computer moniter set up with a cable box hooked into the computer ..

i turn off everything when i leave but the frig on in the place..

my monthly car gas bill is less than 100..oo dollars a month ..that about 25.dollars a week i have a small smart car that i drive..i do my shopping on the way home from work or i wait intill my day off and do it ..most times i walk to the area i want to go around the place where i live ..so if i run out of something i do without intill i go shopping for the week..i do not really drink milk and only really use it a couple times of week for cooking on eating on cereal or oatmeal here and there and use powder milk mix to make up a milk for as it need in small batchs..for a gallon of milk would go bad before i finished it in my house.. ..

i basically plan on my off day to do all my socalled running around like drop off the dry cleaning and go to the book store and grocery shopping or other areas that i need to shop in ..then i go out to eat on the first night off and see a movie and come home..the rest of the time iam off i do not run around in less i really have to ..

my plan is to get somewhere above the socalled mark of 1000 ft level there on the big island and make my home ..since i will not have to use electric to heat or cool the place ..my whole reason is to build green with solar and wind power to help keep the bills down along with spetic system that is design to be used on a narrow lot type system ..

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

hollyturner, there is no one answer to your question. Cost of housing depends on where you are located. Much more expensive in Kona than in my rural area near South Point.

Suggest you contact realtor Harry Pritikin and sign up for his daily email report of new listings and sales.

[KonaKat]

Holly you can go to the public version of our MLS Hawaii Real Estate MLS Search - Aloha Living and look at listings to get an idea. A 2 or 3 bedroom house that's livable in the general Kona area would be around $300,000 and many sales now are REOs and shortsales. Of course you can easily find other homes and many of them, in the $400k-$600K range. Down at Ocean View there are homes (some unpermitted) in the $100K range but that's a long drive to Kona if you work there, and Lava Zone 2. So many variables in real estate that more of your wants and needs known, would help narrow down the possibilities.