The Real Cost of Moving to Hawaii!!! (Honolulu: rental car, transporting)
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For all of you who wanted to know how much it would cost you on average to move to Hawaii...it's now time to hear from the experts...those that have done it before you!
For those of you who have made the big move within the last 3 years, can you help our friends out there who would like to move here and would like to know what the real costs are. Please answer the following questions to give our readers some idea of the true costs:
Now I know that your answers will differ greatly depending on your situation, but this is the beauty of this...readers will get a varied perspective from you and give consideration in accordance with their own situation. It might also be interesting for us that have moved here to compare our out of pocket costs...
1. What island did you move to and what year?
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
4 cost of transport for your car?
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
Here are my answers!
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Moved to Oahu - 2006
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
Flew from Seattle on AA 750 per person-2 people
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
I had no pets
4 cost of transport for your car?
Sold the car after I got a $3500 quote
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
I container $ 980 - Stuffed to the gills! I moved everything....very dumb! I ended-up giving things away here since I had no space for it
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
I rented a studio in Waikiki for $1200 per month...That was a deal
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
I stayed in a hotel for a week cost was $99 pernight... 3.5 stars
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
$65 I do call the mainland every couple of days
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
$235
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
2-people $500 per month
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
$70 now $45 smaller car
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Big Island, summer 2008
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
about $400 a person
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
about $2,000 for two cats.
4 cost of transport for your car?
from tx to bi, $1800
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
didn't, $0!
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
rent $900 month, inc. all bills. $500 deposit.
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
Manago Hotel, $750 for 1 month. found a place after 1 week, only charged us $130
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
0$, kept our cells
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
included in rent
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
2 people, 2 cats, $400 month w/farmers market incl.
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
toyota mini truck, $40-50
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Kauai, 2008
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
I can't remember. I have a charge to Hawaiian Air for $430 for 'Tickets to Hawaii' but I know I used some FF miles also. There were three of us, I probably had FF miles for one and bought two one-way tickets for about $215 each.
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
I'm guesstimating, from memory, about $1,400 total for two cats. We had to fly them to Honolulu and fly my sister and niece over from Kauai to get them, put them all up in the only cat-friendly hotel on Oahu, and fly them back to Kauai the next morning. So this was more than it would be for most people.
4. cost of transport for your car?
$1,158 from Oakland, CA to Kauai. We drove it from NY to CA, I'm not including that cost. Another car we later shipped from MD was about $2,000 total from the east coast to Kauai.
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
I have a charge to Matson for about $12,000. There was also the cost of movers to load the container in NY ($2,350) and to unload it in HI ($1,653). Insurance was $1,155. Then there were packing supplies (several large orders from U-Line), boxes mailed, and other incidentals.
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
None, we had already purchased a home.
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
Ditto.
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
We have cell phones only. Bill for four lines (family plan), one with unlimited data (smartphone), one other with texting, is about $150/month.
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
We pay about $90-115/month.
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
$700-900. Family of three, including one vacuum cleaner, er, 13 year old boy who swims 2 miles/day. And we feed extended family some, and guests a lot.
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
$23-30. Prius, 11 gal. tank. Goes over 500 miles on that.
Moving expenses claimed on my tax return (and honestly!) were about $25,000.
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Moved Kauai-2008
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
Flew from Los Angeles on Hawaiian 450 per person-3 people
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
2 dogs and 1 bird: Dogs to get ready for quick release $500 bird quarintine before flying out $300 travel for all $350
4 cost of transport for your car?
Bought one here for $8K used.
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
$600
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
3 Bedroom house for $2400 a month $4800 deposit, half deposit has since been returned.
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
Off the place and straight to the house.
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
$50.00 per month includes internet
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
$235
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
3-people $750 per month
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
$50 at Costco.
Aloha,
I'm going to give a few extra 'tips' if you don't mind. Tips that save/cost unexpected monies.
1. Installation of telephone landline phone jacks in rental units, cost approx $100.00
2. Taxes on rentals, gotta ask this question when renting
3. Always ask landlord 'Is this unit/home on the market'
4. Utility deposits. Especially Electric. New customers are charged 2X the average billing of previous tenant.
5. Bring 'Letters of Credit' from all current utility companies.
6. Download the Landlord/Tenant handbook from government website and
know your rights.
Just a few tips that would have saved us lots of money.
Koale
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Oahu, May 2008
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
Hawaiian from LA (me) about $400. United from Boston (husband) about $750. I also paid a couple of hundred dollars in baggage fees (overweight, extra bag, bike).
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
I detailed this in a previous post. I think the dog was about $1000 all told (air, shots, rabies titre, health certificate, and the fee to bring her in... plus I count buying the big crate, since I wouldn't have done so otherwise). Cats were a bit less, since I think the baggage charge for them was less than for the bigger dog.
4. cost of transport for your car?
Just over $1100 from San Diego. Sold the 2nd car, and have been living with just one since we arrived.
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
I got an ABF U-Pack for just under $5000 door-to-door, Boston area to Honolulu. I shipped lots of books and such media rate. I also shipped a few things parcel post from California. Total postage was about $800, I think.
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
$2000/month (2 bed, 2 bath, pet friendly). Deposit was first & last.
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
We didn't. A friend had helped us find the place, so we moved right in.
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
We don't have a land line. We got internet for about $35/month (from the cable company, since our apt included cable), and we got voice over IP for about $10/month or less.
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
In the range of $100/month. (Slightly more now that we are in a bigger place, but still less than $200.)
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
Maybe $400/month or so? We almost never dine out, so this is every meal for two people.
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
Under $50 to fill up (for my Mini). We drive 2 weeks or more on a tank.
I totaled the expenses (including things like rental car when I got here before my car did, etc.) for reimbursement from my job (partial) and tax deductions (the rest). It came to just under $10,000.
1. What island did you move to and what year?
Oahu, 2009
2. Cost of the airfare per person?
$0. You too can travel and move to Hawaii for "free", but there's a catch... you have to sign your life away for X amount of time to Uncle Sam. It really is an opportunity of a lifetime though, and I am lucky enough to say that this is the third time I've lived here on Oahu.
3 Cost of getting your pet over including air/quarantine/special shots..etc?
n/a
4 cost of transport for your car?
$0, see number 2.
5. Cost of transporting your furniture etc?
$0, see number 2.
6. Cost of your first rental place and deposit?
$2100/month for a 3 bed/2.5 bath, $2100 deposit.
7. Cost of Hotel if you stayed in a hotel first?
$0, see number 2.
8. Cost of setting up your phone/average phone bill?
$0, don't have a landline.
9. Cost of your average electrical bill?
$250
10. Cost of your average monthly grocery bill?
Strictly food, maybe $300/month? For a family of 3. There are other non-food items that we get that make the bill go higher (laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc.)
11. Cost of your average car gas fill-up?
$60 for the Ford Exploder, $30 for the Island Beater ('96 Volvo).
Aloha,
I'm going to give a few extra 'tips' if you don't mind. Tips that save/cost unexpected monies.
1. Installation of telephone landline phone jacks in rental units, cost approx $100.00
2. Taxes on rentals, gotta ask this question when renting
3. Always ask landlord 'Is this unit/home on the market'
4. Utility deposits. Especially Electric. New customers are charged 2X the average billing of previous tenant.
5. Bring 'Letters of Credit' from all current utility companies.
6. Download the Landlord/Tenant handbook from government website and
know your rights.
Just a few tips that would have saved us lots of money.
Koale
Great Tips...just one more....be careful of rental scams on Craigs List! A studio in Waikiki is $900 and up. Advertising a studio for $500 is too good of a deal! Scammers are all over Craigs List.....
Manalo to all of you for the great tips! Planning a move to Oahu in 8 - 18 months. 4 pets (together, weigh less than 30 #), along with partner, Honda Element and some items. Will sell 90% of furniture and stuff. Planning a visit in May for job fair & meet with recruiters in management, nonprofit sector, hospitality. Thinking of getting po box & drivers license while there, with hopes of scoring interviews in my fields. Any suggestions are very welcome!
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a bit more help...
It really is an opportunity of a lifetime though, and I am lucky enough to say that this is the third time I've lived here on Oahu.
