Which Hawaii island is most affordable? (2023)

Which Hawaiian island is most affordable?

Oahu is the cheapest Hawaiian island to visit, with a total cost of $2,625. A Ko Olina Resort lagoon on Oahu. Maui is the most expensive island to visit, coming in nearly $1,000 more expensive, with a total cost of $3,600.

The same level of travel in Oahu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Oahu than you might in Kauai.

Oahu is the most popular island for first timers as it's home to famous sights like Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, and Waikiki Beach. I'd recommend Maui equally, however, with its golden beaches and upscale resorts. Maui is probably what you're dreaming of when you think about Hawaii.

Maui vs Oahu: Oahu is right for you if you want more of a cosmopolitan vacation, enjoy the nightlife, are excited about historical and cultural activities, or want to travel on a budget. Maui is right for you if you're looking for a romantic island, great snorkeling, a relaxing vacation, or more outdoor activities.

Kauai is the winner

In our opinion, Kauai takes the throne as the prettiest Hawaiian island. It has a variety of views and terrain to see. Rocky coastlines, beautiful beaches, lush jungles, and mountains and valleys. There is so much to see and do.

The cheapest time to fly to Hawaii is during February and March. The most expensive month to fly is December when the holiday period falls, with January being very expensive as well. The peak travel months of June and July are surprisingly not the most expensive months for flights, with middle figure prices.

Hawaii is a year-round destination — and that's good news for budget travelers. You can find deals on airfare and accommodations during the slower shoulder months — September and October, January and February, April and May — avoiding peak travel times like summer, winter and spring break.

Travel between Hawaiian islands is limited to inter-island flights and limited ferries. Are there ferries between the Hawaiian islands? Yes, but only between Maui and Lanai.

What island is better Maui or Kauai?

If you're ready to trade the hustle and bustle for variety and adventure in your life, Maui probably sounds like the perfect escape. If you're looking for something quieter and family-friendly, with plenty of outdoor activities and natural beauty, Kauai is the ideal island paradise.

Kauai is the place for you. With fewer crowds and a more laid-back vibe, this island is a nature lover's dream.

LANAI ISLAND - THE PLACE TO RELAX Lanai entices the sophisticated traveller with a handful of exclusive luxury resorts and championship golf courses. It's the least visited Hawaiian Island, small in size and slow in pace those that travel to Lanai, by air or on the ferry from Maui, are forced to rest and relax.

Niihau, about 18 miles northwest of Kauai, is the "Forbidden Island." It has been privately owned by the same family since 1864, when Elizabeth Sinclair purchased it from King Kamehameha V for $10,000.

The Best Islands for a Short Trip to Hawaii

For trips to Hawaii lasting four or five days, I would recommend visiting O'ahu, Maui or Lanai. These Hawaiian Islands are smaller in size, and for that reason, are much easier to get around.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Maui

High season is considered to be June and July. The cheapest month to fly to Maui is January.

While many vacations are five to seven days long, we recommend staying for at least 10 days to enjoy your Hawaiian vacation. The time change is difficult to adjust to at first and takes about 3 days to get fully acclimated. So, allowing a couple days to get over the jet lag is important.

The Big Island is the third most visited in Hawaii and offers accommodation for all budgets. It tends to be cheaper than Maui and it has two very different sides: Kona (west side) and Hilo (east side). What is this? In Kona there are many resorts and hotels with prices usually a bit higher than in Hilo.

Kauai is the best Hawaiian island for travelers who like hiking, relaxing, and a quieter vibe.

Which Hawaiian island is the safest to live on? If you're just looking at the sheer number of incidents on each island, Kauai is the safest island to live on. In 2020, the Kauai Police Department reported the lowest number of violent crime incidents and property crime incidents of any of the four major islands.

Which airline is best to fly to Hawaii?

The average per-person cost for a Hawaii vacation is about $4000 for a one-week trip. This includes $1000 for flights, $2000 for accommodation, $550 for meals, $250 for a rental car, and $300 for tours and activities.

Visiting Hawaii can be expensive, but there are ways to score cheaper airfares. In general, Midwest and West Coast departures cost several hundred dollars less than those from the East Coast or the South. April thru June and mid-August thru mid-September are Hawaii's "low seasons," and airfares are lower then.

In 2019 we estimated that a comparable mid-range trip to Hawaii would cost $10,100 for a family of four. In 2021 the same trip cost $8,914. The price increased 37 percent in 2022 to $12,239 as demand for Hawaii vacations surged once travel restrictions ended.

If you want a quick rule of thumb, to see and experience the major highlights of each island, you're going to need at least four days for Molokai and Lanai and five days minimum for Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii's Big Island. Day trips can be your friend when time is the enemy.

If you live on the West Coast, Hawaii can be an easier and even more cost-effective destination than the Caribbean.

The average cost for ​​breakfast is $15 per person, lunch is $25 per person, and dinner is $45 per person. Food in Hawaii is expensive, even if you don't go to a restaurant for each meal.

Island hopping in Hawaii is absolutely worth it. The islands are all incredibly different and it's easy to get from island to island. But it's important to know that island hopping can be time-consuming so you want to make sure your trip is long enough for these extra travel days.

The best way to travel between Hawaiian islands is by flying with Hawaiian Airlines. They offer a consistent base cost of $45 per passenger between any of the major islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Kona. Of course, this rate may not always be available, but it is a near certainty if you book a few months in advance.

Can you do a day trip from Honolulu to Maui?

Take a flight from Honolulu to Maui for a one-day Maui excursion and explore the Road to Hana, one of the top things to do in Maui! Pass the old plantation town Paia to stop at waterfalls & a black sand beach along the 52-mile Hana Highway.

While Maui and Oahu have only one other island in between them, they're also not right on top of each other. The islands have about 100 miles of ocean between them. There is a 5x daily ferry that goes between the islands and takes 90 minutes.

With 227 miles of shoreline, Oahu is the best Hawaiian Island for beaches. Oahu has the best beaches in Hawaii due to Oahu's many protected bays, reefs surrounding the island, gold-sand beaches, and calm waters year-round.

Generally speaking, the best Hawaiian island to visit without a car is Oahu. This is because the bus system goes throughout much of the island and it's convenient enough to take the bus from Waikiki to different places, and there's also a bus from the Honolulu airport.

Niihau, also known as the Forbidden Isle, is a beautiful small island in Hawaii spread across 180 sq km. The island is off-limits to outsiders and only the Robinson family, their relatives, invited guests, government officials and US Navy personnel are allowed here.

Oahu (Population 876,156, Area 597 sq. miles) The most populated island, where Honolulu is the Capital City, the principal port, the major airport, and business and financial center, and the educational heart of the State. Oahu is the military command center of the Pacific. Waikiki is the visitor center.

During a 1952 polio epidemic in the Hawaiian Islands, Niihau became known as the “Forbidden Island” since you had to have a doctor's note to visit in order to prevent the spread of polio.

How long does it take to drive around the Big Island of Hawaii? To drive around Hawaii based on my itinerary, it'll take about eight hours. However, that's without making many stops, and you'll want to spend time at these places.

LANAI ISLAND - THE PLACE TO RELAX Lanai entices the sophisticated traveller with a handful of exclusive luxury resorts and championship golf courses. It's the least visited Hawaiian Island, small in size and slow in pace those that travel to Lanai, by air or on the ferry from Maui, are forced to rest and relax.

What is the least expensive month to go to Hawaii?

The cheapest time to fly to Hawaii is during February and March. The most expensive month to fly is December when the holiday period falls, with January being very expensive as well. The peak travel months of June and July are surprisingly not the most expensive months for flights, with middle figure prices.

Which Hawaiian island is the safest to live on? If you're just looking at the sheer number of incidents on each island, Kauai is the safest island to live on. In 2020, the Kauai Police Department reported the lowest number of violent crime incidents and property crime incidents of any of the four major islands.

The average per-person cost for a Hawaii vacation is about $4000 for a one-week trip. This includes $1000 for flights, $2000 for accommodation, $550 for meals, $250 for a rental car, and $300 for tours and activities.

If you wish to discover the island as a whole, we recommend that you stay at least 5 days so that you have time to enjoy its various attractions and go on a few hikes. If you prefer to make only a quick stop to get an idea of life in Honolulu and do only the essentials, 3 days may be enough.

How much money will you need for your trip to Hawaii? You should plan to spend around $274 per day on your vacation in Hawaii, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $61 on meals for one day and $29 on local transportation.