Insights » Where Hawaii’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Where Hawaii’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Hawaii skyline

How does living in the Aloha State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Hawaii’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Hawaii’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,911 per month: the most expensive state in the country for bills.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 21 cities and towns across Hawaii, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Hawaii and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on Hawaii’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

Hawaii residents pay $2,911 in household bills a month

The average Hawaii household pays $2,911 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

Hawaii residents pay the highest household bill expenses in the country: the state ranks 1st out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending, and its monthly bill basket is only 45.4% higher than the national average: $2,003. California comes in second place, with residents paying $2,649 on average in household bills per month.

The most affordable state for household bills, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,452 per month.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Hawaii households spend 44% of their income on household costs, which is a much higher share than many other states. For example, New Jersey residents, though they live in the third most expensive state for bills, spend just 36% of household income on them.

Annually, Hawaii residents pay $16 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Hawaii by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxo INSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Hawaii

  • Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,911 per month
  • State Bill Pay Market Size: $16 billion
  • doxo INSIGHTS State Rank: 1 out of 50
  • Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 44%
  • Difference from the National Average: 45.4% higher

Hawaiians’ health insurance is double the national average

The average Hawaii household pays $2,911 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Residents pay higher bills than the national average in all 10 categories, including housing. Mortgage, at $2,137 in Hawaii, is 56% higher than the national average of $1,368. Rent in the Aloha State is 52% higher than the national average: at $1,712 compared to $1,129.

Utilities are also priced much more steeply in Hawaii. While the average Hawaiian household spends $550 a month on utilities, the average national utility bill is $328. That’s a 68% increase in the bill category for Hawaiins.

The largest disparity crops up in the health insurance bill category, however. The average household in the state pays $250 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $123, making the costs a whopping 104% higher than the national average.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average Hawaii Household Bill Spending

Bill CategoryAverage Hawaii Monthly BillNational Average Monthly BillHawaii Percent +/- National Average ($2,003)
Mortgage$2,137$1,36856% higher
Rent$1,712$1,12952% higher
Auto Loan$459$4336% higher
Utilities$550$32868% higher
Auto Insurance$228$19616% higher
Cable & Internet$122$1147% higher
Health Insurance$250$123104% higher
Mobile Phone$146$11329% higher
Alarm & Security$144$8472% higher
Life Insurance$123$8250% higher
Total$2,911$2,00345% higher

Kailua is the most expensive area for Hawaii’s household bills

Residents of Kailua pay the highest household bills in the state of Hawaii, at an average of $3,707 per month. Lahaina comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $3,676 on household expenses.

However, residents who live in Lahaina, though they spend less than Kailua residents, spend a much larger share of their household income on bills. Lahaina residents spend 56% of their income on household expenses, while Kailua residents spend 44%: the Hawaii average.

In Wahiawa, where residents spend the fourth highest bills in Hawaii, the average household spends 64% of its income–almost 2/3 of it–on bills.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

5 Most Expensive Hawaii Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(1-5 out of 21)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per HouseholdPercent of Household Income Used for Bills
1Kailua$3,70744%
2Lahaina$3,67656%
3Ewa Beach$3,50842%
4Wahiawa$3,32864%
5Kapolei$3,17738%

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Pahoa is the most affordable place in Hawaii for household bills

Out of 21 cities and towns, Pahoa is the most affordable place in Hawaii, with residents paying $1,599 on average for household bills. This is almost $500 less than the next most affordable locality: Keeau, where residents pay $2,072 on household expenses.

Pahoa residents, however, spend a larger share of their income on bills than the other cities and towns on the “most affordable” list. While Pahoa residents spend 51% of their income on bills, Kapaa, Kailua Kona, and Hilo residents spend 38%, 41%, and 43% of their income on bills: less than the state average of 44%.

5 Most Affordable Hawaii Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(17-21 out of 21)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per HouseholdPercent of Household Income Used for Bills
17Kapaa$2,63738%
18Kailua Kona$2,61441%
19Hilo$2,17043%
20Keeau$2,07246%
21Pahoa$1,59951%

In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxo INSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Hawaii’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.