What Is a Typical Hawaii Trip Cost in 2024? - NerdWallet (2024)

Hawaii is often on the short list of dream destinations for a relaxing beach holiday. But a potential trip to paradise doesn’t happen without first asking the critical question: How much is a trip to Hawaii?

The answer varies depending on where you stay and when you travel. We’ve crunched the numbers to give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend so you’re better prepared to budget for a vacation in Hawaii.

Hawaiian vacation costs vary by island

For starters, realize that costs can vary widely. It's totally possible to do Hawaii on a budget, particularly if you're primarily chowing down on spam musubi from the corner store rather than sitting down in front of a white tablecoth for fine dining.

But also realize that individual islands can vary widely in cost. In general, Oahu is the cheapest Hawaiian island to visit. According to May 2024 data from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Oahu hotel rooms average about 21% less than the broader average across the state.

Here's a breakdown of average daily hotel room rates across the four main Hawaiian islands for tourism (which are Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island):

And what about other travel costs, like dining out and activities? Oahu wins there too. The Hawai’i Tourism Authority looked at average spending per day, per tourist. Their data encompassed lodging and other spending including on-the-ground transporation, food, souvenirs and activities, though it didn't spend. Here's how much the average tourist spent, per day:

Estimated Hawaii trip cost

But those are all average costs, and you might hardly be an average traveler. A broke backpacker might have a very different travel style than someone on a honeymoon at a 5-star resort. Given that, we took some hypothetical itineraries and put them to the budget test:

For this exercise, we looked at two different hypothetical vacations. Both assume a family of four (two adults and two children). The two vacations are:

Some logistics about these hypotheticals:

Based on the information outlined above, here are our estimated budgets:

10-night trip, peak summer travel season

Seven-night trip, shoulder season

Can you beat these numbers? Definitely. Here are tips on how to save on your vacation to Hawaii.

How to cut your Hawaii vacation costs

Stay on the beach or rent a car every day, but don’t do both

Does your idea of a great vacation involve hitting the open road to explore every corner of the island? Then, don’t pay premium prices for a hotel on the beach.

On the other hand, if your dream trip involves tons of time lounging on the sand and splashing in the pool, don’t pay $55 a day for a rental car plus $68 a day to park it when it’s just going to sit there.

The downside to this strategy is you may have to wait in a long line to get your car. So send one adult to pick up the vehicle in the morning while the rest of the crew gets ready for the day. And don’t forget to include airport transfers in your budget. Budget about $37 each way, including tip, for a taxi or rideshare between Waikiki and Honolulu airport.

Eat cheaper

If your family of four has a nice dinner at the world-famous Duke’s Waikiki, including co*cktails for the adults, an appetizer and a Hula Pie dessert to share, you’ll spend about $225, including taxes and tip. Of course, the beachfront views, tiki torches and aloha spirit might be worth it. But you don’t have to spend that much every night.

Step away from the beach and meals get much cheaper. For example, the outstanding burgers at Cheeseburger in Paradise are about $20, as opposed to the $36 baked fish at Duke’s.

In addition, pizza joints, super-affordable ramen houses, authentic Hawaiian diners such as Rainbow Drive-In, chains such as Denny’s and IHOP and fast-food restaurants including McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway can bring your meal costs down.

Or swing into one of the many ABC Stores to pick up packaged salads, sandwiches, yogurt, snacks, drinks or some spam musubi (a slice of grilled Spam sandwiched between or on top of a block of rice, wrapped in nori) to fill up on the cheap.

More affordable yet, you can buy cereal, coffee, milk, sandwich meats and bread to prepare breakfasts and lunches at your hotel or condo.

Consider a condo

You can often find a vacation rental just a few minutes from the beach for much cheaper than you’d pay for a hotel.

For example, we found the condo shown below on Vrbo for 10 nights for $1,942 plus tax, for a total of $2,260. And that’s during peak summer travel.

For a seven-day rental during the shoulder season, you can cut your total accommodations expenditure by around $500 by choosing a condo over a hotel.

Many condos have kitchens, too, so you could save money by making eggs or pancakes for breakfast, spaghetti for dinner and packing sandwiches for lunches while you’re out and about.

Pay with points and miles

The question “How much is a vacation to Hawaii?” has a much more appealing answer if you pay using airline miles, hotel points or credit card points — which can erase hundreds or even thousands of dollars from your trip cost.

For more information on how to maximize your points, be sure to check out these articles:

Travel to Hawaii for less money

So how much does it cost to go to Hawaii? It can be expensive. Hidden costs like resort fees and exorbitant parking prices can easily break a budget. But there are ways to save on the cost of a vacation to Hawaii.

Traveling before or after the peak summer season can save a considerable amount. In addition, don’t pay a premium to stay on the beach if you won’t take full advantage of that location, and don’t pay up to $68 a night to park a car as you’re splashing around the pool for several days.

To save big, consider a condo where you can cook many of your meals to save on dining. With these simple strategies, your answer to the question “How much is a vacation to Hawaii?” is one that fits your budget.