I’ve already covered the Cost of Living in Maui versus Texas and Costa Rica, but I think it’s important to revisit this subject as it changes, especially because finances are the main concern when moving anywhere, let alone the most expensive state in the country. Plus, now that we are slightly more established (aka signed a lease) after almost a year of living here, this is a much more ideal version of what you can expect to spend and earn once you’ve decided to stay in Maui longer than a couple months.
Maui Financial Breakdown: Expenses
Rent in South Kihei = $1,275/Month (or $637.50/Month Per Person)
This includes the following amenities:
- 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Apartment
- Water Included, Unfurnished
- Window A/C Unit in Living Room
- Full Kitchen
- Lanai with Ocean View
- In-Unit Washer & Dryer
- Complex Pool & Hot Tub
- 1 Assigned Parking Stall
- Complex Barbecue Grills & Picnic Tables
- 6 Minute Walk to Kamaole III Beach
Utility Bills = $190/Month (or $95/Month Per Person)
- Turbo High Speed Internet from Oceanic – $60
- Maui Electric Company – $130/Month (Only running A/C unit sporadically for a couple hours at night)
Miscellaneous Expenses = $765/Month
- Gas – $200 (Daily commute from South Kihei to Paia at $4.50/gallon)
- Groceries – $250 (Get a Safeway and Costco card!)
- Restaurants & Entertainment – $150 (Eating out a couple times/week, going to see movies, etc.)
- Student Loan Bills – $150
- Basic Health Insurance – $115
TOTAL = $2,230+/Month
Maui Financial Breakdown: Income
Social Media Management & Copywriting = $2,100/Month
- Approximately 35 Hours/Week
- $17/Hour (minus those lame Hawaii State Taxes that we did not have in Texas)
Bartending = $350/Month
- Maui Arts & Cultural Center – $12 – $15/Hour per Event (concerts, special events, etc.) + Tips
- Garnish Cocktail Catering – $20 – $35/Hour per Event (wedding receptions, special events, etc.)
Miscellaneous Income = $100 – $500/Month
- Website Design
- Copywriting
- Branding Work
- Social Media Management
Tour Guiding = $1,300 – $2,000/Month
- Kayak Tours & Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Tours – $55 – $65/Tour + Tips
Photography Print Sales = $150+/Month
- TwoTankPhoto Underwater Prints
TOTAL = $4,000+/Month
There were recently a few articles published about how much money you could earn before, statistically, you would not be any happier earning more. Residents in Hawaii were (not shockingly) the highest on the list at $122,175 per year. As you can see, however, we are making a small fraction of that and doing just fine. We still have money to go out to eat, buy items we want and take off of work to treat ourselves to staycation activities when friends and family come to visit.
Would it be nice if we could have our own house and garden and boat and personal chef? Yes, but who cares. We’re still in Maui, and it’s still awesome without any of those things. My bills automatically take away half of my paycheck or more each month, way more than the recommended 30% of your income, but living on Maui with little more than that is doable, I promise. I’ve even saved up around $4,000 since moving here from Costa Rica about a year ago. I’ve also recently started doing barter work for personal training sessions in exchange for website design and social media work, simply because it’s something I would never personally spend money on but still want to try out. Rad!
I should also mention that I find it frustrating to read most popular articles about what it takes to move to Hawaii, such as one recently published by Huffington Post that said the writer “only came here with 15 checked bags” and “saved an extra four months beyond what we thought we would need.” While I realize that is probably good planning, I also think it’s an unreasonable goal for most people. 15 checked bags? That alone probably cost half of a typical one-month apartment security deposit. My advice is to make a plan, prepare as best you can and figure out the rest later. Money isn’t everything, y’all. Dream big.
Kelsey,
Awesome breakdown. My wife and I had figured we could live comfortably for $3000/mnth so you guys are proving to be able to do it for even less than that. I’ll happily trade income taxless Texas for Maui. We’re coming back next May to scout for places to live. We’ve rented a condo in Kihei since we may end up there. We’re planning our move for September of 2016 so hopefully the economy stay strong to keep boosting my 401K. Mohalo for the update.
Regards,
Mike W.
Hi again, Mike! Thanks for reading. Yes, $3,000 a month is plenty for two people to live on comfortably, no problem. And yes, I’ll take taxes for an ocean-view any day! Only two years away… exciting!
Reading this article now. Curious on an update if you’re moving in a couple months!!
Kelsey,
Without giving away the exact apartment complex, That’s a pretty reasonable price for a 2bdrm. Is the complex pet friendly? We have a Pug and a German Shepherd. We’re under no illusions that we’re going to find a place that will let us have the GSD. Maui doesn’t seem to be the most pet friendly place in the world.
Regards,
Mike W.
I don’t mind telling you the apartment complex… it’s called Kihei Shores! It’s the best price we found for the location and amount of space. From what I’ve seen, most, if not all units, are individually owned, so unfortunately it’s up to the person renting each unit. That being said, I really haven’t seen anyone in the complex with animals. 2 dogs is going to be tricky, but I’m sure you’ll find something. Ohanas, condos and split level houses seem to be more accepting of animals than big apartment complexes.
Thanks for the info. It looks like a very nice complex. Like I said, we’ll be back in May to scout around and then my wife will come back in August of 2016 to find us a place to live and to begin to look for a job. Please keep up the posts. It really helps to hear it from someone who is actually living on Maui. With all of the sideways looks we get when we tell people we’re planning on moving to Maui, we sometimes think maybe we are crazy. Your posts help ease some of the anxiety of the pending move.
YES! Love it girl. Keep on livin’.
Hi Kelsey Kay Love! (love that name!) I think your blog is swell, good job. Nice writing and gorgeous photos. I know ‘exactly’ which HP article you mean and had exactly the same reaction. Gag. She called it “Ten Reasons to Hate Living in Hawaii” or some such BS. The author (who lives here and thinks she’s an expert on moving to Hawaii) soooo doesn’t get Hawaii…which is one reason I find your approach so refreshing. You guys are a good fit to live here because you hustle, you do what it takes to make it, you ‘get’ and respect the local culture and you aren’t afraid of any kind of hard work. It totally shows!
I’m going on my 23rd year here in Kona, and I also did any old job when I first got here as well, like dress store clerk or bonsai nursery worker. Previous to moving over, I worked as an ad agency copywriter and then was just able to (fortunately) freelance ever since, supplemented with substitute teaching and renting out the studio at my home as a vacation rental. Also do magazine writing and assorted other wordsmithing. 🙂
I love your budget, it’s realistic and manageable. PS. One note about the Hawaii state excise taxes…it’s a mandatory tax on goods and services, you COLLECT those from your clients (at .5% unless it is a finished product) so this $$ should never come out of your own pocket. Also, you may deduct it from your gross income at the end of the year. It’s a headache, but you are only collecting tax off your customers, not paying it yourself. Customers are used to paying it, so be sure to include it on every invoice, otherwise you ‘will’ be paying out of your own pocket!
I think when moving to Hawaii, for those planning it, you really do need a place to “land,” and you can understand why landlords aren’t keen on renting to newcomers. They tend to not last long, are dreamers, might be flaky, have unrealistic ideas about Hawaii and they sometimes don’t have stable jobs or a ob at all! Better to come over and hire a real estate agent to help you locate a place, as there are a ton of scams on Craigslist. Also, lots less units seem to be available due to the boom in owners renting them out as vacation rentals.
Think you will stay in Hawaii awhile?
Aloha, Kristina! Thanks so much for the feedback. Also I love the word ‘wordsmithing’. I’m going to have to add that to my vocabulary. Anyway, it’s great to meet a fellow copywriter! And good to know about the Hawaii taxes… I had no clue!
I agree about Craigslist. I’ve certainly been screwed over more than a few times, and yet I still keep crawling back. Hiring a real estate agent seems like a better idea for sure. Next time!
We have been here about a year and a half and are planning on staying until the fall, but I think we both want to keep moving and traveling for a while. This was never meant to be a permanent move for us, and I think Southeast Asia will be next. But we love Maui and I know we’re both so happy we chose to move here.
My wife and I have a time-share in South Kihei. After our trip last week we are considering the move! Your posts have been a breath of fresh air. With a little luck we maybe relocating from the DC (originally from Denver). My only issue is my career field is not supported on any island. I’ll be starting over so to speak.
Can’t think of a better place to do it though.
Aloha, James! Glad to hear that, and thank you for taking the time to read. Well, Hawaii is pretty much the place to start over! I think that’s what most people make a big move for, anyway 🙂 Compared to other places I’ve lived, and it entirely depends on your field of work, but the job opportunities, while perhaps less frequent, also come with less competition, especially if your skill set is in high demand. Just something to keep in mind. Best of luck, and let me know if I can give you more information. Cheers!
Hey Kelsey! Looking to make a move to Maui in the next couple of months. Any good areas close to Lahaina you recommend for a young male. Thanks!
Hi, Will! Do you mean living-wise? Lahaina has a lot of options for jobs and housing (mostly private rooms in shared homes), but depending on what your budget is, you might be able to find something a little more spacious (albeit costly, and with a slightly older crowd) up in neighborhoods around Napili and Kahana. Hope that helps. Happy travels, sir!
Hi Kelsey! My fiancé and I may be moving to Maui in the next few months for a job opportunity. We actually lived on Maui for about 2 months last year for an internship. This has been a really helpful post in putting things into perspective financially. Would you say utility bills and misc. expenses are still about the same now than they were back in 2014? I’m trying to get an idea of how much utilities, gas, and groceries would be on a monthly basis. Mahalo!
– Myra
Hi Myra, very cool! Sounds like you’re already pretty familiar with the island, which helps a ton! I no longer live on Maui, but when we left about 10 months ago the prices were the same as when we arrived. I’m sure they haven’t changed much since, either. Best of luck with the move! I’m sure y’all will love making it a more permanent home.
This is very cool! Thanks for sharing!
Maui is so wonderful place. I like it so much.