Hawaii , it's everybody's dream. What would it be like to live in Hawaii?
Having lived in Hawaii for 11 years and hosting guests on a weekly basis who tell me "I want to move to Hawaii", here's what I have top say about what its like to really live here versus just visiting.
- It's Expensive!
Food is at least 2-3 times what you would pay in a mainland U.S. Grocery store. In some small grocery stores in Waikiki , I have seen milk sell for $10 a gallon and A watermelon sell for $60.
On average we pay:
$5 for a loaf of bread
$4 for 1 quart 1/2 & 1/2
$5 for 12 eggs
$2- $3 per pound for apples
$5- $6 per lb for ground beef
Housing is pricey too.
Rents for a 1 bedroom apt in Honolulu range from about $1200- $2100
A decent house costs about 1.2 million $
- Our unemployment rate is low, but most people work 2-3 Jobs just to make ends meet
Don't let the 3% unemployment rate fool you. Most people will work 2 or three jobs to be able to afford the price of paradise.
3)There are lots of Homeless people
The homeless are kept out of Waikiki, but if you drive outside of the tourist areas you will find tent villages everywhere! Seriously- It's a major problem
- Visiting here and living here are two totally different animals.
I take guests out on tours weekly. We do all the fun things. Drive around and look at the beautiful scenery, go to the beach, surf, parasail etc...
While I totally agree that Hawaii is gorgeous, and living here can be incredible, you will find that you will experience culture shock when you move here.
a) The living spaces are tiny
b) The cultural influence is predominantly asian- a very different culture than mainland U.S.
c)There's tons of traffic
d) When you are working 60 hrs per week to pay the bills you won't get to enjoy the beach much
e) our school systems are some of the very worst in the U.S.
So with all of the drawbacks of living in Hawaii- some of the great things about living here are
- The weather is great! 80 degrees year round
2)Our scenery is incredible
3)It's beach weather all the time
4)The people can be very friendly
So there you have it.... if you want any more info, feel free to leave a comment below..