Cost of living

[Parsons]

Is the cost of living in general more than on the mainland? I know the housing is more expensive, but what about everything else? And what about each individual island? Does it vary much?

[Kaitlin]

It may depend on where you currently live. The grocery prices are said to be around the same as the more expensive areas of mainland USA, but if you shop around and visit Farmer's Markets you can get some deals. I heard Oahu is the cheapest island to live on.

[jen50]

That's correct about Oahu being the cheapest as there's further cost to ship things out to the other islands.
Although it is definitely more expensive I understand it's not much more than some places in California and with stores like Wal-mart and Target the competitive prices are helping.  It may be expensive but hopefully the cost of living wages support the actually cost of living on this Island.

[Kaitlin]

Hi Jen. I hear and read idfferent things about the salary/cost ratio so I think it may depend on the lifestyle we want to lead and where exactly you live. Some people say you need to earn more on Hawaii to stay even but others say it balances out in the end. I do know milk is more expensive but that there are often discounts at the market. I'm not a brand snob so I'll be chasing the bargains for sure!