Moving to Honolulu: Your Complete Guide for a Seamless Transition

If you’re dreaming of moving to Hawaii, living in Honolulu will put you right in the middle of it all. Honolulu is Hawaii’s largest urban center, offering easy access to shopping, restaurants, cultural resources, fun activities, gorgeous beaches—and more.

Below, you’ll find our guide to making a simple and easy move to Honolulu. We’ll show you the best places to live, how much it costs to live in Honolulu, whether to ship your car to Honolulu, and how to spend your days off. We’ll also cover considerations like schooling for your children, moving with pets, and all the options you have for moving your belongings to paradise.

Your Honolulu Move: Shipping Containers and Other Options

How you move your belongings to Honolulu is up to you. You’ll have a few options to choose from, depending on whether you want to bring a bunch of belongings with you or start fresh on Oahu:

• If you’re a minimalist: Check a few suitcases when you fly to Honolulu. (Maybe send a few “if it fits, it ships” USPS Priority Mail boxes with any other items you can’t live without! If you’re sending books, make sure to ask about Media Mail service.)

• If you want to bring it all: Fill a 20-foot or 40-foot container with all your favorite items. Your container will get loaded on a boat headed for Honolulu.

• If you’re somewhere in between: Custom-tailored solutions are available for Honolulu moves of all sizes. If you don’t have enough to fill a dedicated container, your moving company can help you pack your belongings into sturdy wooden crates called “lift vans.” These lift vans get loaded into a shipping container, which will move by boat to Oahu.

What‘s the Best Area to Live in Honolulu?

More than 448,000 people live in urban Honolulu—about 47% of the population. That population is spread over a number of different neighborhoods, each of which has its own character and vibe.  

To kick off your research, you’ll find a few of our favorite Honolulu neighborhoods below. 

Honolulu’s Best Neighborhoods

• Waikiki: As the island’s main tourism hub, Waikiki is home to a number of hotels and resorts that line the area’s iconic beaches. For those who like to be in the center of it all, Waikiki fits the bill. Note that many of Waikiki’s available properties are leaseholds (an uncommon configuration that’s more like a long-term lease than a sale) and condotels (which have features of both a condominium and a hotel). We’ll explain more about these types of properties below.

• Kaimuki: Although it offers proximity to all of Honolulu’s amenities, Kaimuki offers a much quieter experience than Waikiki. You’ll also enjoy a strong community spirit in the area, which has its own roster of local shops, restaurants, and boutiques.

• Manoa: The quiet, lush landscape in Manoa can feel worlds away from the streets of downtown Honolulu. You’ll meet plenty of families in Manoa, as well as students attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

• Kakaako: Formerly an industrial hub, Kakaako has transformed into a hip neighborhood with coffee shops, trendy boutiques, and colorful street murals. The area has several new high-rises offering full-service amenities for residents.

• Waialae-Kahala: You’ll find this neighborhood along the eastern edge of urban Honolulu, where beach-front luxury estates mix with charming single-level homes. Real estate in the area comes with premium views—and premium prices.

Is It Better to Rent or Buy in Honolulu?

Buying and renting each come with their pros and cons. Buying in Honolulu allows you to customize your home exactly the way you want it, but it comes with a bigger commitment. Renting allows you to try out Honolulu life for a set period of time. However, you’re limited in what changes you can make to your living space.

Let’s take a closer look at both scenarios so you can decide what’s right for you.

Renting gives you the chance to test drive a Honolulu neighborhood—and see if living on Oahu is right for you.

If you decide to go this route, know that you may not be able to snag a long-term Honolulu rental before you arrive:

• Many Honolulu property managers and landlords won’t consider applications from potential tenants who aren’t already on Oahu. Some prefer to meet in person, and others have been burned in the past by people who change their minds about moving to Oahu at the last minute.

• Be aware: You will see a few rental scams in Honolulu. Never hand over money for a rental you haven’t seen. The only exception? If you’re working with a licensed Oahu real estate agent who’s screening properties for you.

As you make your transition, your best bet will be to secure temporary accommodations in a hotel or an Airbnb. Then, begin to look for rentals once you arrive.

Don’t forget to work your network! Ask friends and family if they know anyone renting their place. Some of the best rentals never make it to Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace but pass from person to person.

Maybe you already know Honolulu life is right for you, so you’re looking at buying. If you’re moving from the mainland, a couple of things to be aware of:

1. If you see a condo offered for a low price, it might be a leasehold. Check the listing carefully. If the listing says “fee simple,” that’s the more traditional form of ownership you’re likely familiar with. If it’s a leasehold, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with this type of arrangement, which shares some similarities to a long-term lease.
2. You’ll also find condotels in Honolulu, which offer the benefits of a condo along with the ability to rent the unit like a hotel. If you’re not planning on living in Honolulu year-round, this arrangement might work well for you.
3. Some Honolulu properties come with accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which you might hear referred to as ohana units. ʻOhana means “family” in Hawaiian, and many use ohana units to house grandparents, in-laws, etc. Other Honolulu residents rent their ADU for extra income. If the property you’re looking at has an ohana unit, ask whether it’s a fully permitted ADU. If it’s an unpermitted unit, it will be difficult to rent it legally after you buy the property.

An experienced Hawaii real estate professional can offer valuable guidance in your Honolulu real estate journey. Look for an agent with experience on Oahu, ideally on the south shore. They’ll have all the experience needed to help you navigate the market like a pro.

Is It Expensive to Live in Honolulu?

Considering Hawaii often tops the lists of most expensive states in the U.S., it’s no surprise that Honolulu is the second-most expensive city in NerdWallet’s database of 269 cities.  

To get a better sense of the cost of living in Honolulu, check out the following cost of living figures: 

Honolulu/Oahu

Cost of Living Numbers

Average Oahu home value

Average Honolulu home value

Honolulu fair market rent (1 BR)

Average Hawaii household electricity bill

Basic Oahu food cost per month, 1 adult

Average cost for a gallon of gas in Honolulu

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

There are a number of ways to keep costs down when living in Honolulu. Many residents get a Costco or Sam’s Club membership so they can buy in bulk and save. Additionally, buying produce from farmers markets can sometimes help keep your costs low. Either way, moving to Honolulu may mean adjusting to a new budget.

Is It Worth It to Ship Your Car to Honolulu?

Some people wonder if they can ditch their car entirely when they move to Honolulu. It’s true that Oahu has the most extensive public transportation system in the Hawaiian Islands:

• TheBus serves Honolulu and beyond.

• Additionally, Skyline, the Honolulu rail system, has made more Oahu locations accessible by public transit.

However, if you really want to see all of Oahu, you’ll need a car. You have two choices:

1. Ship your car to Honolulu.
2. Sell your car at your current location and buy a car when you arrive.

Should you sell your car or ship it to Honolulu?

• If you plan on hanging on to your car for the near future, it’s probably worth it to ship your car to Honolulu.

• If you’d likely sell it in a year or two, you’re better off selling it at your current location and buying a new or used car on Oahu.

For more answers to your questions on moving your car to Honolulu, check out Shipping Your Car, Truck, or SUV to Hawaii: A Step-by-Step Guide

What Activities Will You Find in and Around Honolulu?

Hawaii is an outdoor paradise, and Honolulu is no exception. You’ll enjoy steady temperatures in the 80s for most of the year so you can get outside and enjoy Oahu’s gorgeous landscape year-round. 

Honolulu Weather

Average highs

Average lows

From Honolulu, you’ll have the perfect launching pad to explore the entire island of Oahu. But there’s also plenty to do right in Honolulu, including:

• Surfing Honolulu’s Waves –Waikiki Beach has surf breaks for all abilities. If you’re a new surfer, head to Canoes, right in front of the Royal Hawaiian. More advanced surfers can take their pick of spots all along the south shore.

• Hiking Honolulu’s Trails – From Honolulu, you’ve got easy access to Diamond Head State Monument. We also recommend checking out Koko Head Stairs trail. It’s an intense climb with an amazing payoff at the end.

• Learning More About Hawaii’s History and Culture – In Honolulu, you can easily visit The Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and Iolani Palace. All three of these stops will deepen your understanding of the history and culture of the Native Hawaiians—and offer some meaningful context for the culture you’ll find in Hawaii today. (And for a lesson in Hawaii’s more recent history, take a trip over to Pearl Harbor National Memorial, just west of Honolulu!)

• Tasting All that Honolulu Has to Offer – Hawaii’s most innovative chefs are hard at work on Oahu. You’ll find plenty of excellent restaurants in Honolulu—and a wide variety of food from all over the world. Honolulu also has a burgeoning brewery and cocktail scene, so there are always new tastes to explore.

Cultural Considerations When Moving to Honolulu

Living in Hawaii offers you the opportunity to meet people from a number of different heritages and ethnicities, including descendants of the original human inhabitants of these islands—the Native Hawaiians.

Hawaii has a complex human history. Take some time to explore Hawaii’s history to get a more complete understanding of the people you’ll meet in Hawaii. Additionally, learning about Native Hawaiian culture will deepen your appreciation for the traditions and practices you’ll see in Hawaii—and help you find your place in your new home.

The Bishop Museum and Iolani Palace are two great places in Honolulu to get started. We’d also recommend a stop into Native Books in Chinatown. There, you’ll find plenty of Hawaiian and Pacific Island books that will offer you meaningful perspectives on Hawaii’s history and peoples.

What Is the School System Like in Honolulu?

If you’re relocating to Honolulu with your family, you’ll also have to consider your children’s educational path on Oahu. In and around Honolulu, you’ll find three primary schooling options: 

Is It Hard to Get a Job in Honolulu, Hawaii?

How quickly you can find a job in Honolulu all depends on the type of job you’re seeking. Tourism is the biggest industry on Oahu. If you’re interested in working in accommodations/hotels, food and beverage, or retail—or any of the sectors supporting Oahu’s tourism industry—you may be able to find a job quickly.

If you’re moving to Honolulu without a job, check out our job-hunting tips below:

What Is Healthcare Like in Honolulu?

Hawaii is gets consistently good rankings for access to care and quality of care, and nowhere is that more true than on Oahu. In fact, many residents of Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island fly to Oahu for specialized care that they can’t get on their own island.  

If your family has specific health concerns, there’s no better Hawaiian Island to live on than Oahu. The Queen’s Medical Center was named the top hospital in Hawaii by U.S. News and World Reports, and you’ll have easy access to all their services when living in Honolulu. 

Can I Move My Dog or Cat to Honolulu? 

To protect the islands’ unique ecosystems and keep the state rabies-free, Hawaii has restrictions for importing pets to the state. In the past, this meant mandatory quarantine.

Today, though, you may be able to secure what’s called “direct airport release” for your pet, which means that they can come home with you the same day you arrive. You’ll need to work with your veterinarian to ensure your pet has the right vaccines—and you’ll need to submit documentation to the Animal Quarantine Branch of the state’s Animal Industry Division to obtain clearance for your pet.

To get all the details, visit the Hawaii Animal Quarantine Branch’s website.

Making a Simple, Smooth Move to Honolulu

Ready to make your move to Honolulu? Now that you’ve heard our moving tips and tricks, all that’s left is to make a plan—and take the plunge.

Want some help with your Honolulu move? We handle household moves of all sizes to Honolulu—or anywhere you want to go in Hawaii. We’d be happy to custom-tailor a solution for you. Just reach out to our Hawaii experts for a complimentary quote.