Your flights are booked and you’ve picked the perfect Airbnb. You know how much you’ve already spent on your upcoming trip to Hawaii, but it’s a little more difficult to estimate how much money you’ll need once you’re on the ground… relaxing under a cabana. The amount of spending money you need will depend on the type of vacation you are planning to have (a budget trip or an all-out once-in-a-lifetime luxury vacation). Here is a ballpark range for how much spending money you need in Hawaii.
Plan to bring USD $50-100 per person per day (conservative spending), $100-300 per person per day (moderate spending), or up to $500 or more per person per day (lavish spending) for spending money on your trip to Hawaii. This number includes dining out, alcoholic drinks, excursions, souvenirs, and transportation that is not already accounted for.
These ranges are based on the average cost for items you won’t have already purchased. It does not account for pre-booked expenses, such as airfare, accommodation, transportation (such as a previously rented car). Below you’ll find a list of items you will spend money on daily while in Hawaii and their approximate costs.
Average Daily Expenses While in Hawaii, Broken Out
You will need spending money in Hawaii for common daily expenses such as food (meals, snacks, and sweets), alcoholic beverages (if you drink), shopping and souvenirs, gas or taxi/Uber/Lyft/bus fare, excursions and activities that aren’t prepaid, and tipping (housekeeping, restaurant staff, drivers, etc.). Here is what you can expect to spend each day on various items while vacationing in paradise:
| Item | Cost |
| Breakfast and lunch | $8 to $16 per person |
| Dinner | $14 to $25 per person |
| Gourmet meal | $25 to $55 per person |
| Beer, mixed drinks or specialty drinks | $4 to $9 (each drink) |
| Gasoline | $4.25 to $4.85 per gallon – and likely more on certain Islands |
| Taxi | Average $3 base charge, plus 45 cents per 1/8 mile |
| Lu’au | $65 to $110 (adult); children can generally attend for $40 or less |
| Movie admission | $9 adults; $6 seniors and children; $5.50 matinees |
| Souvenirs | Expect to spend between $5 and $35 per person you’re buying for (a good-quality t-shirt can cost up to $35). |
Another sneaky daily expense not included in the table above is parking. Parking can run anywhere from $20-45 a day if you choose to rent a car. Even free attractions like state parks can have paid parking.
When adding up all of those costs, you can easily spend $100 a day per person on your trip in Hawaii. If that much spending seems unrealistic to you, consider using a few of the following methods to decrease your spending rate on your variable costs and still have a fabulous time.
How to Save Money and Spend Less While in Hawaii
When trying to reduce your spending while on vacation in Hawaii, consider the type of places you are dining and shopping at. There are a few simple swaps you can make to save yourself the big bucks.
Pack and Prepare Meals
Instead of eating every meal at a five-star restaurant, or even a normal fast-food restaurant, think about packing a few meals a day. Breakfast and lunch are easy (and much more affordable) to make on your own. If the hotel or vacation rental you are staying at has a kitchen, you can make most anything you make at home, and bring it with you for your daily adventures. Even if your accommodations only have a mini fridge and microwave, buying ingredients for sandwiches or microwavable meals will save you tremendously. Plan a trip to the grocery store on the first day of your vacation to stock up for the rest of the week. Definitely capitalize on the bargain prices at a bulk store like Costco, where you can buy for the week and pick up cheap food at the food court. And whatever you do, don’t use room service — the costs will eat your budget (pun intended).
Dine Out For Discount
If you want to eat out instead of packing food (because you cook enough at home, am I right?), take advantage of Happy Hour discounts. Eat earlier/later than normal meal times, and try to split dishes instead of getting individual portions. Pick two cheap dining options and then splurge for the third, but instead of splurging on dinner, splurge on lunch to make use of lunch buffets or specials. You can find ways to save money, even when eating out every meal.
Reuse Your Water Bottle
Another incredibly simple way to spend less money on food and beverage is to bring a reusable water bottle. Don’t be stuck constantly picking up a new water bottle at gift shops or opening the ones placed in your hotel room.
Avoid Tourist Shops
Just like dining requires a little creativity to save money, shopping without blowing your budget does too! Avoid tourist shops and boutiques, and instead head straight for stores like Walmart. You can find the same quality of snorkeling gear at the back of the Walmart as you can in a tourist shop, for a fraction of the price.
Plan Ahead
Most importantly, plan ahead. Following a prearranged itinerary will help you avoid impulse buying or spending more on same-day tickets. You’ll find superior rates online before hand for almost everything, including excursions and transportation.
Conclusion
Though you can spend anywhere from $100-500 per person per day on your trip to Hawaii, you can also save that much by being thoughtful about where and when you make purchasing decisions. When determining how much spending money you need for your upcoming vacation, make sure to consider costs such as food and beverages, shopping, transportation, activities, and tipping.
Climb on, Finbase.
B
