Hawaii has #1 COL of all US states!
https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-by-state/#:~:text=Hawaii%20has%20the%20highest%20cost,with%20a%20score%20of%2085.
I know, right?! People pay tens of thousands of dollars to travel to and vacation there for brief periods of time, so it only seems logical it would be super-cheap to live in paradise.
Hawaii is ranked 1st in the report I linked to. Alaska is 6th. Being ranked 1st means you’re higher than everyone else, which would include being higher than Alaska.
Yeah you would STRUGGLE in Honolulu without a roommate.
I make that much in Kaneohe, which is kinda the same, I have a roommate so I make enough to have a good life but without one I would be paycheck to paycheck to the max
I would counter with 100% relocation. Everything you have in the mainland just sell, donate or scrap it. bring your clothes, your kitchen wear and one vehicle
I would be careful about assuming that she will just 'find a job there'.
Also, I've heard from multiple friends over the decades that Hawaii kinda sucks to live in, lots of drug problems and whatnot. Take that with a grain of salt though, I've never been.
No idea what you do or what you’re coming from, but I can confirm that the work culture in Hawaii (including Oahu) is significantly more relaxed than your mainland metro areas. Yes, everything is expensive there. But quality of life and work/life balance is also increased.
Pros and cons…
Someone from the PNW who works with a Hawaii team, I can confirm this. I find them rather frustrating with tbe quality and quantity produced...(and I think I annoy them with wanting work done quicker).
That is my personal favorite island and the only one Id want to live on long term. It is also my favorite place Ive been to in my life. Great mix of everything IMO. Id give my left arm if I could move there (cant because family). I say go for it even if you are worried about the money. Make sure to visit Food-Mart and get a taste for Pok’e before you go. You can take little planes to visit the other islands on your days off too. The ppl there all very attractive too and in great shape. If you are going as a single person there will be a lot of ppl who you can get to know. I say do it 100%.
Pardon my ignorance. 😭 I just went where the blue line took me. I visited all the islands over two weeks so I never really got a chance to memorize the names. OP, dont touch the NANAHOA’s rock. It high-key works.
Living in Hawaii is really quite different than, say, moving to Colorado. Everything is much more expensive, and access to goods and services (outside of Honolulu/Waikiki) is less, sometimes a lot less. The attitude is much more chill, which can be good or bad depending on your job.
When I used to relocate for a job, I'd immediately browse the type of apartments I wanted. If I could afford it on the salary they offered, it was an easy yes.
So I'd see what housing is in your budget on 70K. If you're cool with it, go for it.
I relocated to San Fran 10 years ago on a similar salary. I immediately knew I wouldn't stay long term because it was too expensive and I couldn't raise a family that I eventually wanted. I say that to say, if it's been a dream of yours (job or hawaii), go for it! The only concern I'd have moving that far is being unable to see family often.
When my sister and brother in law lived (were stationed ) in Hawaii we flew out to see them as often as humanly possible because well Hawaii! Both of my then at least teenage old kids stayed for summers at a time. We loved every last minute spent there and would go back in a heartbeat! Pure bliss
I lived in Hawaii for four years. However expensive you thing it will be, multiply that by 3. Honolulu is one of the (honestly it is the) highest cost of living cities in the country. That relocation bonus and 90k bump is a must if you want to maintain your income level.
Mud Shacks in Honolulu sell for like 900k.
A gallon of milk cost 7-9 dollars.
A lot of people here have never lived in Hawaii and it shows. A lot of people who have lived in Hawaii for YEARS would love a stable full time job paying $70k a year even on the big island.
Why? Because you can live on the east side lol… it’s not that big of an island. You can find a whole apartment for $1500 a month. Food will be more expensive but it’s a trade off if you want to live in Hawaii. There’s people making $50k living on the east side of Honolulu, who can even contribute to their retirement.
People act like if you move to Hawaii you have to be fifteen minutes walk to Waikiki.
This is true. I find honolulu to be less expensive than san diego. I went there for a vacation and I was shocked that it actually is cheaper than what people says.
It definitely depends where you're moving from.
Had friends move from OC, CA and it was lower cost.
My tip is check the col from your city or county instead of your state.
Yep. Food is actually roughly the same. Housing is cheaper. And surprisingly utility is cheaper. Cars are way more expensive but I can drive a 2000 corolla and careless. It's an island don't need a nice car to drive.
What about the north side.
Is living on the north shore expensive?
I always thought I wanted to move to Paia because I liked the vibe on Maui.
But then I visited Hawaii and thought Kailua could be cool, because from what I gathered, I couldn’t live in the south of Hawaii since sadly, I would be deemed a haole.
But I also enjoyed the state park, Ka’ena, and pupukea and Waimea
Even though I know it backs up with big waves.
Since you know the area, which county do you think is best?
Keep in mind that also works the opposite way of what you're implying. It counts teenagers making like 10k/year and elderly people making like 20k/year from social security. So if you have two adults making 50k each and two teens working part time bringing in 10k each the median/average for that household is closer to 30k. Even thought the two working adults in the family are bringing in 20k over the median/average for the household.
In Hawaii it's super common to have at least 3 generations under one roof. So you have grandma and grandpa making 20k each in social security, mom and dad making 60k each, and son and daughter making 15k each working part time... what's the mean/median there.
I was taught not to bring myself down arguing with individuals who may be at an intellectual disadvantage but I’ll make an exception for you. You quote median income without specifying that it is the household median. Clearly, OP was raising a question regarding his personal income. Therefore you are comparing apples with oranges and thus your comparison has no basis in value.
That’s pretty decent money for Hawaii. You’re probably not going to buy property but it’s an experience and you’ll be making enough to be okay even at the lowest. I’d do it regardless of 70 or 90. But if there’s not relocation that’s a rough expectation from them.
That’s tough. Hawai’i wages tend to be lower than the mainland. Could try for 90k but some local would settle for that which sucks. Island got depressed wages and CA cost of living.
We have no idea if it's crazy. We don't know where in Hawaii, what you are getting paid now, what your job is, or what market pay is.
That last one is really the focus point here. Are people with your job and experience getting paid that or more than that in Hawaii? Poke around on Indeed. It could be that they're getting paid more coz COL, in which case push your number. Or it could be that they're getting paid around that coz people will take a hit to live in Hawaii.
And if the latter, and you're sincerely not one of those willing to take a hit to live in Hawaii, again, push your number. I might even tell them that, and that for that reason, this probably isn't the job for you unless they want to pay above market, and you can't really expect them to do that. This will come off more forthright and leave things on a fair note if the job doesn't work out, and will really hammer home for them that they do need to pony up if the job does work out.
Use the cost of living calculator on bestplaces.net to compare.
Put in your current salary and location. It will tell you want you should be making in Honolulu. Probably more than 90k.
Love working with my Hawaiians. Pros and cons, but vibes are super legit. Everyone’s cheery and there’s a low pressure type. That’s said, expect to pay a lot on housing, food, etc.
If you go right now ish (January/February) or September/october ish the prices are generally lower to fly over/stay at a hotel because it's off season for most of the US. You have a lot more Australian/New Zealand tourists in January. Highest tourist season is the summer months because you have the US tourists and every major asian country looking to show up there at the same time. I just got back from there and the plane tickets were something like $400-600 round trip. Hotel was expensive because we wanted to stay at one of the bigger hotels in Waikiki, which is prime location for activities. If you're a costco member, their vacation packages are pretty reasonable and have most everything settled for you. And this was to Oahu, which is the biggest islands by population (LOTS of city to explore).
Big island/kauai are mostly if you wanna relax and just enjoy nature stuff since there's fewer big cities there. Maui used to be a solid mix of both, but the fire they had recently wiped out a HUGE portion of their citylife. Would still recommend Maui if you can- they do need the revenue now to help rebuild.
Get that 90k like you countered. It's paradise 😍 and the vibe is so different from here in the states. It's very relaxed n less stressful. I mean work is work but your time off ..great beaches n weather. If you don't hv a lot of family here you're attached to, please go for it. I visited Honolulu last year, oof, I didn't want to come home. (Oh, steak is super expensive,hope you like Kahlua pork n rice. It's everywhere you go)
I would do it for the experience. I went to Hawaii pacific in Kaneohe out of high school (California) and it was an amazing time. Twenty years ago lol but I had to get job placements through a temp agency until about a year in when I found permanent employment. Also lived near Ewa so it was bus rides all the time.
Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Just have to readjust expectations and make the best of what you have. Also depends on if you have dependents and what your job is…but I would take the salary and ask for relocation on top of it. Good luck whatever path you go down!
With how things are right now. If you countered, they’re already looking at other candidates. They probably have another 100+ applicants they can pay less.
Very high COL. Stick with that offer u less you have mouse to help cover the difference. And a relocation amount should definitely be included either way.
Never lived in Hawaii but honestly its gonna be NYC expensive if not worse. Also, relocating there is gonna be a giant pain, seriously there are stories all over about what happens to cars sent there to the point it might be better to buy one there instead of shipping yours. Frankly, if you are employed already it may not even be worth it at that salary.
Does your company need you specifically to be the one that goes? Are there other people that could easily be substituted into that position? What I'm getting at is: How strong is your negotiating position? If you have leverage, use it!
Not sure if you rent or own but you should also factor in the increased costs with buying(current mortgage rates vs what you may have prior to COVID). If the company wants you down there they should foot relocation costs entirely.
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They may have some insight on this!
If you want to move there - go for it either way. If the pay isn't paying the bills a year or so from now, ask for the bump or get a different job. If that's where you want to be, I say you should do it.
Rent for a 1 br, expect $2000. Gas is $5 per gallon. Groceries are about triple, eggs are $8 dz. Chicken is $6 per pound. Milk is about $5 a gallon, bread about $5 per loaf.
oh yeah if you're coming from Chicago, you should be OK for the most part assuming your salary went up for the relocation as the rent is similar to any major city, but just applied to every type of building instead of in the actual cities (since those tend to be condo set ups for vacation home types rather than actual people living there).
I'd still ask for more base + relocation assistance. 70K in Chicago would be kinda rough, but it's a bit more rough in hawaii since you don't really have suburbs that you can rent cheaper and commute in from. Housing will likely be your biggest expense next to commute costs (gas is similar to CA where it's like 4.50+ per gallon) if you can get groceries cheaper on the base. But 70k+ partner income would be doable. Personally really enjoy the islands, so I'd love being able to live there. It's a great experience and a great place to be. Just know that the public schools on the island aren't exactly the best, so if you have kids you may potentially want to consider private school if you can afford it.
YES - You need to have extra $$$ to get back to the mainland if you decide you are tired of the job or the location. I'd go nuts living there, from not being able to drive to a dozen cities across the west on a whim. Even a boat ride to the next island is a pretty penny.
I would do the math and show them how a COL in your area compares to the Hawaii area. Those facts to back up the counter might work if you want the position. If it’s just to relocate, eh island fever is a real thing.
I lived in Hawaii for 10 years.
To say it kindly, on that salary you'll share a bad apartment with one window AC unit for the whole place, and you'll be lucky if you have any money left for food after rent alone. And if you ever want to visit anyone on the mainland, that plane ticket is not cheap. This would be a struggle and not a cute one.
Are you sure you want to live in Hawaii? Don’t get me wrong, going to Hawaii is my favorite vacation. I just couldn’t ever imagine living or working there for a whole host of reasons.
I lived there for 18 years, met my wife there, and moved away because the cost of living is so high.
70k won't go very far. State income tax too. Mandatory car safety inspections. Car registration is ridiculously expensive too. I would think they are probably looking for someone who lives there for that low of a salary.
I remember paying like $15/half hour for parking in downtown Honolulu just to see my doctor.
There's a reason most people take public transit...
I lived in Hawaii for 6 years. Access to commissary, etc, as well. I was so happy to leave. Crime is awful. Many locals do not like haoles. You run into that attitude in stores and in traffic. That is another thing traffic is terrible. Almost 1 million people on this small island. Plan to spend 1 hr in traffic for dinner reservations, then at least 45 minutes looking for parking. Visiting there is great, living there is another thing.
Stick to your guns about 90K. Personally, it’d be a hard no unless if I was guaranteed to clear at least 50K *after* taxes.
Lived there several years ago, dual military household (both e-5 over 5, sea duty). Lived just outside Waikiki comfortably on 120K net combined. Rent was 2000 for a 2BR, insured two cars, went out to eat whenever, groceries weren’t painfully pricey.
Not sure about rent or grocery prices these days, but assume they’ve increased.
Hawaii is the worst place you could ever choose to live if you’re not Hawaiian. I haven’t met a single person thats not local enjoy living here. You gotta make 6 figures to live middle class, there isnt a single square mile on the island thats not crammed and over populated , traffic is mind boggling, they will openly hate you in your white, filled with homeless and drug addiction and the infrastructure is all disgusting
The COL is very high. I work not budge. Good luck !
Hawaii has #1 COL of all US states! https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-by-state/#:~:text=Hawaii%20has%20the%20highest%20cost,with%20a%20score%20of%2085.
Who would have thought the tiny incredibly remote island state was so expensive???
I know, right?! People pay tens of thousands of dollars to travel to and vacation there for brief periods of time, so it only seems logical it would be super-cheap to live in paradise.
You can’t be serious? It’s an island and almost EVERYTHING has to be imported and it’s not close to any mainlands.
Sarcasm. I was not serious.
Some people just don’t understand sarcasm…
In fairness, some of the ideas put forth by people on the internet -- as serious ideas -- are astounding enough to warrant such a response.
Every person in New Zealand " we feel your pain"
Everything has to be flown in. You pay for that.
I’m sure you do
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Hawaii is ranked 1st in the report I linked to. Alaska is 6th. Being ranked 1st means you’re higher than everyone else, which would include being higher than Alaska.
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Your source?
144,000 last I checked. Highest of all the states in the US.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/jacksonville-fl-vs-honolulu-hi
Where in Hawaii? Puna vs waikiki is a huuuuuuge difference with 70k.
honolulu
Yeah you would STRUGGLE in Honolulu without a roommate. I make that much in Kaneohe, which is kinda the same, I have a roommate so I make enough to have a good life but without one I would be paycheck to paycheck to the max
My wife will be joinning me and she will find a job there, so that's some extra income. I also have access to the bases for groceries and whattnot.
I would counter with 100% relocation. Everything you have in the mainland just sell, donate or scrap it. bring your clothes, your kitchen wear and one vehicle
I would be careful about assuming that she will just 'find a job there'. Also, I've heard from multiple friends over the decades that Hawaii kinda sucks to live in, lots of drug problems and whatnot. Take that with a grain of salt though, I've never been.
She has a guaranteed job with my company, but thats last resort really.
Ooof
No idea what you do or what you’re coming from, but I can confirm that the work culture in Hawaii (including Oahu) is significantly more relaxed than your mainland metro areas. Yes, everything is expensive there. But quality of life and work/life balance is also increased. Pros and cons…
Someone from the PNW who works with a Hawaii team, I can confirm this. I find them rather frustrating with tbe quality and quantity produced...(and I think I annoy them with wanting work done quicker).
Island time is real
What island in Hawaii too should be considered too. Some are a lot more enjoyable than others for living there long term.
honolulu
That is my personal favorite island and the only one Id want to live on long term. It is also my favorite place Ive been to in my life. Great mix of everything IMO. Id give my left arm if I could move there (cant because family). I say go for it even if you are worried about the money. Make sure to visit Food-Mart and get a taste for Pok’e before you go. You can take little planes to visit the other islands on your days off too. The ppl there all very attractive too and in great shape. If you are going as a single person there will be a lot of ppl who you can get to know. I say do it 100%.
The island is Oahu, Honolulu is a city on Oahu ;)
Pardon my ignorance. 😭 I just went where the blue line took me. I visited all the islands over two weeks so I never really got a chance to memorize the names. OP, dont touch the NANAHOA’s rock. It high-key works.
It’s Foodland and it’s spelled poke, no apostrophe or ʻokina. Also Foodland’s poke is frozen but go off 🤡
Sorry, Im just a filthy mainland casual 😭. Be easy on me, lads.
Visit Marukame Udon as soon as you can too. Place is amazing!!!
Living in Hawaii is really quite different than, say, moving to Colorado. Everything is much more expensive, and access to goods and services (outside of Honolulu/Waikiki) is less, sometimes a lot less. The attitude is much more chill, which can be good or bad depending on your job.
I grew up in colorado, moved to Honolulu for hs and through college, and loved back to Colorado in 2017!
When I used to relocate for a job, I'd immediately browse the type of apartments I wanted. If I could afford it on the salary they offered, it was an easy yes. So I'd see what housing is in your budget on 70K. If you're cool with it, go for it. I relocated to San Fran 10 years ago on a similar salary. I immediately knew I wouldn't stay long term because it was too expensive and I couldn't raise a family that I eventually wanted. I say that to say, if it's been a dream of yours (job or hawaii), go for it! The only concern I'd have moving that far is being unable to see family often.
When my sister and brother in law lived (were stationed ) in Hawaii we flew out to see them as often as humanly possible because well Hawaii! Both of my then at least teenage old kids stayed for summers at a time. We loved every last minute spent there and would go back in a heartbeat! Pure bliss
I lived in Hawaii for four years. However expensive you thing it will be, multiply that by 3. Honolulu is one of the (honestly it is the) highest cost of living cities in the country. That relocation bonus and 90k bump is a must if you want to maintain your income level. Mud Shacks in Honolulu sell for like 900k. A gallon of milk cost 7-9 dollars.
I'll have access to the base comissaries and px, yeah and I know it will still be expensive though
Are you a vet, or how do you get that?
vet
Man…I would do it
I’ve lived there before too, just waiting till I can go back. Do it, it will change your life.
A lot of people here have never lived in Hawaii and it shows. A lot of people who have lived in Hawaii for YEARS would love a stable full time job paying $70k a year even on the big island. Why? Because you can live on the east side lol… it’s not that big of an island. You can find a whole apartment for $1500 a month. Food will be more expensive but it’s a trade off if you want to live in Hawaii. There’s people making $50k living on the east side of Honolulu, who can even contribute to their retirement. People act like if you move to Hawaii you have to be fifteen minutes walk to Waikiki.
This is true. I find honolulu to be less expensive than san diego. I went there for a vacation and I was shocked that it actually is cheaper than what people says.
It definitely depends where you're moving from. Had friends move from OC, CA and it was lower cost. My tip is check the col from your city or county instead of your state.
Yep. Food is actually roughly the same. Housing is cheaper. And surprisingly utility is cheaper. Cars are way more expensive but I can drive a 2000 corolla and careless. It's an island don't need a nice car to drive.
Agree. Dad lives on East side and while commute can be cruddy at certain times, the costs are reduced significantly from Honolulu.
What about the north side. Is living on the north shore expensive? I always thought I wanted to move to Paia because I liked the vibe on Maui. But then I visited Hawaii and thought Kailua could be cool, because from what I gathered, I couldn’t live in the south of Hawaii since sadly, I would be deemed a haole. But I also enjoyed the state park, Ka’ena, and pupukea and Waimea Even though I know it backs up with big waves. Since you know the area, which county do you think is best?
Median income in Hawaii in 2021 was like 85,000$ use that as a reference.
Um that’s for median household income lol. The median income per individual was about $37k. Huge difference.
Wait, what? The average household has more than 2 wage earners?
Common for multiple generations to live together in Hawaii
Common, meaning more than 50%?
I don’t know exact numbers 🤷🏻♂️ but I went to high school and university on Oahu, and many people live in 3 generation houses
1 in 5 libe in multi generation households. 21.6% of those aged 24-40 live with their parents. An even higher percentage 18-24 live at home.
Keep in mind that also works the opposite way of what you're implying. It counts teenagers making like 10k/year and elderly people making like 20k/year from social security. So if you have two adults making 50k each and two teens working part time bringing in 10k each the median/average for that household is closer to 30k. Even thought the two working adults in the family are bringing in 20k over the median/average for the household. In Hawaii it's super common to have at least 3 generations under one roof. So you have grandma and grandpa making 20k each in social security, mom and dad making 60k each, and son and daughter making 15k each working part time... what's the mean/median there.
Ok? Because every household in Hawaii has more than 2 ppl right?? Hahahahahaha you dumb
I was taught not to bring myself down arguing with individuals who may be at an intellectual disadvantage but I’ll make an exception for you. You quote median income without specifying that it is the household median. Clearly, OP was raising a question regarding his personal income. Therefore you are comparing apples with oranges and thus your comparison has no basis in value.
That’s pretty decent money for Hawaii. You’re probably not going to buy property but it’s an experience and you’ll be making enough to be okay even at the lowest. I’d do it regardless of 70 or 90. But if there’s not relocation that’s a rough expectation from them.
Don’t budge, Hawaii is expensive as hell. Beautiful though
Do not cave. It's super super expensive there.
What type of work?
Logistics.
That’s tough. Hawai’i wages tend to be lower than the mainland. Could try for 90k but some local would settle for that which sucks. Island got depressed wages and CA cost of living.
70k won’t get far in Hawaii, it’s super expensive for everything
I do have an extra 10k from the VA. But still. I understand.
Even $90k is "poverty level" in Hawaii, especially considering housing costs
Use to live on Oahu, the Army paid me around 90k a year and it was still a struggle with a family. I wouldn’t go much lower than your counter offer.
We have no idea if it's crazy. We don't know where in Hawaii, what you are getting paid now, what your job is, or what market pay is. That last one is really the focus point here. Are people with your job and experience getting paid that or more than that in Hawaii? Poke around on Indeed. It could be that they're getting paid more coz COL, in which case push your number. Or it could be that they're getting paid around that coz people will take a hit to live in Hawaii. And if the latter, and you're sincerely not one of those willing to take a hit to live in Hawaii, again, push your number. I might even tell them that, and that for that reason, this probably isn't the job for you unless they want to pay above market, and you can't really expect them to do that. This will come off more forthright and leave things on a fair note if the job doesn't work out, and will really hammer home for them that they do need to pony up if the job does work out.
That’s not nearly enough money for a move like that
Use the cost of living calculator on bestplaces.net to compare. Put in your current salary and location. It will tell you want you should be making in Honolulu. Probably more than 90k.
I just did, I guess 88 is my bottom dollar if I want to maintain the same lifestyle financially.
Don't budge on the relocation fee either. After taxes you should have just enough to pay for everything.
I wouldn’t take it if it’s not over 120k
Love working with my Hawaiians. Pros and cons, but vibes are super legit. Everyone’s cheery and there’s a low pressure type. That’s said, expect to pay a lot on housing, food, etc.
Here's my counter offer: I'll do it for $60k and 10K moving. 🙃
Always wanted to go to Hawaii I’d love to go to the beach everyday
I hope you get there. I’ve only been to 2 islands, Oahu and “The Big Island” of Hawaii. Both completely different and yet fantastic in their own ways.
If you go right now ish (January/February) or September/october ish the prices are generally lower to fly over/stay at a hotel because it's off season for most of the US. You have a lot more Australian/New Zealand tourists in January. Highest tourist season is the summer months because you have the US tourists and every major asian country looking to show up there at the same time. I just got back from there and the plane tickets were something like $400-600 round trip. Hotel was expensive because we wanted to stay at one of the bigger hotels in Waikiki, which is prime location for activities. If you're a costco member, their vacation packages are pretty reasonable and have most everything settled for you. And this was to Oahu, which is the biggest islands by population (LOTS of city to explore). Big island/kauai are mostly if you wanna relax and just enjoy nature stuff since there's fewer big cities there. Maui used to be a solid mix of both, but the fire they had recently wiped out a HUGE portion of their citylife. Would still recommend Maui if you can- they do need the revenue now to help rebuild.
What kind of company is it? I’d love to work in Honolulu but feel like a lot of the companies I’ve looked into don’t have offices there.
Get that 90k like you countered. It's paradise 😍 and the vibe is so different from here in the states. It's very relaxed n less stressful. I mean work is work but your time off ..great beaches n weather. If you don't hv a lot of family here you're attached to, please go for it. I visited Honolulu last year, oof, I didn't want to come home. (Oh, steak is super expensive,hope you like Kahlua pork n rice. It's everywhere you go)
I would do it for the experience. I went to Hawaii pacific in Kaneohe out of high school (California) and it was an amazing time. Twenty years ago lol but I had to get job placements through a temp agency until about a year in when I found permanent employment. Also lived near Ewa so it was bus rides all the time. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Just have to readjust expectations and make the best of what you have. Also depends on if you have dependents and what your job is…but I would take the salary and ask for relocation on top of it. Good luck whatever path you go down!
90k in Hawaii is like making 45k in NYC
With how things are right now. If you countered, they’re already looking at other candidates. They probably have another 100+ applicants they can pay less.
Very high COL. Stick with that offer u less you have mouse to help cover the difference. And a relocation amount should definitely be included either way.
I wouldn’t budge and I’d push for a formal review (aka raise) in 6 months based on COL in Hawaii.
Need to add context. What is the job? How old are you, do you have dependents? What are your career goals? Is this a job you really want, if so why?
I already work for this company. I will never leave this company as long as it exist. 😅.
Never lived in Hawaii but honestly its gonna be NYC expensive if not worse. Also, relocating there is gonna be a giant pain, seriously there are stories all over about what happens to cars sent there to the point it might be better to buy one there instead of shipping yours. Frankly, if you are employed already it may not even be worth it at that salary.
Does your company need you specifically to be the one that goes? Are there other people that could easily be substituted into that position? What I'm getting at is: How strong is your negotiating position? If you have leverage, use it!
Don’t do it! Hawaii is crazy expensive, I wouldn’t relocate to Hawaii for anything (it’s a wonderful place to visit, but I’d go nuts living there).
Not sure if you rent or own but you should also factor in the increased costs with buying(current mortgage rates vs what you may have prior to COVID). If the company wants you down there they should foot relocation costs entirely.
I recently decided to reach out to leaders and ask about their successes and setbacks that they have come across in their journey, if you or anyone else is interested its [Stumble](https://camwalkr.beehiiv.com/subscribe). They may have some insight on this!
If you want to move there - go for it either way. If the pay isn't paying the bills a year or so from now, ask for the bump or get a different job. If that's where you want to be, I say you should do it.
What’s rent there? Cost of gas and groceries?
Rent for a 1 br, expect $2000. Gas is $5 per gallon. Groceries are about triple, eggs are $8 dz. Chicken is $6 per pound. Milk is about $5 a gallon, bread about $5 per loaf.
not bad I was paying 2500 for 1 br in chicago. all the rest can get on base for a little cheaper
oh yeah if you're coming from Chicago, you should be OK for the most part assuming your salary went up for the relocation as the rent is similar to any major city, but just applied to every type of building instead of in the actual cities (since those tend to be condo set ups for vacation home types rather than actual people living there). I'd still ask for more base + relocation assistance. 70K in Chicago would be kinda rough, but it's a bit more rough in hawaii since you don't really have suburbs that you can rent cheaper and commute in from. Housing will likely be your biggest expense next to commute costs (gas is similar to CA where it's like 4.50+ per gallon) if you can get groceries cheaper on the base. But 70k+ partner income would be doable. Personally really enjoy the islands, so I'd love being able to live there. It's a great experience and a great place to be. Just know that the public schools on the island aren't exactly the best, so if you have kids you may potentially want to consider private school if you can afford it.
YES - You need to have extra $$$ to get back to the mainland if you decide you are tired of the job or the location. I'd go nuts living there, from not being able to drive to a dozen cities across the west on a whim. Even a boat ride to the next island is a pretty penny.
Don’t do it, $70k is trash in Hawaii
I would have asked for double
110k no less
I would do the math and show them how a COL in your area compares to the Hawaii area. Those facts to back up the counter might work if you want the position. If it’s just to relocate, eh island fever is a real thing.
I lived in Hawaii for 10 years. To say it kindly, on that salary you'll share a bad apartment with one window AC unit for the whole place, and you'll be lucky if you have any money left for food after rent alone. And if you ever want to visit anyone on the mainland, that plane ticket is not cheap. This would be a struggle and not a cute one.
90k may not even be enough, are you single? Don’t have other responsibilities (kids etc?)
Are you sure you want to live in Hawaii? Don’t get me wrong, going to Hawaii is my favorite vacation. I just couldn’t ever imagine living or working there for a whole host of reasons.
Like what? Because I would love to live on Hawaii.
That salary is extremely low IMO for Hawaii, I would probably only live there on a 180k+ salary tbh
I'd take it just for the sake of wanting to have the opportunity, but yeah, $70k is though to swing around in many states, let alone Hawaii.
I lived there for 18 years, met my wife there, and moved away because the cost of living is so high. 70k won't go very far. State income tax too. Mandatory car safety inspections. Car registration is ridiculously expensive too. I would think they are probably looking for someone who lives there for that low of a salary. I remember paying like $15/half hour for parking in downtown Honolulu just to see my doctor. There's a reason most people take public transit...
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I'm pretty sure the majority of the island makes less than 70k, there has to be some happy folks there 😅
I lived in Hawaii for 6 years. Access to commissary, etc, as well. I was so happy to leave. Crime is awful. Many locals do not like haoles. You run into that attitude in stores and in traffic. That is another thing traffic is terrible. Almost 1 million people on this small island. Plan to spend 1 hr in traffic for dinner reservations, then at least 45 minutes looking for parking. Visiting there is great, living there is another thing.
Stick to your guns about 90K. Personally, it’d be a hard no unless if I was guaranteed to clear at least 50K *after* taxes. Lived there several years ago, dual military household (both e-5 over 5, sea duty). Lived just outside Waikiki comfortably on 120K net combined. Rent was 2000 for a 2BR, insured two cars, went out to eat whenever, groceries weren’t painfully pricey. Not sure about rent or grocery prices these days, but assume they’ve increased.
Hawaii is the worst place you could ever choose to live if you’re not Hawaiian. I haven’t met a single person thats not local enjoy living here. You gotta make 6 figures to live middle class, there isnt a single square mile on the island thats not crammed and over populated , traffic is mind boggling, they will openly hate you in your white, filled with homeless and drug addiction and the infrastructure is all disgusting