How much does it cost to live in Maui?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$4,737
Housing, food, transport, mobile, coworking and gym.
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: zillow.com, hawaii-guide.com
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $2,287
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $5,922
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $2,700
Kihei
Good to know
Good to Know
- Groceries and dining out in Maui run notably above mainland US prices because most food is shipped in — budget more here than a mainland cost-of-living comparison would suggest.
- Furnished monthly rentals are most plentiful in Kihei condo complexes; Wailuku/Kahului tend to be cheaper but have far less short-term-friendly inventory and are more of a local residential/commercial hub than a resort area.
- Some Maui vacation-rental listings explicitly note they are unaffected by recent local legislation aimed at curbing short-term rentals — a reminder that Maui's post-2023-wildfire housing policy has been actively reducing vacation-rental supply in parts of the island, so availability and pricing can shift with policy changes.
- Peak winter season (roughly December–April) typically pushes furnished rental prices higher than the figures here, which reflect general listings rather than peak-season premiums.
- Maui essentially requires a car — the bus network (Maui Bus) is useful for budget-conscious commuting between towns like Kahului, Wailuku, and Kihei, but it doesn't reach many resort areas directly and has no cross-island express routes on evenings/weekends comparable to a mainland city.
- Coworking options on Maui are limited compared to a major mainland city — there are only a handful of small, independent spaces (mostly in Wailuku/Kahului/Kihei), so don't expect the density or amenities of a big-city coworking scene.
- Everyday costs (groceries, gym memberships, dining, movie tickets) run noticeably higher on Maui than the US mainland average because most goods are shipped in — budget accordingly.
- If you're not a US/EU/UK-style VWP passport holder, or you want to stay longer than 90 days, you'll need to apply for a US B1/B2 visitor visa well in advance — there is no on-arrival option and no US digital nomad visa.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- $4,737
Includes 6 estimated components
- Lean month
- $2,287
Includes 4 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- $5,922
Includes 7 estimated components
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Kihei (South Maui) has by far the largest supply of furnished, monthly-stay condos and vacation rentals used by remote workers and long-stay visitors, thanks to its density of beachfront condo complexes and platforms offering monthly discounts. Wailuku and neighboring Kahului (the county seat/main commercial town) offer more affordable furnished apartment options for those on tighter budgets. Paia and the North Shore have a smaller surf-and-remote-work community but far less monthly-rental inventory, so this data is grounded in Kihei and Wailuku listings as the closest documented proxies.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- $3,400
Local listing
Zillow furnished-apartments listing: 6 Honuhalemua St #6, Kihei, HI — 2BR/2BA, 1,576 sq ft, listed as 'Total monthly price' at $3,400/month.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- $2,700
Local listing
Zillow furnished-apartments listing: 339 Moi Pl #D, Kihei, HI — 1BR/1BA, 700 sq ft, listed at $2,700/month.
- Premium apartment
- $4,275
Local listing
Zillow furnished-apartments listing: 30 Hauoli St, Wailuku, HI — furnished building listing 2BR units from $4,275/month (1BR from $3,500, larger units up to $4,750).
- Private room in a shared home
- $1,500
Estimated
No live listing site captured a private-room-in-shared-home figure for Maui at the time of research; figure is a rough estimate reflecting Maui's high overall housing cost tier relative to mainland shared-room pricing, not a specific sourced listing.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- $600
Estimated
Hawaii-Guide.com 2026 breakdown states a single person should budget $500 to $700/month cooking at home; recorded amount is the midpoint of that range.
Sample prices
1L Milk
- 1L Milk
- $6.00
Estimated
No single item-price source retrieved at the time of research; estimated based on Hawaii's well-documented grocery-price premium over the mainland (shipping costs push staples notably higher).
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- $7.50
Estimated
Estimated; no specific egg-price listing retrieved at the time of research.
Loaf of Bread
- Loaf Of Bread
- $6.00
Estimated
Estimated; no specific bread-price listing retrieved at the time of research.
1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- 1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- $2.50
Estimated
Estimated store-shelf price, not restaurant price; no specific listing retrieved at the time of research.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- $11
Estimated
Hawaii-Guide.com states a plate lunch runs $12 to $18; recorded amount is the midpoint of that range. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 15 USD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- $85
Estimated
No specific high-end-dining figure retrieved at the time of research; estimated based on Maui's well-known premium restaurant/resort dining price tier relative to the sourced mid-range figure.
- Mid-range meal
- $30
Estimated
MauiRealEstate.com states dining at a mid-range restaurant in Maui can cost $30-$50 per person; recorded amount is the midpoint of that per-person range. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 40 USD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Venue
- Cohana (Maui coworking)
- Day pass
- $20
Operator's own price
Cohana's own site states 'Drop in for $20/day to $300 for dedicated desk.'
- Venue Monthly
- Cohana (Maui coworking)
- Monthly hot desk
- $300
Estimated
Cohana publishes a range ('$20/day to $300 for dedicated desk') rather than a single stated monthly hot-desk price; the $300 upper figure (dedicated desk) is used here as the closest proxy for a full monthly membership since no separate hot-desk-only monthly rate is published.
Transport
- How to get there
- Maui Bus (public bus)
- What the pass covers
- Maui Bus fixed-route + commuter monthly pass, valid for a calendar month; purchasable from the 25th of the prior month through the 10th of the current month.
- Single ride
- $2.00
Official figure
Maui County: a fare of $2.00 is collected for each one-way Maui Bus boarding.
- Monthly pass
- $45
Official figure
Maui County: monthly passes for Maui Bus fixed route and commuter service cost $45 and are valid for a calendar month.
Mobile & data
- Carrier
- Verizon or T-Mobile prepaid (typical choice for reliable island-wide coverage)
- Monthly plan
- $50
Estimated
No live carrier listing retrieved at the time of research; estimate based on typical US prepaid unlimited-data plan pricing (e.g. Verizon/T-Mobile prepaid tiers), which is generally the most reliable coverage on Maui outside resort towns.
- Data allowance
- Unlimited with deprioritization after a high-speed cap (typically 25-50GB) on most US prepaid unlimited plans
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Why
- Maui has two distinct peak tourism seasons (winter and summer) with materially higher prices and crowds, separated by genuine off-seasons (September–November and April–May) where accommodation pricing drops significantly.
Low season
- Budget
- $155
2-star hotel and basic Airbnb rates September–November and April–May, 30–40% below peak documented in travel guides
- Luxury
- $700
5-star hotels: Booking.com general average $932 declines materially in off-peak; luxury Wailea resorts show significant low-season reductions; premium Airbnb villas reflect documented May pricing dip
- Premium
- $500
4-star hotel rates approximately $450–550 range documented for low season (30–40% discount from high-season $614–650)
- Standard
- $275
3-star hotel rates $220–300 documented for shoulder season; reflects verified 30–40% seasonal drop from high-season standard tier
High season
- Budget
- $210
2-star hotel average and basic studio/1BR Airbnb entry-level rates during December–August peak
- Luxury
- $1,100
5-star hotels: Booking.com reports $932/night average with weekend peaks at $1,425; Wailea luxury hotels (Four Seasons January rate $867.78, Fairmont Kea Lani $579+ base); mid-high season luxury Airbnb comparable villas
- Premium
- $650
4-star hotel average ($392 baseline escalated to high-season weekend $614, plus documented $600–750 range) and premium Airbnb listings
- Standard
- $400
3-star hotel average ($253 baseline inflated to high-season weekend rates $540) and comparable 1BR Airbnb during peak months
Low-season months
- September
- October
- November
- April
- May
High-season months
- December
- January
- February
- June
- July
- August
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Maui
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.