Cost of living answer

Cost of Living in Makaha, HI

Cost of Living in Makaha, HI has an overall index of 116, 16% above the U.S. baseline of 100. The typical home value is $416,100; typical monthly rent is $1,871; and median household income is $63,291.

Cost index: committed city housing/rent inputs and BEA 2024 state nonmetro price parities. Home value: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. Rent: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. A place-level signal, not a personal affordability decision or financial recommendation.

Cost vs U.S.16% aboveOverall modeled index 116
Typical rent$1,871/moCensus ACS
Typical home value$416,100Census ACS
Median household income$63,291Census ACS place estimate
Market PressureHigh

Home prices are the main source of pressure. This describes the local market, not your household.

Rent pressure
35%
Typical annual rent divided by local median household income.
Buy pressure
6.6x
Typical home value divided by local median household income.
Your Household Fit

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Are you renting or buying?
Advanced assumptions
Initial rent input: $1,871 from ACS. Edit it to match the housing option you are considering.
Mortgage benchmark: 6.11% 30-year fixed, Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey via FRED, as of 2026-03-12. Not a lender quote or approval.
Property-tax input: State-level effective owner-occupied property-tax proxy Not a parcel or individual tax-bill estimate.

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City details

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Overall cost index116100 = U.S. baseline
Goods964% below baseline
Services982% below baseline
Utilities8812% below baseline
Frequently asked questions about Makaha

Living in Makaha

Is Makaha, HI an expensive place to live?+

Yes — Makaha is about 16% more expensive than the national average, with an overall Cost Index of 116. Housing is the biggest factor: the typical home here is valued around $416,100, and monthly rents average roughly $1,871. Day-to-day costs like groceries and utilities tend to run closer to the national norm.

How does Makaha fit a household housing budget?+

Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $1,871, while local median household income is $63,291. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 35% before utilities and other costs. Use that as a planning signal for whether the place looks manageable under your own household assumptions.

How much are taxes in Makaha, HI?+

Hawaii uses an approximate state-income-tax planning model; 11% is top marginal-rate context from the tax snapshot. Applying the 0.28% state-level effective owner-occupied proxy to a home worth $416,100 gives a planning estimate near $1,165 per year; it is not a city, county, parcel, or individual tax bill. State plus average local sales-tax context is around 4.44%.

How much does it cost to rent in Makaha, HI?+

The typical monthly rent in Makaha is around $1,871. That's about 39% higher than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $416,100, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.

How much does a house cost in Makaha, HI?+

The typical home value in Makaha is $416,100. With 20% down and the committed 6.11% national 30-year fixed benchmark as of 2026-03-12, principal and interest are roughly $2,019/month before property tax and insurance. This is a planning estimate, not a local lender quote. About 41% of residents here own their homes.

Are groceries and utilities expensive in Makaha?+

Grocery prices in Makaha are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 96, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are below average (index: 88). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.

What is Makaha, HI like to live in?+

Makaha is a small town with a population of about 9,898. The median age of residents is 37.1, which is close to the national median. The local poverty rate is 25.22%, above the national average of 12.4%.