Key takeaway: Oʻahu has the most jobs and the only rail line, and it’s the cheapest island for groceries and gas. Housing is the catch: a typical one-bedroom rents for about $1,900, the median house sold for $1.11 million in September 2026, and most condos now carry fees of $800 a month or more. A single adult needs at least $42,698 a year to cover basics (DBEDT). Numbers checked October 30, 2026.
Oʻahu at a glance
| Figure | As of | |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR rent, HUD benchmark | $1,951 a month | Oct 2026 |
| Typical 1BR apartment | $1,900 a month | Feb 2026 |
| Median single-family home | $1,110,000 | Sep 2026 |
| Median condo | $523,000 | Sep 2026 |
| Electricity, first 350 kWh | 45.81¢ per kWh; about $246 for 500 kWh | Oct 2026 |
| Regular gas, Honolulu | $5.60 a gallon | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Property tax, owner-occupied | $3.50 per $1,000; $120,000 home exemption | FY2027 |
| TheBus or Skyline ride | $3.25 cash; $90 monthly pass | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Bare-bones budget, single adult | $42,698 a year | 2024 data |
| Bare-bones budget, 2 adults + 2 kids | $95,171 a year | 2024 data |
| MIT living wage, single adult | $64,134 a year ($30.83/hr) | Feb 2026 |
| Median household income | $106,195 | 2020–2024 |
| Military cost-of-living index | 114 (mainland = 100) | Jan 2025 |
Every figure links to the guide where its source is cited. Budgets are before taxes. Electric bill is our calculation from the utility’s posted rates.
Rent by area
| Area | Average 1BR asking rent |
|---|---|
| Kapolei, 96707 | $2,200 |
| Downtown and Kakaʻako, 96813 | $2,500 |
| Kailua, 96734 | $2,700 |
| Ala Moana and Kakaʻako, 96814 | $3,600 |
Zillow listings, October 29, 2026. Listings skew newer and pricier than what long-term tenants pay. See rent by island and ZIP.
What’s different about Oʻahu
- You can live without a car. TheBus and Skyline cover most of the island, and a $3 two-hour pass on a HOLO card is cheaper than paying cash. No other island has transit like it. See getting around.
- Condo fees can rival rent. More than 60% of Oʻahu condos sold in 2026 came with maintenance fees of $800 a month or more, driven partly by insurance. See buying a home.
- Watch for leasehold. About 15% of Waikīkī condos sit on leased land, which is why some look cheap. See leasehold vs. fee simple.
- The car tax is the state’s highest. Honolulu’s county weight tax is 7¢ a pound, about four times Hawaiʻi Island’s. A typical car costs about $365 a year to register. See car costs.
- Groceries and gas cost less than on other islands, because ships unload in Honolulu first. Oʻahu has the lowest military cost-of-living index in the state. See groceries.
Compare Oʻahu with every other island on one page: compare the islands.
Sources
- HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents (via StartBusinessByState)
- Title Guaranty: statewide housing statistics, September 2026
- Hawaiian Electric: Effective Rate Summary, October 2026
- AAA: Hawaiʻi gas prices
- State report of FY2027 county tax rates
- DBEDT: Self-Sufficiency Income Standard, 2024
- MIT Living Wage: Honolulu County
- Census QuickFacts: Honolulu County
- DBEDT Data Book Table 14.28: military COLA index