Key takeaway: Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi pay the highest electricity rates in Hawaiʻi: about $315 and $326 for a 500 kWh month in October 2026, against about $246 on Oʻahu (our calculation from Hawaiian Electric rates). Getting off-island for a doctor, a big shop or a car part costs a flight or a ferry. Housing data is too thin to publish a typical rent. Numbers checked October 30, 2026.
At a glance
| Molokaʻi | Lānaʻi | As of | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity, first 250 kWh | 58.42¢ per kWh | 60.71¢ per kWh | Oct 2026 |
| Electric bill, 500 kWh (our calculation) | about $315 | about $326 | Oct 2026 |
| Regular gas | $6.97 to $6.99 | $5.03 (subsidized) | Apr 2026 |
| Public transit | Free MEO shuttle, weekdays | No public bus | 2026 |
| Ferry | None since 2016 | $40 kamaʻāina adult, one way | Sep 2026 |
| Property tax, owner-occupied (Maui County) | $1.65 per $1,000 | $1.65 per $1,000 | FY2027 |
| Home exemption (Maui County) | $300,000 | $300,000 | FY2027 |
| 1BR rent, HUD benchmark (Maui County) | $2,030 | $2,030 | Oct 2026 |
| Military cost-of-living index | 118 | not set | Jan 2025 |
| Ship a car from Honolulu, mid-size | $434.36 | $434.36 | 2026 |
Every figure links to the guide where its source is cited.
Electricity swings hardest here
Both islands run on small, oil-fired grids, so fuel price changes hit them hardest. The same 500 kWh on Molokaʻi came to about $243 in August and $315 in October. Civil Beat reported Lānaʻi bills up about 55%, more than $100 a month, between June 2025 and June 2026 (Civil Beat).
Gas
AAA doesn’t track either island. In April 2026, Maui Now found Molokaʻi stations at $6.97 to $6.99 a gallon after a peak of $7.09, while Lānaʻi was $5.03, below the state average, because Pūlama Lānaʻi subsidizes it (Maui Now).
Getting off-island
- Flights: Mokulele serves both islands and raised fares about $10 a seat in May 2026 (Hawaii News Now).
- Ferry: the Lahaina–Lānaʻi ferry charges a kamaʻāina adult $40 one way. Maui County plans to take over the route in mid-2027 and is aiming to restart a Molokaʻi ferry in 2029 (Maui Now).
- Medical trips: Civil Beat reported a Molokaʻi cancer patient paying $853 for a round trip to Honolulu. A state pilot program now covers medical flights with a doctor’s referral, funded through June 2027 (Civil Beat).
- Getting around Molokaʻi: Maui Economic Opportunity runs a free weekday shuttle on east, west and central routes (MEO).
- Shipping a car: Young Brothers charges $356 to $629 one way from Honolulu, depending on the car’s weight (Young Brothers tariff).
Housing
There aren’t enough listings to publish a typical rent for either island: Zillow showed three rentals in Kaunakakai and one in Lānaʻi City in late October 2026. Much of Lānaʻi’s housing is owned or managed by Pūlama Lānaʻi. HUD uses the Maui County figure for both islands. See rent by island.
Schools and childcare
Every elementary school in the Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lānaʻi-Molokaʻi complex now has a free Ready Keiki public pre-K classroom (Maui Now). See childcare costs.
Both islands are part of Maui County, so they share its taxes. See Maui and compare the islands.
Sources
- Hawaiian Electric: Effective Rate Summary, October 2026
- Civil Beat: high oil prices hammer HECO customers
- Maui Now: Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi gas prices
- Hawaii News Now: Mokulele fare increase
- Maui Now: county ferry plans
- Civil Beat: fund covers neighbor island medical flights
- MEO: Molokaʻi Rural Shuttle
- Young Brothers: Local Tariff No. 5-A
- Maui Now: Ready Keiki expansion
- State report of FY2027 county tax rates
- HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents (via StartBusinessByState)
- DBEDT Data Book Table 14.28: military COLA index