Key takeaway: One ride on TheBus or Skyline is $3.25 cash since July 1, 2026, or $3 with a HOLO card two-hour pass (TheBus). Hele-On on Hawaiʻi Island is free through 2028. Inter-island fares jumped in 2026 as jet fuel prices rose. Numbers checked October 30, 2026.
Bus fares by island
| Island | One adult ride | Monthly pass | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oʻahu (TheBus and Skyline) | $3.25 cash; $3 HOLO 2-hour pass | $90 | Day cap $7.50; annual $990; HOLO card $2 |
| Maui (Maui Bus) | $2 | $45 | Day pass $4. Seniors 55+, youth up to 24 and some others ride fixed routes free |
| Hawaiʻi Island (Hele-On) | Free | Free | Fare-free for everyone through Dec 31, 2028 |
| Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi Bus) | $2 ($0.50 shuttle) | $50 | Discounted fare $1; discounted monthly $25 |
| Molokaʻi (MEO Rural Shuttle) | Free | Free | East, West and Central routes on weekdays |
| Lānaʻi | No public bus | Plan on a car or shuttle |
Sources: TheBus fares, Maui County, Hele-On, County of Kauaʻi, Maui Economic Opportunity.
What changed on Oʻahu in July 2026
The city raised fares on July 1, 2026: the cash fare went to $3.25, the adult monthly pass rose from $80 to $90 and the seven-day pass from $35 to $45. The $3 two-hour HOLO pass stayed the same, so paying with a HOLO card is the cheaper way to ride. Reduced fares for seniors, people with disabilities and low-income riders are $20 a month (Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
Outside Oʻahu, you need a car
The neighbor-island bus systems cover main towns but run less often and fewer hours. Most households outside Honolulu plan on at least one car. See our car costs guide and gas prices by island.
Inter-island flights
No agency publishes an average inter-island fare, so we can only point to reported prices. In late April 2026, Hawaii News Now reported round trips between Honolulu and Kahului as high as $638, after jet fuel prices roughly doubled (Hawaii News Now). In early May, Beat of Hawaii found a Līhuʻe–Honolulu round trip for about $230 before fees, and noted that the fare wars are over since Southwest pulled back and Hawaiian completed its integration with Alaska Airlines (Beat of Hawaii). Mokulele, which serves Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, raised fares by about $10 a seat on May 4, 2026 (Hawaii News Now).
Ferry to Lānaʻi
The Expeditions ferry between Lahaina and Lānaʻi charges a kamaʻāina adult $40 one way and a standard adult $66. Maui County plans to take over the route in mid-2027, and is aiming for a Molokaʻi ferry in 2029. Molokaʻi has had no ferry since 2016 (Maui Now, Sep 2026).
Sources
- TheBus: fares effective July 1, 2026
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser: transit fare increase takes effect July 1
- Maui County: Maui Bus fares
- Hele-On: fares
- Hawaiʻi Public Radio: Hele-On stays free
- County of Kauaʻi: bus fares
- MEO: Molokaʻi Rural Shuttle
- Hawaii News Now: soaring interisland fares, Apr 2026
- Beat of Hawaii: interisland fare wars end, May 2026
- Hawaii News Now: Mokulele fare increase
- Maui Now: county ferry plans