Living in Hawaii Questions

chadhender · Feb 17, 2006

I know this is a scuba board but I have a few questions for the Honolulu locals. I may have a job offer coming up in a month or 2 in Honolulu and have a few questions about living in Hawaii. Where is a good place to live that has easy access to Downtown area? What is the average price of a 1 bed room apartment in a average neiborhood? What is the typical energy bill for a 1 bed room apartment? And Any info on agents that locate rental property, info on prices of typical living expences, etc. will be appreciated. Thanks in advance everyone.

Chad

Cacia · Feb 17, 2006

I would say 1,500 to 1,800 in an average neighborhood. My utility bill is 600/month and the house is 3000 sq feet. I am running a pool pump and a split systemAC in one BR about half the time. Lots of people have roommates, like three to a house type of thing.

Our gas is like 3.70 or so, keep the commute distance in mind.

Hope that helps,

Catherine

chadhender · Feb 17, 2006

thanks catherine

Well the employer said that there is no parking availible and that most people that work there ride the bus, which they pay for. Is the bus system user friendly or is it a pain? It will be just me and my wife and we would like a single bed room. Is there any places that are nice to live in the downtown area?

Also wanted to mention I plan on spending most of spare time diving

Al Mialkovsky · Feb 17, 2006

wow, cheaper to live there than I thought.

only 600 a month to turn the lights on?

good thing I haven't lost my night vision yet.

justleesa · Feb 18, 2006

We live in the middle of Waikiki and pay about $1000 for our place. The apartment, is called studio, but is a bit more than just a studio has somewhere around 450sf and we also have a lanai. W&D, water, cable and 2 parking spots included.

We don't use air conditioning, but the washer/dryer and 2 ceiling fans run every day. Our electric bill is about 100-120.

chadhender · Feb 18, 2006

justleesa,

The office where I will be working is on Biship Street Downtown, would it be a good idea to live in this area (crime wise)? I really want to be somewhere close to work. Any other info would be nice also.

Chad

justleesa · Feb 18, 2006

Aloha Chad,

Bishop street is in or near Chinatown. Not one of the safest areas...lots of bars and the no good stuff that comes along with it...we were over there on Thrusday and saw plenty of homeless people sleeping in the door ways of vacant businesses. While we were standing at the light there were 2 men waiting on the other side. I must say they kinda scared me by the way they were oggeling my camera, I am so glad I was with my big strong husband

Although we have had someone break into our appartment, in general, I do feel safe where we live.

If you check out our bus system you will see that the connections are pretty good. A monthly pass costs $40. Depending on how much you use it a good deal.

You might want to also start checking the paper to get an idea of what rent and availability is like.

Hope this helps you a bit,
Lisa

gjm · Feb 18, 2006

Chad,
If you want to go less than 1000 you will probably be in the middle of nowhere or in a rather bad area. I had a small studio(200 sqft) near UH that ran for about 500 and I got to know the local police very well. East of Bishop street is not too bad. Aiea and Pearl Ridge are about a 30 minute commute. Also Kailua is not that bad. It's on the windward side of the island but there is the 56(?) bus that goes right downtown. Depending on traffic it's 30-40 minutes.
The bus is really good for getting in or out of honolulu. It's also great for getting around honolulu. It really sucks trying to get anywhere that in some way does not include honolulu.
My electric has always been pretty low about 40-50 but I don't have an AC, W/D, or TV and I only cook one meal a day. Food is expensive, Rice is your friend.Just about everything gets shipped into the islands so there is an added cost to everything.

Hope this helps

john

DeputyDan · Feb 18, 2006

And people say crime is bad on Bonaire and not Hawaii

chadhender · Feb 18, 2006

GJM,

I am not looking for any certain priceon an apartment, I just want to be in a good area with easy access to work. I am also just trying to get a better idea of living cost to make sure the move is worth it. I also eat alot of rice now so I am use to that. The one good thing is, there is a shortage of my profession there (land surveyors) and I think I found a job a lot quicker than I expected.

Chad

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