It might be all palm trees and paradise on postcards, but Hawaii pinches shoppers hardest at the grocery store. According to a 2023 survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, residents of the nation’s 50th state paid, on average, $333.88 per week for groceries — the most expensive grocery bill in the country. A number of factors contributed to the high cost of food in Hawaii, and even now, those same factors determine how high or low food prices are no matter where you live. However, Hawaii faces some challenges that other states don’t, which also explain the reasons behind the state’s jacked-up food costs.
As it turns out, there’s a price to pay for living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Food must be shipped to Hawaii from the mainland. This impacts what people pay for even the most basic staple items like milk, which has been roughly $7 a gallon in recent years. Since there are not as many dairy cows in Hawaii as there are in places like Wisconsin, for example, where milk excesses get made into scoops of frozen custard and soft serve, milk and other dairy products must be imported to meet the demand.
It’s for a similar reason that Alaska comes in just behind Hawaii on the list at $328.71 per week. The farther away from the main food supply that a state is, the more residents will pay for food. As it turns out, Wisconsin boasts the lowest food prices in the U.S., with residents paying $221.46 per week. Given that this Midwestern state is located right in the heart of America’s breadbasket, these low costs are hardly a surprise.
Taking a deeper dive into Hawaii’s grocery prices
Related factors also contribute to the cost of food in Hawaii. Steeper gas and fuel prices, for example, usually tend to lead to higher price tag amounts at the grocery store. Diesel fuel, which is not only used to run farm equipment but also to power the delivery trucks that transport food to and fro, have been rising since 2020. It costs more for manufacturers and industry workers to fuel their equipment, which is an expense that then gets passed down to the consumer.
Additionally, other factors like disruptions in the supply chain, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, labor shortages, and bird flu, have all contributed to the financial bewilderment that many Hawaiians probably feel as they peruse store aisles. In particular, 2022 turned out to be a banner year for food price increases, with the year seeing the largest jump in the cost of food since the late 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Overall, the price of food rose by nearly 24% from 2020 to 2024 for everyone, per the USDA’s Food Pricing and Spending report — not just residents of Hawaii. In the end, what affects one affects all.
Dealing with sticker shock in Hawaii
If you’re visiting Hawaii, you do have some options when it comes to keeping the price of your grocery haul down. Gearing your grocery lists toward the food that’s produced locally in Hawaii offers a good place to start. For example, many foods, like avocados, papaya, and dragonfruit, run cheaper in the state than they do elsewhere, due to their local status.
Swap out meat with fish and other seafood when it comes time to barbecue. Homemade poke bowls, with their chunks of savory raw fish, sesame oil, sea salt, and soy sauce, make for tasty meals and are more palatable to the cost conscious. And one can’t forget the rice to go with said poke bowl. Generally speaking, rice is cheap in Hawaii and is a good staple to keep in the cupboard to enjoy with the assorted fresh fish and veggies you’re bound to find in the grocery store aisles.
And finally, don’t forget that discount chains like Costco exist in Hawaii, too, along with local farmers markets, which often price their goods lower than the big chains. Remaining flexible and shopping local when possible can go a long way in saving you money.
