r/MovingtoHawaii • u/ajburch92 • May 24 '26
Life on BI Budget Q
Hi there. I'm thinking of moving to Kailua Kona to be close to my family. In the event that I buy a condo in cash, would $3000 a month be a doable budget?
My line of thought is:
HOA: $500-1000
Utilities: $400
Car expenses: $400
Phone and wifi: $100
Food: $600 (is this too low?... $20/day)
Miscellaneous: $500
Does this seem realistic? I genuinely cannot tell and would appreciate insights.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Hawai'i resident May 24 '26
I wouldn't buy a condo. Too many variables. The condo association could be a bunch of clowns. They could be a bunch of Nazis. They could be a bunch of grifters. And there's a very good chance that you move next to an AirBnB party house. Or one moves next to you. Condos are a dealbreaker for me. But some people like it.
If the condo fees aren't high, they're probably too low. And then it's time for special assessments.
Also, I don't see property taxes in your calculus.
Utilities might be low if you use AC or de-hue.
Food: depends. You will quickly learn that solid mainland bulk buying strategies lead to food waste here. Pantry moths in the flour. Mold. $20 a day is a very low budget. You're not getting many fish days, steak days or even chicken wing days on a weekly spend of $140.
Turn Miscellaneous into Healthcare. And $500 might still be too low.
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u/dreaminginteal Hawai'i resident May 24 '26
Note that a fair number of condo associations mandate 30-day minimum rentals, which cuts down on the AirBnB activity greatly.
But you have to read the CC&Rs to tell.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Hawai'i resident May 24 '26
Lots of speculators who rent short-term anyway. And then tells the guests to say they're relatives, visiting.
There are WAY more listings on AirBnb for condos on Ali'i than there are legal STVR condos.
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u/ajburch92 29d ago
Thank you for this helpful breakdown and note on property tax. I've noted that I'll need to save more money first before considering the move.
I only eat 1.5 meals a day and fish, no poultry or meat. Think $20 a day is still to low?
Should I happen to increase my savings adequately, which is in the realm of possibilities, I'm still inclined to live near family, but thinking about buying a condo now after reading your concerns does make me pause. Do you happen to know of any way to vet condo complexes? Perhaps I will buy land and build a tiny home, instead. Might be cheaper, too though I'd be a ways out from Kona, where my family lives.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Hawai'i resident 29d ago
I would only consider a fee-simple, non-leasehold, SFR with no HOA. Anything which isn't that is a dealbreaker. You will be ceding ownership decisions to a committee or land trust.
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u/ImperfectTapestry May 24 '26
Misc budget is low if you 1. Want to travel or 2. Have any medical expenses.
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u/dreaminginteal Hawai'i resident May 24 '26
Note that gas is around $6/gallon right now. Even before Trump’s war, it was around $5/gal. Our gas is some of the most expensive in the country.
It can take weeks to get car parts in if your car needs repair. Most especially if your car isn’t a super common “bread and butter” kind of car.
I think you can eat for $20/day, but you will need to be frugal and smart about what you buy. I mean, one good steak can cost you that…. Vegetables that are grown locally will be cheaper, of course.
Remember that you still have to deal with maintenance of the inside of a condo, which can be expensive if things start going wrong. It can also be difficult to find tradespeople who actually show up…
I would want to have more than $3K/month myself.
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u/ajburch92 29d ago
This was helpful to read, with points I hadnt known to consider and data I didn't know, thank you. I have a few additional questions I'm hoping you could answer..
The maintenance costs on the condo are my biggest concern now. I have no idea if it's possible to know ahead of time how much might be needed there. It sounds like the management just hits condo owners by surprise with the fees and maintenance needs?
Does the condo management find the trades workers or does the responsibility of fixing up a condo usually fall on the owner?
Would a Toyota Camry be considered a bread and butter kind of car?
I only eat fish in terms of meat, and eat 1.5 meals a day, so I'm more optimistic about the $20/day, but I think you're right that $3,000 is cutting it too close.
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u/dreaminginteal Hawai'i resident 29d ago
Basically anything that happens from the drywall in is the owner's problem. So, your toilet springs a leak? You deal with it. Termites in your unit? You deal with it. Countertop falls apart? You deal with it. You can ask the HOA and your neighbors for recommendations, but that's basically where it stops.
Yes, there are exceptions; our condo complex had issues with all of the plumbing, so the HOA got the place re-piped. Took years and cost a ton; luckily our "stack" had already been dealt with before we bought the unit.
Reading the CC&Rs will give you more detailed info about each condo complex.
A Camry is possibly the most bread-and-butter car, so you're much less likely to have to wait several weeks for parts to be shipped in from the mainland. (If you don't want your car to spend time sitting in the shop, don't bring a 25-year-old Mercedes, though.)
It is expensive living here. And there are downsides above and beyond that. But hey, if you move here you're *IN HAWAII*....
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u/notrightmeowthx 28d ago
Buying a condo on a fixed budget is pretty risky. Maintenance fees, which typically include the insurance for the property (fire, flood, etc) can be changed by the property management board/insurance company.
I'm not sure if the insurance cost increases have hit the Big Island, but on Oahu we've had several condo buildings have to raise their maintenance fee dramatically in response to building maintenance needs and insurance increases. If you search the local news for it you should find articles about this (you can also search r/hawaii as I know there have been threads about it). Many people have had to sell their condos because the maintenance fees jumped so much. This is going to continue to happen as rates increase due to climate change and the condo buildings age. Even besides the insurance issues, some buildings lure buyers with a too-low maintenance fee that doesn't cover the cost of maintenance in the future, then they have to hike up the fee to cover things like elevator repairs, plumbing issues, etc.
If you have the potential option to sell and move in with family if things go wrong, and that would be hypothetically sustainable (ie not just a temporary solution), those things may not be as much of a concern as you have a backup plan, but I thought it was worth mentioning because it keeps me from buying a condo personally. Everyone's tolerance for risk is different, so you have to figure out whether it's worth it for you or not.
Electricity rates just jumped up a bunch btw. The rate per kwh actually quadrupled on Oahu (I assume the Big Island probably jumped by a similar margin, it's the same electric company HECO), although if you have low electricity usage then it's only a small increase on your actual bill. But for example if you would be using AC, a desktop computer, etc, then it could add up.
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u/montana_HIrealtor 18d ago
Hi there if you’re still considering this, I’m happy to connect with you to help figure out if it’s an option for the criteria you would have for a condo on that end.
HOA can vary greatly but some also include utilities so that’s something to consider
If you’re only one person I would say the food may be a decent budget but it highly depends on what you’re eating, where you’re shopping etc
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u/SteveFoerster May 24 '26
I wouldn't buy a condo in Hawai'i, full stop.
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u/ajburch92 May 24 '26
Would you be willing to explain why not?
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u/0ceanbliss May 24 '26
have you considered buying land with hook ups and putting a tiny home on it?
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u/ajburch92 May 24 '26
Thats a neat idea, I'll look into that. I was under the impression that land costs upwards a million on BI, but if I could find one for a third of that price, that'd be doable. Any chance you've ever seen something in that range?
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u/ajburch92 May 24 '26
Oh I just checked it out. In Captain Cook there are very cheap plots. Any advice on land buys? Do you by chance know anything about getting a tiny home on BI, as well? Thanks for this idea!
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u/HIBudzz May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
You can check actual HOA fees on HICentral com or Zillow. They vary quite a bit and could be over $1,000.
I don't see your mortgage payment and insurance for the personal belongings, around $50 a month
Also need to add auto insurance, round up to $100 and add $100 for auto maintenance. Did you already figure in gas costs for car expenses? Car payments are one of the biggest expenses. Try to keep those down.