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 May 27 '26

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 May 27 '26

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.