Hawaii vacation costs becoming increasingly expensive for 2022

If you’re trying to create a budget for a Hawaii vacation, you may need to prepare yourself to spend more. The costs of hotels, rental cars, taxes, fees, etc. have gone up significantly.

In August 2012, nearly 10 years ago, we created a calculator of sorts to estimate the cost of a Hawaii vacation

. We’ve just updated that article with the newest data and information.

Though we update that vacation budget calculator article at least once a year, we are still surprised to see how much more expensive a trip to Hawaii has become over the last 10 years. Basically, according to our estimations, the costs have jumped up roughly 40% in the past ten years. 

What’s driven up the costs? Let’s look at some of the data points:

• Hotel costs have become more expensive. Ten years ago, the average daily rate of a hotel room was $201 through the first six months of 2012. Fast forward to the newest, 2021 year-end data that shows the average daily room rate jumped to $329 per night.
• Hotel taxes have increased to almost 18% just recently from nearly 15% just months ago.
• Resort fees continue to increase and have definitely become the norm in Hawaii. (Those “hidden” fees can add up quickly.)
• Rental car rates have come down a bit from the astronomical rates of 2021, but they’re still much higher than they used to be.
• Many popular Hawaii state parks began charging out-of-state visitors parking and/or entrance fees.

According to our newest numbers from our Hawaii vacation budget estimator with flights, here’s what a couple can expect to spend on average:

From states in the western U.S. – $5,731 per week

From states in the mid-west – $6,281 per week

From states in the eastern U.S. – $6,581 per week

Of course, there is some seasonality for pricing, so you may end up paying more or less depending on what time of year you visit Hawaii. You can also pay more or less depending on what type of accommodation and/or rental car you choose.

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Have you noticed big changes in your Hawaii vacation costs?