Moving from Hawaii to Massachusetts
Hawaii to Massachusetts means shipping by sea, not only driving. Median rent is $1,762 a month in Massachusetts and $1,971 in Hawaii, and the median home is $562,100 against $839,100. State income tax is a flat 5.00% in Massachusetts and up to 11.00% in Hawaii. Property tax runs 1.07% of home value in Massachusetts and 0.27% in Hawaii.
Moving to Massachusetts costs about
$630/mo
less than Hawaii each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
A cheaper house in Massachusetts, a bigger property tax bill
The median home in Massachusetts costs $562,100 against $839,100 in Hawaii, but you would pay about $6,014 a year in property tax rather than $2,266. The rate more than cancels the lower price.
Hawaii vs Massachusetts at a glance
| Hawaii | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $839,100 | $562,100 |
| Median rent | $1,971/mo | $1,762/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 11.00% | Flat 5.00% |
| Property tax rate | 0.27% | 1.07% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 112 | 99 |
| Utilities | 190 | 152 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Hawaii vs Massachusetts
| Monthly | HI | MA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,971 | $1,762 | -$209 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $379 | $315 | -$64 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $70 | $100 | +$30 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $2,045 | $1,812 | -$233 |
| Utilities | $777 | $621 | -$156 |
| Total | -$632 | ||
Cost to move from Hawaii to Massachusetts
$7,200 to $13,900
A move involving Hawaii goes by sea rather than road, so the range is wider and rougher.
Shipping one car adds about $2,200 to $3,250. Ocean rates: Car Shipping Hawaii, 2026 booked shipments.
These are statewide figures. Honolulu is not Hawaii-average and Boston is not Massachusetts-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Massachusetts, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.