Cost of one week trip to Kona Hawaii on the Big Island 🌴 Budget BREAKDOWN 🌴 Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

So one of the first steps in planning your Hawaii vacation is deciding which Hawaiian island to visit!

The main ones are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

If it’s your first trip to Hawaii and you’re looking for a variety of activities and new discoveries, you should totally consider the Big Island for your Hawaiian island of choice!

With one week in Hawaii on the Big Island, you can experience black sand beaches, white sand beaches, a green sand beach, lava fields, a lava tube cave hike, waterfalls, beach hikes, snorkeling, Hawaiian culture, a national park, state parks, TONS of scenic drives, and TONS of amazing views!! Just follow this one week Big Island itinerary!

If you’re still undecided about which Hawaiian island to choose, also have a look at this Maui itinerary that includes a ton of very Hawaii things to do too! Also see the comparison of islands for your first trip to Hawaii.

So…

How much does it cost to go to Hawaii?!

…when you’re planning a one week trip to Kona and the Big Island!

I’m not one to plan too far ahead, so these are my experiences based on that.

I booked my flight to the Big Island less than 2 weeks in advance in 2019. The travel world has changed since then, but still below can hopefully give you a starting point. Aside from my accommodation for the first few days, I booked all my accommodation once I arrived on the Big Island. (I stayed for more than a week.) I don’t necessarily recommend doing this, especially if you will be staying in Kona. (Well, that’s what I’d say under normal circumstances anyway.)

Here are official updates on travel restrictions to Hawaii.

Flights to the Big Island

Cost of flights to Hawaii: Maybe normally $500 from the west coast to a range of maybe $800+ from other parts of the U.S.

There are 2 main airports on the Big Island – Kona airport and Hilo airport.

You’ll probably have more choices flying into Kona.

If you’re doing a circle island trip on the Big Island where you’ll be staying in different part of the island as you move around, then I don’t think it’ll matter much which airport you fly into. (But maybe compare car rental prices with pick-up from both airports.)

If you’re looking to spend a few days in one spot upon arrival to the Big Island or before you leave the Big Island, Kona might be the better choice.

You’ll also want to be in Kona if you want to stay in a part of the Big Island that’s walkable to some oceanfront bars and restaurants. You can say Kona is the main tourist area. There are also lots of things to do on the Kona coast.

Hilo is the side with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

There are direct flights to Kona from the mainland U.S., but there’s also a chance that you’ll find a cheaper flight with a layover on the island of Oahu at Honolulu airport.

The cost of your flight to Hawaii will vary widely based on where you’re flying from.

Naturally, flying from the west coast will be cheaper.

But nowadays, it might be cheaper than you think!

There’s more competition now on flights to Hawaii, especially since Southwest Airlines is now flying to Hawaii.

And, not only is Southwest a budget airline, but it’s also currently the only airline (that I know of) that offers FREE checked baggage for economy tickets! (A luxury on domestic flights in basic economy these days!)

So if you’re planning to check in luggage, and not go carry-on only, then be sure to factor in the baggage fees on flights to Hawaii when you’re figuring out your budget for Hawaii.

Also note, that United typically doesn’t allow free carry-on either for their cheapest tickets in economy class.

If there’s a Southwest hub near you, check here how much a flight to Kona KOA will be.

Also be sure you understand the Southwest open seating arrangement and how to get the best seats on your flight!

Otherwise, you can check Google flights to get an idea of how much flights to Kona might be. My preferred flight search engine is kiwi.com. If I find a cheap flight, then I’ll go directly to the airline website and book there if the price is the same.

If your Hawaii vacation isn’t for a long time, sign up for the free Beat of Hawaii newsletter and consider paying for the premium subscription of Scott’s cheap flights so you can be notified about deals on flights to Hawaii.

I’ve seen flights to Kona from the west coast for less than $300 round trip (OAK, SJC) and around $300-350 (BUR, LAX, PDX, SMF, SAN) by being subscribed to Scott’s cheap flights. Even if these aren’t your home airports, it can mean connecting flights through these airports will be cheaper too. So maybe it’s possible to find a deal at $500-600 from other parts of the country.

E-mail notifications to find cheap flights to Hawaii.

Accommodation on the Big Island

Cost for one week of accommodation: Maybe $450 at the lower end to $1,000+ staying in a Kona hotel

But this can vary greatly based on your stay preferences

There are beach resorts and hotels on the Kona coast if you are looking for a vacation with a little bit of luxury.

There are also some budget options.

Budget places to stay on the Big Island

If you’re looking to save money, you’ll open up your accommodation options widely if you consider airbnb.

I stayed in hostels and places I found on airbnb.

Traveling alone, the most I paid for one night was around $60 a night for a private airbnb room in Waikoloa Village that came with a view of a sunset over the ocean!

Otherwise, I paid a range from around $30 to $55 a night for a hostel.

On the Big Island, there are hostels in Kona, Hilo, and Volcano.

On the Puna coast which is kind of near the national park, I had a private room in a cabin-type accommodation for around $45 a night with vast views of lava fields.

If you are committed to going super budget, then there’s a good chance you can manage $40-80 per night, with the higher end even being the price of nice private rooms with double bed you can find on airbnb.

I did find cheaper airbnb private rooms in Kona to be difficult to find at the last minute, so it’s probably good to book your Kona accommodation in advance as soon as you know your dates.

You can search here for airbnb stays on the Big Island and adjust for your price range.

Map with cost of hotels on the Big Island

Explore the map below (partner website) by zooming out to start to get an idea of the cost of hotels on the Big Island. Even better if you know the month you want to travel to get a better idea of the prices of beach resorts and hotels. You can select the dates below.

Also see the list of the best hotels on the Big Island.

Car rental on the Big Island

Cost for one week car rental: Maybe $350

But this will also depend on what kind of car you get

It’s possible to be in Kona without a car.

There’s bike sharing, the public bus, and the trolley.

Apart from walking, bike sharing I think is a good way to go to some spots along the coast. The bus and trolley are infrequent but they are there to be used if you pay attention to timings. You can get from Kona to Hilo by bus.

If you are looking to discover more of the Big Island though, it will be best to rent a car.

The price of your car rental will also depend on which type of car you go for.

I booked a car 2 days before I was going to pick it up and was able to get it for $33 a day. I was surprised and happy about that!

I definitely wouldn’t expect this every time, so I thought that was good. When I extended my car rental, it became $37 a day.

I booked an intermediate car and was given a mazda 3.

So maybe you can budget $40-50 a day for renting a car.

Car rentals are probably another thing that’s generally better to book in advance. I wouldn’t expect to be getting $30 a day for a car rental on a regular basis.

Tons of people rent Jeeps on the Big Island.

So if you have even a small thought of really wanting a jeep, you might want to get one.

Or else you might end up with regret after you see so many tourists with jeeps! (If you see a new looking jeep on the Big Island, it’s probably a car rental!)

Here are a few reasons why people rent a jeep on the Big Island.

See here to find the cheapest car rental prices from the Kona airport. (partner website) I had a car rental from Dollar at Kona airport, and from Sixt at the Maui airport.

Gas on the Big Island

Cost for one week of gas: Maybe $50-100

But this will vary widely based on how much driving you do!

Well, part of the added cost of renting a car is gas!

For comparison, when in Kona, gas was around $3.80 a gallon, the U.S. national average was around $2.70.

How much you spend on gas will depend on how you want to spend your time on the Big Island.

But if you’re renting a car, that probably means you want to see a lot of the island, and that probably means a lot of driving!

If you plan on circling the Big Island over a week, you will likely be driving at least 250 miles, and probably a lot more! It’s not completely unreasonable for you to drive 500 miles even in just 5 days on the Big Island if you are staying in just one part of the island and making day trips to different parts each day.

Some back and forth is very likely, even if you stay in different places throughout the island. And driving to destinations off the main roads can add some mileage too.

There are lots of places that look like they are just off the highway on a map, but in reality there’s a lot of twisting and turning of longish roads to get where you want to end up at once you get off the highway. (Well it’s not THAT long, but the driving is slower and the time and miles add up!)

Food on the Big Island

Cost for one week of food: Too varied based on individual preferences to give a one week estimate!

Food can be expensive if you eat out.

It would not be unusual for a meal to be $15-20 per person at a regular restaurant or a “food shack.” (See food menus there for examples.)

You may also come across some food trucks, and you might find a meal at a food truck for around $10-15.

There are fast food restaurants on the Big Island, and a 6-inch subway sandwich can cost around $6-8.

Otherwise, the way to save money on food is to stay at a place with access to a kitchen. You can then buy food at Walmart, Costco, or a local grocery store.

Grocery store prices may also be higher than you’re used to, but it is much cheaper than eating out for every meal!

If you want to calculate it, maybe just to be safe, think about how much you spend on groceries at home over the course of the week, and double it. Better to overestimate than underestimate!

Convenience stores carry some basic items, but prices tend to be higher than grocery stores.

Activities on the Big Island

Cost for one week of activities: $30

If the only paid activity you do is the national park!

There are tons of things to do on the Big Island for FREE!

This includes beaches…

…and snorkeling…

…and hiking…

…and stopping at scenic overlooks…

…and walking through caves formed by lava…

…and seeing turtles!

One of the top things to do on the Big Island that does have an entry fee is a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

This costs $30 for a one week pass per vehicle.

There’s also a Hawaii tri-park pass for $55 that includes entry for a year to 3 of the top national park sites in Hawaii. On the Big Island, there’s Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. The tri-park pass is also good for Maui’s national park.

You can also get the annual national park pass for $80 that will cover all U.S. national parks for a year, including the national parks in Hawaii.

Depending on your interests, you might also want to budget in the cost for tours too.

Some popular tours on the Big Island include snorkeling with manta rays, a boat tour that takes you to several snorkeling spots along the Kona coast, a kayaking tour that takes you to one of the top snorkeling spots, and a helicopter tour. You might budget $100-150 per person for each of these activities.

Otherwise, most activities on the Big Island can be free!

See some of the free things to do on the Big Island.

Packing for Hawaii

The other expense that can vary greatly that you might end up spending some money on when planning your first trip to Hawaii is on things to bring to Hawaii!

So be sure to have a look for ideas on things you might want to pack including snorkeling essentials, hiking essentials, and everyday essentials for Hawaii no matter what activities you have planned for the day!

HAPPY BUDGET PLANNING FOR YOUR FIRST TRIP TO HAWAII!

See the list:

• Things to do on the Big Island (for VIEWS!)
• Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
• Things to do in Kona

There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from this.

Top things to pack for your Hawaii vacation!

The ultimate beach towel for travel?!

Turkish towels are considered to be more absorbent and lightweight than your average beach towel. Be sure to check out turkish towels like these!

The cheapo way to waterproof your phone

You can take underwater pictures with a simple waterproof phone case like this. Touch screen may not work well underwater – try the volume button to snap the pic instead!

Get your suitcase more organized!

Packing cubes can make it so you’re spending less time on your vacation looking for things! They are basically a form of drawers in your suitcase. Take a look at these packing cubes.

Wear less sunscreen by wearing a UPF swim shirt!

Wearing a swim shirt means less skin that’s exposed to the sun which means less sunscreen you need to apply! See about wearing swim shirts with UV protection like these when you’re snorkeling.

More for your Big Island packing list

• How a cheapo waterproof phone case works
• Why wear water shoes for the beach
• Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean
• Essentials to pack for Hawaii
• Best shoes for Hawaii