Average Utility Costs in Hawaii

Typical monthly utility costs in Hawaii are about $547.47/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Hawaii cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Electric: HECO (Oahu) and HELCO (Hawaii Island) use Schedule R tiered rates + monthly ECRC. Water: Honolulu BWS (Oahu), Hawaii County DWS (Hilo). Sewer: Honolulu ENV (Oahu); Hawaii County (Hilo—contact for rates). Trash: Honolulu curbside (no separate fee); Hawaii County varies.

Why are Hawaii utility costs so similar across cities? Unlike mainland states with multiple electric providers and municipal utilities per city, Hawaii uses island-wide or county-wide monopolies. All six Oahu cities (Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kailua, Kaneohe) are served by the same three providers—Hawaiian Electric (HECO), Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and Honolulu ENV—so rates are identical. Hilo uses Hawaii Electric Light (HELCO) and Hawaii County DWS, which follow similar tariff structures. No retail electric choice or competing water utilities exist, so you’ll see comparable estimates across the cities we cover.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in Hawaii

The average utility bill in Hawaii is estimated at $547.47 per month, a typical total assembled from median city estimates for electricity, water, sewer, and trash. To reflect a more typical bill across cities (and reduce the impact of outliers), these "average" values use the median of city estimates.

Electric (1,000 kWh)
$400.47
Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.
Water (5,000 gal)
$46.30
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Sewer
$100.70
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Trash
$0.00
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Typical total (assembled from medians)
$547.47
Alternate view: Median of city totals: $547.47

Assumptions: 1,000 kWh/month and 5,000 gallons/month (where applicable). "Average" values represent the median city estimate; water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries when service or published rates vary by address. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.

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Utility providers in Hawaii

In the cities we cover, electric is provided by Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) (Hilo); Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) (Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kailua, Kaneohe) HECO (Oahu) and HELCO (Hawaii Island) rates from Hawaiian Electric; Honolulu BWS and ENV from official sources. Water, sewer, and trash are set by city, county, or regional providers. Our estimates use each utility's published rate at 1,000 kWh. City pages show sources and last-verified dates.

See which electric, water, sewer, and trash providers serve different areas of Hawaii, along with typical residential rate information and sources.

View utility providers in Hawaii

These rankings are estimates for comparison at 1,000 kWh. For the full breakdown (electric, water, sewer, trash) by city, use the comparison table below.

Cheapest electric rates in Hawaii

Top 5 cities with the lowest estimated electric bill at 1,000 kWh. See the comparison table below for all cities.

Most expensive total utility monthly cost in Hawaii

Top 5 cities with the highest estimated total (electric + water + sewer + trash). See the comparison table for all cities.

Compare all cities

Estimated monthly costs by city, sorted by total (highest first). Same assumed usage (1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) for comparison; some cities may show $0 when no single published municipal rate is available or service varies by address. 7 cities.

CityCountyElectricWaterSewerTrashTotalView
Urban HonoluluHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View Urban Honolulu details →
East HonoluluHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View East Honolulu details →
Pearl CityHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View Pearl City details →
WaipahuHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View Waipahu details →
KailuaHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View Kailua details →
KaneoheHonolulu County$400.47$46.30$100.70$0.00$547.47View Kaneohe details →
HiloHawaii County$400.47$48.67$0.00$0.00$449.14View Hilo details →

Hawaii counties

View estimated utility costs by county. Each county page lists cities and a comparison table of monthly estimates.

Explore utility costs

Browse utility costs across all states we cover, or compare two cities side-by-side.

FAQ – Utilities in Hawaii

Oahu cities (Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kailua, Kaneohe) use Hawaiian Electric (HECO) for electric, Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) for water, and Honolulu Department of Environmental Services (ENV) for sewer. Hilo (Hawaii Island) uses Hawaii Electric Light (HELCO) for electric and Hawaii County Department of Water Supply for water.
Electric rates are among the highest in the US due to imported fuel. Oahu and Hawaii Island share similar HECO/HELCO rate structures; the Energy Cost Recovery Clause (ECRC) adjusts monthly. Water and sewer vary by county—Honolulu has higher sewer base fees; Hawaii County water is billed bi-monthly.
We estimate four components: electric (1,000 kWh using Schedule R + ECRC), water (5,000 gal), sewer (Honolulu: base + volumetric; Hawaii County: contact for rates), and trash. Honolulu curbside trash has no separate fee; Hawaii County trash may be bundled.
Hilo shows $0 for sewer and trash because Hawaii County does not publish residential rates online. Honolulu trash has no separate fee (funded through general revenues). In state median cards, water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries.
Each city page links to official sources. Hawaiian Electric publishes the Effective Rate Summary monthly (ECRC changes). Honolulu BWS and ENV publish rate schedules. Hawaii County: contact DEM (808) 961-8338 for sewer.