Which place is cheaper, Hawaii or Texas?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Texas or Hawaii?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Texas and Hawaii. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Texas or Hawaii?
Texas
Texas is the second largest and second most populated state in the United States. It measures 267,000 square miles in size and exploring even a large section of the state takes longer than you might expect. The size and distinctive culture of the area brings much pride to the state's natives. The state was briefly its own country for ten years, starting in 1836 after the residents rebelled as a territory of first Spain and then Mexico. It then joined the United States in 1845. The state maintains its independent personality and many Texans proudly display the state flag near their home or car.
Hawaii
Located towards the center of the Pacific Ocean and the northeast corner of Polynesia, Hawai'i is the 50th state of the United States of America. It is a major tourist destination for travelers from around the world and as such, its economy is very dependent on the tourist dollar. Historically, the state had strong whaling, sugar and pineapple industries, but today tourism and the military make up a significant part of the economy. The state includes many islands that spread over 1,500 miles, but there are eight main islands which have a diversity of natural beauty and interesting landscapes. The islands offer visitors many impressive features from the beautiful beaches to the lush interior. There is a lot of hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving available throughout the islands. The capital of the state is Honolulu, which is also the largest city. Both Hawaiian and English are spoken throughout.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Photography Tours in United States of America, The Best Camping Tours in United States of America, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in United States of America, and The Best Polar Tours & Cruises in United States of America.
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Texas Prices
USA PricesHawaii Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTexas $222Hawaii $393
The average daily cost (per person) in Texas is $222, while the average daily cost in Hawaii is $393. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Texas and Hawaii in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTexas $81Hawaii $214
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTexas $162Hawaii $428
Compare Hotels in Texas and Hawaii
Looking for a hotel in Texas or Hawaii? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Texas $49Hawaii $37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Texas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Texas:
- USA George Bush Inter Airport IAH Huston airport private transfer: $150
- Sedan Airport Transfer in Houston: $165
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Dallas Airport (DFW): $163
- Private Transfer in a Luxury Vehicle to and/or from HOU and IAH: $120
- Private Transfer from Galveston Port to Houston Airport (HOU): $149
- Private Transfer from Galveston Port to George Bush Airport (IAH): $212
- Private Transfer from Dallas Airport DFW to Dallas in Business Car: $113
- Private Transfer IAH Airport to Houston Space Center Galveston: $42
- Private Transfer Fort Worth Airport DFW to Downtown Dallas by Luxury Vehicle: $95
- Private Transfer Downtown Fort Worth to Fort Worth Airport DFW Luxury Vehicle: $112
- Private One-way Transfer from Dallas to Dallas Airport: $91
- Private One-way Transfer from Dallas Airport to Dallas: $91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hawaii
Also for Hawaii, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival - Private Transfer Honolulu Airport to Waikiki Hotel: $53
- Arrival Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal: $18
- Departure - Private Transfer Waikiki Hotel to Airport: $50
- Departure Transfer from Hotels to Kona International Airport: $15
- Departure Transfer: Airport Shuttle From Ko'olina To Honolulu Airport: $53
- Explore Waikiki: Self Guided tour from Ko Olina with transfers: $42
- Honolulu / Waikiki to Honolulu Airport (HNL) - Departure Private Transfer: $24
- Honolulu / Waikiki to Honolulu Airport (HNL) - Departure Transfer: $50
- Honolulu Airport & Cruise Port Private Luxury SUV Transfer: $160
- Honolulu Airport & Ko Olina Hotels Private Transfer by Minivan (up to 5 people): $100
- Honolulu Airport & Ko Olina Hotels Private Transfer by Passenger Van(14 ppl): $170
- Honolulu Airport & Waikiki Hotels Private Transfer by Passenger Van(up to 14ppl): $140
Is it cheaper to fly into Texas or Hawaii?
Prices for flights to both Hawaii and Texas change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayTexas $70Hawaii $128
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Texas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Texas.
- Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk Dinner and Photo Package: $51
- Dallas Sweet Treats Food Tour: Donuts, Churros, Pastries & More: $70
- Downtown Houston Food Tour: $80
- Guided Walking Food Tour Experience in Kemah: $80
- Austin Food Tour with Authentic Flavors, Tacos & 5 Food Tastings: $86
- Houston Downtown Food Tour with 5 Tastings of Tradition & Fusion: $90
- Austin Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $94
- 6-course Walking Food Tour in Dallas History + Cocktail opt.: $95
- Austin Street Art and Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $96
- Enjoy a Guided Walking Food Tour in the Heart of Austin: $98
- Austin Small Group Taco Food Tour: $99
- Austin South Congress Food Tour with 5 Tastings, Tacos & Sweets: $100
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hawaii
For Hawaii, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Downtown Honolulu Food Tour with 5 Local Favorites Tastings: $107
- Honolulu: Pacific Star Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show: $139
- Maui Ma'alaea Sunset Prime Rib or Fresh Island Fish Dinner Cruise: $150
- Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour: $150
- Honolulu's Walking Food Tour: $159
- Maui: Coast of Ka'anapali Beach Sunset Dinner Sail: $168
- Maui: Afternoon Whale Watching Tour with Dinner: $168
- Kona Walking Food Tour: $169
- Friday Fireworks Dinner Sail from the Hilton Hawaiian Village: $170
- Craft Cocktail and Dinner Experience: $175
- Maui Premium Sunset Dinner Cruise from Ka’anapali Beach: $180
- Kauai: Luau Ka Hikina Admission with Dinner and Lei Greeting: $183
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Texas $23Hawaii $38
Tours and Activities in Texas
Here are a few actual costs in Texas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour ATV Adventure Experience in Dallas: $120
- 1 Hour Private Electric Duffy Cruise on Lake Austin: $200
- 1 hr Lake Austin Boat Cruise. BYOB (Shared - Single Tickets): $39
- 1-Hour JFK Assassination Walking Tour: $28
- 1.5-Hour Historical SEA-DOO Experience in South Padre Island: $199
- 1:00 PM Eco Tour and Dolphin Watch: $19
- 2 hr Sunset Boat Cruise on Lake Austin. BYOB (Single Tickets): $86
- 2-Day Pass at NASA Space Center Houston & Mission Control Tour: $215
- 3-Hour Ropes Course and Zip Line Adventure: $50
- 3:00 PM Eco Tour and Dolphin Watch: $19
- 8 Hour Open Road Slingshot Adventure: $110
- 80-Minute JFK Assassination Walking and Van Tour: $30
Tours and Activities in Hawaii
For Hawaii, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Honolulu Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.57
- Legends of Waikiki Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour of Honolulu: $6.99
- Explore the USS Arizona Today Virtual Reality Experience: $7.00
- Official Pearl Harbor Chief's Self-Guided Multimedia Tour: $10
- Official Diamond Head Self-Guided Narrated Hiking Tour: $11
- Historic Walking Tour in Kihei Maui with Local Guide: $12
- Maui Beach Parks Self-Guided Driving Tour: $15
- Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour in Honolulu: $15
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour of Waikiki: $15
- Kona Manta Ray Snorkel Tour: Guaranteed or come again free: $15
- Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $16
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $17
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTexas $19Hawaii $19
Sample the Local Flavors in Texas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Texas:
- Astonishing Bar Crawl in Houston Hustle: $15
- Awesome Bar Crawl in Plano: $15
- Dallas Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- Sip & Savor: Wine Tasting at Flat Creek Estate: $32
- Galveston's Best Pub Crawl Tour and Guided History Walk: $33
- Haunted History Pub Crawl & Walking Tour: $33
- Galveston Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $35
- Austin Haunted Pub Crawl Walking Tour: $35
- Public Pedal Pub Tour in Austin: $39
- 1-Hour Distillery Tour and Tasting in Dallas: $40
- Stockyards History Tour Fort Worth Pub Crawl: $43
- Public Party Bike Pub Crawl Tour in Austin: $54
Sample the Local Flavors in Hawaii
Also in Hawaii, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Koʻolau Distillery Whiskey Tour in Kailua, Hawai'i: $25
- Oahu: Kō Hana Agricole Rum Distillery Tour and Tasting: $35
- Winery Oeno Island Style Wine Tasting: $39
- Ola Distillery Tour and Spirit Tasting in Hawaii: $50
- Hawaiian Style Paint Party at Koʻolau Distillery, Paint & Sip: $55
- Twilight Wine Tasting by Sea and Sunset Cruise in Honolulu: $119
- Oahu: Kō Hana Rum Deep Dive Distillery Tour with Tasting: $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Texas and Hawaii, we can see that Hawaii is more expensive. And not only is Texas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Texas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Texas and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Hawaii would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hawaii than you might in Texas.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Texas Expensive? and Is Hawaii Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Texas or Hawaii?
Texas has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Hawaii. When comparing the sizes of Texas and Hawaii, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.