Hawaii grocery stores are where many visitors take their first sticker-shock photo of the trip. The viral price-tag photos are real, and the cause is real: Hawaii imports much of its food, and that ocean voyage shows up in every aisle. Local food prices have run well above the U.S. city average for years. Visitors who plan a few meals through their condo or vacation rental kitchen can put a real dent in the food budget. Eating breakfast and one or two casual lunches “at home” is the single biggest food-budget lever a visitor has. The trick is knowing which store to go to for what, because Hawaii’s grocery scene is not a copy of the mainland’s. Some chains are unique to the islands, and the produce that’s actually local is wildly better than what’s been in transit for two weeks. The short version: use Costco when you have a membership, a car, and several people to feed; use Foodland, Times, Safeway, KTA, Target, or Walmart for normal vacation groceries; use farmers markets and roadside stands for fruit; use ABC Stores only for convenience top-ups. Here’s how the chains stack up, and how to use each one.

Almost every grocery strategy on this page assumes you have access to a kitchen, a coffee maker, and a refrigerator. That means a condo, a vacation rental, an Airbnb, or a hotel “studio” with a kitchenette, not a standard hotel room. If you’re staying in a standard hotel and eating every meal at a restaurant, the math is different and you’ll be looking at restaurant guides rather than grocery aisles. Even a partial kitchen helps. A coffee maker plus a fridge plus a microwave covers breakfast and reheating leftovers, which is enough to dent a food budget. A real stovetop unlocks pasta, rice, fresh fish from the seafood counter, and the cheap-but-good frozen pizzas every island grocery store carries. For a budget anchor, use the trip cost calculator on this site to model restaurant-heavy days against grocery-assisted days. The difference is largely explained by who is doing breakfast and lunch: you, or a restaurant.

The best grocery stop is usually the one you can make before your luggage explodes across the room. Keep the first run simple: water or refill jugs, coffee, breakfast food, fruit, sandwich supplies, beach snacks, sunscreen top-ups, and ice if your room has a freezer or cooler. Save the specialty browsing for later in the week, and check current store hours before a late arrival; Hawaii grocery stores are usually not 24-hour operations. Oʻahu: Waikīkī visitors without a car can make a practical run to Don Quijote Kaheka, Walmart Keeaumoku, Target Ala Moana, Foodland Farms Ala Moana, or the nearest ABC Store for top-ups. With a rental car, Costco Iwilei or Kapolei makes sense if you are stocking a kitchen for several people. Use the Foodland store locator or Don Quijote Hawaii’s site for current hours before you route the stop. Maui: Most flights land at Kahului, which puts Costco, Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Safeway, and Foodland within a short drive before you head to West Maui, South Maui, or Upcountry. That airport-side cluster is one reason a Maui arrival-day grocery run is easier than it looks on a map. If your lodging is in Hāna or deep Upcountry, provision before leaving central Maui instead of assuming a full-service store will be waiting at the end of the drive. Big Island: Choose by airport and lodging side. Kona arrivals usually provision around Kailua-Kona or Waikoloa before driving north or south; Hilo arrivals have KTA, Safeway, Target, and Walmart in town. If you are split-staying between Kona and Volcano or Hilo, do a smaller first run and refresh on the wet side. KTA’s store network is useful because the chain covers several traveler corridors that mainland chains do not. Kauaʻi: Līhuʻe is the practical first stop, with Costco, Walmart, Target, Safeway, and nearby local grocery options before the drive to Poʻipū, Kapaʻa, or the North Shore. If you are staying in Princeville or Hanalei, buy enough for the first night before continuing north, especially after a late arrival or when weather is making the North Shore drive slower.

Foodland describes itself as Hawaii’s largest locally owned and operated grocery retailer, founded in 1948 by Maurice “Sully” Sullivan and still headquartered in Honolulu. Stores are on every main island per the Foodland store locator, and the layout will feel familiar to mainland visitors: full produce, meat, deli, hot bar, and a poke counter that locals take seriously. The poke is a legit reason to walk in. The single most useful thing a visitor can do at Foodland is sign up for the Maika’i Rewards card at the register. The Maika’i program unlocks the lower advertised “Maika’i price” on tagged items throughout the store. Without the card, you’re paying full sticker on items where everybody around you is paying less. Maika’i means “good” in Hawaiian. Foodland Farms is the upscale Foodland brand, with bigger produce sections, expanded prepared foods, and more imported and specialty items. Locations and store types are listed on Foodland’s site; check the locator before planning around a specific store because hours, remodeling, and island recovery conditions can change. Sack ‘n Save is Foodland’s value sister chain, with fewer locations and a warehouse-style format.

Times Supermarket is the other big chain with deep local roots, founded by Albert and Wallace Teruya in 1949. It still operates as the everyday grocery anchor for many island neighborhoods. Layouts are slightly more spartan than Foodland and the prepared-food and deli sections hold up; the deli sushi is a normal lunch grab for locals. Times promotes digital coupons and weekly ads through its app and website, so sign up if you’ll be in Hawaii more than a couple of days. Times has stores across Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. On Kauai specifically, look for Big Save: same parent, slightly different branding, and on Kauai it’s often the closest full-service grocery to where you’re actually staying.

Don Quijote is a Japanese discount chain with Oʻahu stores. Treat it as an Oʻahu option, not a neighbor-island grocery plan. The Kaheka store in Honolulu is the one most Waikīkī visitors mean when they say “Don Quijote,” but hours can change, so check current hours before driving over late. Why visitors should know about Don Quijote: it’s a hybrid of grocery store, drugstore, electronics store, and Japanese variety shop. The Japanese-import aisle (snacks, instant ramen, sauces, sake, Japanese cosmetics) is a deep selection that’s hard to match at a regular grocery store, and the per-item prices on edible souvenirs tend to beat Waikiki’s tourist gift shops. The poke counter is solid, the prepared bento is cheap and filling, and produce prices can be competitive with the bigger chains. The store is busy and chaotic. That’s the point. If you’re staying in Waikiki without a car, Don Quijote Kaheka is a short rideshare from much of Waikiki (typically 5–10 minutes without heavy traffic, per Google Maps drive-time estimates), and easily worth the trip for the first big provisioning run of the week.

Hawaii has Costco warehouses on Oahu (Iwilei, Kapolei, Waipio), Maui (Kahului), the Big Island (Kailua-Kona), and Kauai (Lihue). Confirm warehouse, gas, pharmacy, and tire-center hours before you build the stop into an arrival day. A standard Costco membership is valid at Hawaii warehouses, so the card you use in Phoenix or Toronto scans fine in Honolulu. The reason this matters: Costco gas in Hawaii is commonly one of the cheaper fuel options for members. If you’re renting a car for a week and have a Costco card, the fuel savings can help justify the trip out to the warehouse. The other big visitor wins are bulk produce, the rotisserie chicken, and case-pack water if you’re at a beachy condo. One practical caveat: the Honolulu Iwilei Costco is famously busy on weekends; go early on a weekday if you can. The food court itself is still a bargain for a quick lunch on a provisioning day, but check current access rules at the warehouse before counting on it.

The mainland staples are all here, with some island caveats. Walmart has stores on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai; use the Hawaii Walmart store directory for the closest location and current hours. Hawaii Walmarts run smaller footprints than the mainland supercenters, but staple-grocery prices are usually competitive and visitor-relevant beach gear (boogie boards, snorkel sets, reef-safe sunscreen, dry bags) is much cheaper than buying it in Waikiki. Target has locations on all four main islands; search the Target store locator by your lodging town or airport. Target’s grocery section is typically smaller than a full Walmart’s, but the household-staples and toiletries side of the store is a strong option for items like trash bags, sunscreen, and travel-size everything. Safeway has stores on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island; use the Safeway Hawaii store directory for exact locations. The Safeway for U digital coupon program works like other grocery loyalty programs: sign up in the app, then load offers before you check out.

KTA Super Stores is a Big Island institution. It was founded in 1916 in Hilo by Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi and remains closely tied to the island’s local-food supply chain. It stocks a range of Big Island products you won’t see at chain stores: local honey, Hāmākua mushrooms, island-grown coffee, regional Hawaiian-language signage, and a deli that punches above its weight. Locations include Hilo, Waimea, Waikoloa, and Kailua-Kona. If you’re staying anywhere on the Big Island, KTA is the right grocery anchor. Foodland and Safeway are both fine, but KTA is the local-products one.

Whole Foods has stores on Oahu (Kahala, Kakaʻako, Kailua) and Maui (Kahului); check the Whole Foods store finder for current hours. Prices are roughly what you’d expect for Whole Foods anywhere: premium. The prepared-foods bar is good, and the produce is reliable when farmers’ markets aren’t open. Down to Earth is a Hawaii-based natural-foods chain with Oahu and Maui locations, founded in Wailuku in 1977. It is vegetarian-focused, and the bulk-foods section is a good one. Locals lean on it for organic produce that hasn’t been on a boat for two weeks.

In our experience, the freshest produce in Hawaii comes from the farmers’ markets, not the supermarkets. Apple bananas, lilikoi (passion fruit), papaya, seasonal mango, local greens, and fresh-cracked coconut tend to run cheaper than the grocery-store equivalents and taste closer to the tree. The farmers’ markets guide on this site covers the major weekly markets on each island, including Hilo Farmers Market, KCC Saturday Market on Oahu, and Kauai’s Sunshine Markets. Don’t overlook the roadside fruit stands either. The North Shore of Oahu, Hāna Highway on Maui, the Hāmākua Coast on the Big Island, and the road north of Hanalei on Kauai all have honor-system or owner-staffed produce stands where a small bag of apple bananas embarrasses the grocery-store equivalent. Bring small bills.

A common visitor mistake: trying to do “groceries” at ABC Stores. Don’t. ABC is a convenience-store chain with a thick footprint in Waikiki and on most major resort strips. Snacks, sunscreen, water, beach gear, souvenirs, and a small ready-to-eat selection are all reasonable, all marked up. A loaf of bread or a gallon of milk at ABC will usually cost more than the same item at Foodland or Times. ABC is great for what it is: walking distance from your hotel, open late, and stocked with the things you forgot to pack. It’s not where you stock a vacation rental.

One overlooked use of Hawaii grocery stores: the poke counter is a legitimate cheap lunch. Foodland, Times, KTA, and local fish markets all take poke seriously because local shoppers do. A grocery-counter poke bowl is not a consolation prize; it’s a normal Hawaii lunch. The best move is to buy by the pound or half-pound, add rice if the counter offers it, and take it to a beach park instead of paying resort-area lunch prices. Independent fish markets are the next tier up. Tamashiro Market in Kalihi on Oahu and Hilo’s fish auction–adjacent counters on the Big Island are local-favorite specialty stops if you’re cooking dinner.

A short list of things that are often cheaper to bring from the mainland than to buy in Hawaii: Reef-safe sunscreen. Hawaii’s statewide sunscreen law restricts the retail sale of over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate. Our reef-safe sunscreen guide covers the label details. Compliant sunscreens are widely sold at every Hawaii store, but pricing on island shelves runs higher than what you’ll typically see at mainland retailers, so it can be cheaper to buy before you arrive. Don’t assume the SPF you bought in Phoenix complies; check the label for “no oxybenzone, no octinoxate.” A reusable shopping bag or two. Hawaii counties have plastic-bag restrictions on the books, and most stores either don’t offer free bags or charge a small per-bag fee for paper. A cheap reusable bag pays back fast. Costco doesn’t offer bags either; bring boxes from the bin near the registers. Specialty dietary items. If you have a strict gluten-free, keto, or specialty diet, your familiar mainland brands may or may not be on island shelves and will cost more if they are. Bring a small kit. Things you should not bring from the mainland: produce (Hawaii has agricultural-import rules requiring declaration and inspection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and plants, and your local mango will be embarrassed by a Maui mango anyway), liquid sunscreen or lotions if you’re carrying on (TSA limits), and anything heavy and replaceable.

For a typical week in a condo, here’s what works: Day one: Big provisioning run. Costco for bulk water, breakfast staples, fruit, and snacks if you have a card. Otherwise Foodland, Times, KTA, Safeway, Walmart, or Target for the same list at slightly higher per-unit prices. Buy for your actual room. A full condo kitchen can handle a real shop. A hotel mini-fridge cannot. Before loading the cart, confirm whether you have a freezer, sink, microwave, plates, utensils, and enough counter space to make anything beyond coffee and cereal. Visitors waste money when they buy as if they have a kitchen and then discover they have a cube fridge, one paper cup, and no knife. Mid-week: Farmers’ market trip for produce, eggs, and any prepared foods you want to refresh. Day-of meals: Foodland or Times poke counter for cheap lunch on a beach day. The plate-lunch option at the deli is also a quick win, and it’s the same plate-lunch tradition you’d find at a stand-alone shop, just in a tray. Top-ups: ABC Stores or the gas station near your condo for forgot-it items like water, ice, beer, or sunscreen, at a markup you accept because it’s two minutes from your front door. One thing to plan around: late-night grocery access varies more than visitors expect. Some locations run late or 24 hours, but many neighborhood stores do not. If you’re flying in on a late evening arrival, check current hours for whichever store is on your route from the airport before counting on a late grocery stop. An ABC Store run is the reliable backup when you only need water, snacks, breakfast basics, or the thing you forgot to pack.

Almost every strategy on this page assumes you have a car for at least one or two of your trip days. Costco runs aren’t realistic without one, and the warehouse is rarely walking distance from where you’re staying. We typically book through Discount Hawaii Car Rental; check their current terms for deposit, cancellation, and rebooking policies before you commit. Even one provisioning day with a car can help offset the rental cost in saved restaurant meals. If you’re carless on Oahu and staying in Waikiki, TheBus runs to Don Quijote Kaheka and to Walmart on Keeaumoku, both close enough to grocery-shop on a single round trip. On the neighbor islands, a car is essentially required for grocery shopping anywhere outside the immediate resort area. The two-line summary, then: a kitchen plus one Costco trip plus a farmers’ market trip plus the Foodland Maika’i card will cut your Hawaii food bill noticeably without sacrificing the eating-out you came for. Save the restaurant nights for the meals you actually came to eat.