Hawaii has no in-state oil production. Crude and finished fuel are shipped from refineries on the U.S. mainland and overseas. The freight cost shows up at the pump — usually 60 to 90 cents per gallon above the West Coast average.
One refinery does most of the work
Par Hawaiʻi's Kapolei refinery on Oʻahu produces the bulk of the state's gasoline. With limited domestic refining capacity, supply disruptions hit harder than they would on the mainland.
State and county taxes stack up
Hawaiʻi's combined state, county, and federal fuel taxes are among the highest in the country. The exact amount varies by county — Maui and Kauaʻi typically run a few cents higher than Oʻahu.
Smaller markets, less competition
Each neighbor island has fewer stations and fewer wholesale suppliers than Oʻahu. That's why a Big Island or Maui pump price often runs 15 to 30 cents above what you'd pay in Honolulu on the same day.
How to Save at the Pump
Costco is the cheapest option on every island
Costco has gas stations in Honolulu, Kapolei, and Hawaiʻi Kai on Oʻahu, plus Kahului on Maui, Kona on the Big Island, and Lihuʻe on Kauaʻi. Members typically save 30 to 60 cents per gallon vs. the island average. Bring your card — it's enforced at the pump.
Avoid Waikīkī, airport, and resort-area stations
The Shell on Kūhiō Avenue, the Chevron near OGG, and any resort-corridor station charge a tourist premium — sometimes 50 cents above what a local station two miles away charges. Fill up before you reach the airport on the way back.
Use GasBuddy or Waze to find the cheapest pump nearby
Both apps show real-time station-level pricing across all four islands. Useful when you have flexibility on the route — saving 20 cents a gallon on a 40-gallon week of driving adds up to real money over a long trip.
Pick a fuel-efficient rental — and use the right grade
A Toyota Corolla rents for about the same as a mid-size SUV but burns half the gas. Stick to Regular unless your rental's manual specifically requires Premium — most do not, despite what the upsell at the counter implied. See our full Hawaiʻi car rental guide for picking the right vehicle, or compare rates at Discount Hawaii Car Rental for the lowest published price across all major brands.
Don't pay for Premium "for the car's sake"
Most modern gasoline engines — including every standard rental — are tuned for 87 octane. Premium burns money, not better. Read the inside of the fuel cap if you're not sure; the manufacturer's required grade is printed there.
Plan one big fill, not five small ones
Rental cars are typically returned with a full tank. Topping off at $1 here and $3 there ratchets up your total per-gallon cost because each small purchase takes the pump's minimum price-rounding hit. One big fill the morning of return saves a few dollars and a lot of stops.
About This Data
Where do these prices come from?
Numbers are pulled directly from AAA's daily Fuel Gauge Report for Hawaii. AAA collects retail credit-card transaction data from over 100,000 gas stations nationwide via OPIS (Oil Price Information Service). The state and county averages reflect actual prices paid yesterday, refreshed every morning.
How often does this page update?
Once a day, around 4 AM HST. A small Cloudflare Worker scrapes the AAA Hawaii page, compares to the previous day's reading, and only commits a change if a price actually moved. If AAA is slow or briefly unreachable, you'll see the most recent good reading rather than a broken page.
Why is the AAA county average different from what I'm seeing at a specific station?
AAA reports an average across hundreds of stations on each island. Individual stations vary by 30 to 80 cents per gallon depending on neighborhood, brand, and proximity to tourist areas. The AAA average is the right number for trip budgeting; for the cheapest specific pump, use GasBuddy or Waze.
What about Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi?
AAA folds both into the Maui County reading. Real prices on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi typically run 30 to 60 cents above the Maui County average because of even smaller markets and less competition. Lānaʻi has a single gas station; Molokaʻi has a handful clustered in Kaunakakai.
How accurate is "yesterday" data for "today's" trip planning?
Hawaiʻi gas prices move slowly compared to the mainland — large day-to-day swings are rare outside of supply shocks. The previous day's average is a reliable estimate for budgeting today's rental car or road trip.
Planning a Hawaiʻi Trip?
Use our cost calculator to estimate fuel, lodging, food, and activities for your full trip — fed by current Hawaiʻi rates. Renting a car? Start with our Hawaiʻi car rental guide. Gas is one line item — the Hawaii Price Index shows hotel, vacation-rental, rental-car, and attraction-fee numbers on the same auto-updating page.
Trades are breezy right now with scattered showers on the windward side and mountains; the leeward coast stays mostly dry. Tomorrow stays breezy with the same pattern.
A tropical disturbance southeast of the islands is likely to become a tropical storm by mid-week and approach the state Thursday through Saturday. The exact track is still uncertain. If it comes closer, expect heavier rain over a longer stretch; if it stays farther out, impacts will be shorter and lighter. Winds will increase late this week, with potential gusts over 70 miles per hour on the highest summits.
Plan your leeward beach time and snorkeling for today through Tuesday. Save summit drives and offshore water sports for after Saturday, and check updates daily as this develops.
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Trade winds are pushing across Maui right now and staying breezy through tomorrow. Windward slopes and peaks will see scattered showers; the leeward side stays mostly dry. Rough seas mean a Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Tuesday evening.
A tropical disturbance southeast of the islands is likely to become a tropical storm by mid-week and approach the state Thursday through Saturday. The track remains uncertain. Late this week, winds will increase across Maui, with summit gusts potentially exceeding 70 mph on Haleakala. The Big Island—especially Hilo and Puna—faces the highest risk of heavy rain and flooding if the storm tracks close.
Leeward beaches and snorkeling work best today through Tuesday. Avoid summit hikes and offshore water sports Thursday through Saturday.
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Trades are kicking today with moderate wind and rough seas. Windward slopes will see scattered showers; the leeward side stays mostly dry. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Tuesday evening.
A tropical disturbance southeast of the islands is likely to become a tropical storm by mid-week and approach the state Thursday through Saturday. The track remains uncertain, but the Big Island faces the highest risk of heavy rain and flooding, especially in the Hilo and Puna areas. Summit winds could exceed 70 mph late in the week. Check forecasts daily as the situation develops.
Leeward snorkeling and beach time work well through Tuesday. Save summit drives and windward hikes for today or tomorrow, and avoid offshore water sports and high elevations Thursday through Saturday.
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Trades are steady now with scattered showers on the windward side and ridges; the leeward coast stays mostly dry. Through Tuesday it stays breezy with rough seas around Maui and the Big Island, where a Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Tuesday evening.
A tropical disturbance southeast of the islands is likely to become a tropical storm by mid-week and approach the state Thursday through Saturday. The exact track is uncertain. Winds will increase across the eastern islands late this week, with potential for summit gusts over 70 mph on Maui and the Big Island if the storm intensifies.
Get your beach and snorkel time in today and tomorrow on the leeward coast. Avoid summit hikes and offshore water sports Thursday through Saturday as conditions deteriorate. The track could shift significantly—check updates daily.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
