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.
Mostly dry skies across Oʻahu right now with good visibility. Light showers are holding to the windward side, nothing heavy.
Today and Thursday stay dry on the leeward and south shores. Trade winds are moderate now and strengthen to breezy by Thursday. Starting Friday, moisture increases and showers become more frequent on windward and inland areas — leeward beaches stay mostly dry but winds build noticeably. Small craft advisories are possible Thursday night in windier waters, then conditions get rougher Friday through the weekend. North and west shore swell holds medium through Friday, then rebuilds over the weekend. South shore swell drops back to normal after today.
Leeward beaches and snorkel spots work best Thursday while conditions stay calmer. Plan water sports in the channels for earlier in the week, before Friday's winds arrive.
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Sky's mostly dry with light showers on the windward side. Trade winds are moderate and visibility is good.
Today and Thursday stay dry on the leeward and sunny sides, though windward slopes will see light showers mainly today. Winds pick up to breezy by Thursday, then strengthen further Friday into the weekend. More frequent light showers move into windward and inland areas Friday into the weekend as moisture increases. A Small Craft Advisory is possible Thursday night in windier waters. Leeward beaches stay mostly dry, but conditions turn windy. North and west shores see medium swell today through Friday, then rebuild over the weekend. South shores stay elevated today, then settle to normal. East shores have small chop increasing as winds strengthen.
Leeward beaches and snorkel spots work best Thursday while winds are still moderate. Avoid water sports in the windier channels Friday into the weekend.
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Mostly clear skies on the Big Island right now, with light showers possible on the windward side. Visibility is good.
Today and Thursday stay dry overall—trade winds are moderate now but will turn breezy by Thursday. Come Friday into the weekend, showers become more frequent on windward and inland slopes as moisture builds in, and winds will strengthen. Leeward and sunny-side beaches stay mostly dry through this period. A Small Craft Advisory is possible Thursday night in windier waters. Surf near the north and west shores stays medium today through Friday, then builds over the weekend. South shores drop from elevated to normal conditions.
Hit the leeward beaches and get in the water Thursday while conditions are still calm. Avoid water sports in exposed channels Friday through the weekend when the wind picks up.
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Mostly dry skies and good visibility today on Kauaʻi. Light showers will stay on the windward side.
Trade winds are moderate now but will turn breezy Thursday, then stronger Friday into the weekend. Windward and inland areas will see more frequent light showers as moisture increases, though leeward and sunny-side beaches stay mostly dry. North and west shores will see medium swell through Friday, then rebuild over the weekend. South shores drop from elevated to normal. East shores develop small chop as winds strengthen.
Head to leeward beaches and snorkel spots Thursday while it's calmer. Save water sports in the channels for after the wind eases.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
