This is How Much Your Trip to Maui Will Cost (And Ways to Save)
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You’ve seen the pictures on Instagram. Your best friend came back tan and with approximately 847 pictures to show you. You finally decide that a trip to Maui is in the cards for you, and you’re ready to go now.
But how much does a trip to Maui cost?
Stop searching, and stop guessing. We have the best estimate to start planning right here.
A trip can be as expensive or as cheap as you like. Based on our calculations, a one-week vacation to Maui for two people will average $6,040.
Of course, there are other variables to consider. Let’s dive into the details so you can put together a better estimate of how much your dream trip to Hawaii will cost.
Hi! I’m Erica,
Co-founder of The Hawaii Vacation Guide. I’ve lived on Maui and Oahu and travel the islands regularly with my husband Jordan and our kids, Henry and Edith. From planning unforgettable island-hopping adventures to paddling out on my SUP during whale season, I know what it takes to craft the perfect Hawaii vacation.
Cheapest Way to Visit Maui
Here are quick budgeting tips to help you find the cheapest way to visit Maui. It takes strategy, planning, and an understanding of how you like to travel to find the lowest budget on Maui.
Lodging will be 50 percent of your Maui budget. So, spend the most time figuring out where to stay on a budget.
- Travel during the slow seasons: October through before Thanksgiving, and April and May.
- Book your trip 6 to 9 months in advance. Book Early is our motto!
- There are four hostels on Maui, located in Wailuku and Paia. Expect to pay $96-$130 per night for a shared dorm.
- Kihei and North Ka’anapali are the budget locations to stay. You can find hotel rooms and vacation rentals for $150 to $250 per night.
- Look for flash sales (sign up for airline emails) on Southwest and Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines
- Avoid renting a car to save on transport. Take the Maui Bus and Uber to get around.
- Use points and miles for free nights at a hotel
- Plan for a beach vacation! Stay in Ka’anapali or Kihei for a beach vacation
- Go to food trucks and grocery stores for affordable food options
- Enjoy hiking on Maui and other free activities
- No tours! Plan to snorkel from shore, watch whales from the cliffs, and enjoy sunset from your lanai (balcony)
- Grab our low-cost Maui Wayfinder Itinerary for free and affordable things to do! Plus, save your time and money as we do the planning for you.
How to Save on a Trip to Maui
Jordan and I are always looking for a deal on our frequent trips to Maui and the other Hawaiian Islands. We share our strategies to save on a trip to Maui in the articles below.
- How to Save on a Hotel in Hawaii
- How to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less
- 14 Things to Do on Maui on a Budget
- 9 Steps to Plan a Hawaii Vacation on a Budget
Maui Trip Cost: 3 Budgets
Jordan and I share three Maui trip costs in the video below. We book Maui for you, including airfare, where to stay, rental cars, tours, and food, and spending budgets.
Check out our Maui Trip Cost video below and see a summary of Value, Mid-Range, and Luxury in the tables.
Budget Summaries for a Trip to Maui in 2026
Here are three Maui trip costs for three types of vacation budgets. These budgets are from the video above. The trips were built on the following vacation plan.
- 10-night trip to Maui
- The trip was booked for mid-July, peak travel season
- Airfare is from Atlanta, Georgia
- Roundtrip ticket
Maui Trip Cost: Budget or Value Vacation
| Maui: Comfortable on Budget | |
| Lodging | $3,635 |
| Airfare | $1,730 |
| Transport (4-days with a rental car) | $318 |
| Tours | $0 |
| Food | $960 |
| Spending Money | $800 |
| Total | $7,443 |
Maui Trip Cost: Mid-Range Budget
| Lodging | $5,241 |
| Airfare | $1,730 |
| Transport | $875 |
| Tours | $790 |
| Food | $1,160 |
| Spending Money | $800 |
| Total | $10,596 |
Maui Trip Cost: Luxury Vacation
| Lodging | $10,963 |
| Airfare | $4,024 |
| Transport | $1,841 |
| Tours | $1,181 |
| Food | $3,100 |
| Spending Money | $1,600 |
| Total | $22,709 |
How Much Does it Cost to Fly to Maui?
Airline prices fluctuate wildly depending on where you’re coming from.
Flying from the West Coast, you’ll be able to snag some well-priced flights for $650+ round trip.
Flying from the Midwest or the East Coast, you’re looking at closer to $900+ per flight.
Planning 9 months in advance and flying during the shoulder seasons can bring your costs down significantly, so if you’re just starting your Maui planning, try not to set a date until you’ve found flights.
If you’re flying from anywhere other than the West Coast, you’ll likely find the cheapest flights have a layover in California (either San Francisco or LAX) or on Oahu, or both! Pick your flight based on your tolerance level with layovers.
The average cost for two? We’ll estimate that you’re coming from Chicago in May, with round-trip prices currently right around $600.
Average round-trip ticket cost: $1,200 per couple
Airfare to the Hawaiian Islands jumped in price in early 2026. We have found that round-trip tickets over $1,000 per person are becoming standard. If you see a deal on a flight, jump on it for the sake of your Muai budget!
How Much Does a Rental Car in Maui Cost?
When you first look at rental car prices, you might be tempted not to rent a car. Don’t do it!
Relying on public transportation on Maui is not a great idea. There are so many things to do on Maui that you don’t want to be stuck at your hotel for the duration of your trip.
If you want to stay at your resort for an entire vacation, there are plenty of cheaper vacation destinations where you can do that.
Rental car prices range from $40 – $90 per day, plus applicable taxes and fees.
If you don’t want to rent a car for the duration of your trip, there might be rental car offices closer to your hotel or condo that you could rent for a day or two. But most visitors choose to get a rental car for their stay so they can explore and enjoy all that the island has to offer.
Average rental car cost: $550 for the week (including gas)
Related article: Should You Rent a Car on Maui? This is How to Decide
How Much Do Hotels Cost in Maui?
Here is where you can really control your costs. Prices for accommodations vary wildly on the island, and you can find budget rentals starting around $120 per night all the way to luxe accommodations like the Grand Wailea for $1,000+ per night.
If you’re looking for budget-friendly options, you can find some of the best prices by booking a rental home rather than a hotel. Vacation rental homes averaged a staggering 28% less than hotel rates in 2024.
Not only does this help you save on your per-night cost, but it also significantly reduces your food bill when you rent a home.
Another budget-friendly option is renting a cabin or a canvas tent (aka, glamping) at Olowalu. Check out all of the camping options on Maui if that’s up your alley.
If you’re coming for a hotel experience and you’d like to be in a nice, mid-range hotel close to the beach, you’ll spend $350 – $500 a night.
Booking some of the nicest properties on the island will be $750 and up.
For this average, we’ll say that you’re staying in a mid-range resort for $450 a night for six nights.
Average hotel cost: $2,700 for six nights
Our Best Where to Stay on Maui Resources:
- Where to Stay on Maui: Hotels and Vacation Rentals at a Range of Budgets
- Best Area to Stay on Maui: Kihei, Kaanapali, or Somewhere Quiet?
- Kihei vs Kaanapali
- 10 Best Maui Resorts for Families
How Much Should You Budget for Food on Maui?
Food on Maui, like pretty much everything else, isn’t cheap.
But just like hotel costs, you can adjust your spending to fit your budget.
If you plan to stay at a resort and eat the majority of your meals in or near it, expect to spend top dollar (and possibly not get the best quality).
You can plan on paying $20 per person for breakfast, $25 per person for lunch, and $50 per person for dinner — and the costs can go up depending on the type of restaurant and your beverages of choice.
That would bring your food total to $1,400 for two people for the week.
If that’s not in your budget, don’t worry.
You can significantly reduce the amount of money you spend on food by eating away from the resort and stopping at Costco/Walmart/Target. Pick up breakfast food to keep in your room and plan on skipping that cost daily.
And head outside of the resorts and the touristy areas to get excellent food at much more reasonable prices.
Fish tastes just as great (maybe better?), not eaten at a beachfront restaurant.
Plus, there are food trucks galore on this island, serving up food that is just as good as what you’ll get in any restaurant on the island. We eat at least one meal each week at a food truck, and they’ve been some of our best meals.
Rental home rates aren’t necessarily much cheaper than resorts, but the real cost savings can come from using the kitchen.
If you plan to eat two of your three meals at home and go out to eat once a day on your week-long vacation, you’re looking at huge cost savings.
If you go for a mid-range option — eating at resort restaurant occasionally while hitting up food trucks and grocery stores, you’re looking at an average cost of $55 per person, per day for food.
Average food cost: $770 for seven days of food
How Much for Spending Money on Maui?
When visiting Maui, you can have a great vacation spending $0 or $1,000 on activities.
There is so much to do on this island that is free or inexpensive, but there are also some pretty magical activities that you might want to spring for.
Here are some Maui activities, with average pricing, to help you plan:
- Luau: $250 per person
- Snorkel trip to Molokini: $130 per person
- Surf lessons: $105 per person
- Sunset cruise: $120 per person
- Whale watching: $140 per person
- Snorkel rental: $10 per day
- Surfboard rental: $25 per day
- Stand Up Paddle rental: $35 per day
- Haleakala biking: $225 per person
- Helicopter ride: $285+ per person
Combine those with some of the great, less expensive (or free) things you can do on this island, and you’ll have a trip full of adventure.
As you can see, this can vary widely, but for this calculation, we’ll say you’re going to a luau, going on a snorkel trip, and renting snorkel gear for three days. That’s a total activity cost of $410 per person.
Average activities cost: $820 for a week of activities
Related articles:
- The 17 Best Maui Beaches (with parking, directions, and tips)
- The 14 Things to Do on Maui on a Budget
- The 11 Best Snorkeling Spots on Maui (+7 crucial tips)
Grand Total: How Much is a Week’s Vacation to Maui?
So how much will seven days in the Valley Isle cost you?
| Airfare | $1,200 |
| Hotel | $2,700 |
| Rental car | $550 |
| Food | $770 |
| Activities | $820 |
| Total cost | $6,040 |
Using the basic assumptions above, the total cost for a week-long vacation to Maui is $6,040.
As we mentioned, there are plenty of ways to bring down this cost:
- Book with airline miles
- Use points at a hotel
- Find cheap or free activities
- Rent a house to cook most of your meals
You can make your dream trip to Maui as cheap or as expensive as you want. No matter how much you spend, you’ll still have a great time.
To save money on your Hawaii vacation, we share our favorite and tested Hawaii discount sites, activities, travel gear, and deals on accommodations in our Hawaii Recommendations section. Take a look, your Hawaii vacation will thank you.
