I visited Costco in Hawaii. It was different from other US locations — and a surprising highlight of my vacation.

While on vacation, I stopped at Costco in Honolulu, Hawaii, to see what it was like. I was impressed by the deals, local offerings, and gas prices.

Mar 20, 2025 - 19:33

I visited Costco in Hawaii. It was different from other US locations — and a surprising highlight of my vacation.

Wood-paneled entrance to Costco in Honolulu — I found the Costco in Hawaii had a wide selection of local products and snacks I have not seen in other parts of the US.
Tammy Barr

I visited Costco in Honolulu, Hawaii, while on vacation and found myself impressed by its offerings.
It has a wide selection of local products, decent gas prices, and fun beach gear and clothes.
I would add Costco to my Hawaiian vacation itinerary again, even if to just refuel my rental car.

Hawaii is one of my favorite vacation spots for many reasons, including its many natural attractions and beautiful beaches.

However, on a recent trip to Honolulu, my husband and I found ourselves especially impressed by something else: Our Costco shopping experience.

Hawaii has eight Costco warehouses across its islands and, it turns out, the store can be a good spot to pick up groceries, beach gear, and the best chocolate-covered macadamia nuts in the world.

Here's what our shopping trip was like and why a Costco visit was a highlight of my Hawaiian vacation.

Costco had all sorts of helpful merchandise to enhance our vacation.

Beach gear on display at Costco in Hawaii — The Costco we visited in Honolulu had tons of beach equipment.
Tammy Barr

Like many others, we were at Hawaii to enjoy its beautiful beaches.

However, we didn't have room in our luggage to pack accessories like boogie boards, beach chairs, or umbrellas.

Fortunately, Costco had many aisles of all sorts of accessories and gear — and the prices seemed pretty decent.

It was also great to purchase some essentials early so I could use them throughout my trip instead of racking up rental fees or buying items from pricier boutiques.

The clothing selection felt perfect for the weather, too.

Hawaiian-style apparel on rack at Costco — There was almost a whole display of swimsuits.
Tammy Barr

This Costco location's clothing selection felt perfectly suited for the local weather and styles.

I found tons of island-inspired shirts, tropical-print dresses, bathing suits, and colorful sarongs at decent prices. Many garments were under $10.

I'd definitely come here if my luggage got lost.

Spam T-shirts on display in Costco — The Spam shirts caught my eye.
Tammy Barr

One of my favorite displays was of $8 Spam-branded T-shirts. The canned ham is a really popular food in Hawaii that many locals love.

The wide selection of affordable clothes makes Costco a decent spot for travelers who lost their luggage, under-packed, or forgot some outfit staples.

The store reminded me how much a Costco's offerings can vary by region.

Interior of Cotco in Hawaii — Many snacks I found were from local brands.
Tammy Barr

I was also delighted to see this Costco had groceries that reflect the local demographics and cuisine of Hawaii.

For example, the state has a large Asian population — and this Costco had an impressive array of Asian-inspired snacks, condiments, and sauces.

It had a decent selection of groceries from brands local to Hawaii.

Kauai coffee beans on display at Costco — Coffee from Hawaii is a delicacy, so be prepared for higher price tags.
Tammy Barr

I was impressed by the amount of local products on the shelves, from coffee roasted in Hawaii to pineapples harvested in Maui.

There were countless displays of bulk packs of snacks and staples from local brands and candy companies, from Island Princess to Kauaui Coffee.

I saw exciting offerings I'd never seen at Costco stores in the mainland US.

Fresh poke made daily sign in Costco above display of poke bowls — I can't get fresh poke at Costco back on the mainland US.
Tammy Barr

While visiting Hawaii, I prefer to eat fresh fish and spicy poke bowls loaded with tuna. Fortunately, there seemed to be plenty of both on offer here.

I often ate at local spots, but I liked having options if I wanted to grab something to go or to prepare myself.

Although some Costco locations on the mainland sell things like tuna steaks (and even poke bowls), I was especially impressed by the quality of the seafood I found here.

The beverage selection included options from several of the nearby islands.

Drink mixes on shelf at Costco in Hawaii — The Costco in Honolulu had an impressive beverage selection.
Tammy Barr

Not all Costco locations sell alcohol, but this one had a huge selection of spirits, wine, craft beer, and more.

I was able to find a number of Hawaii's locally produced rums, vodkas, and cocktail mixes.

It was exciting to see offerings I haven't seen back home before, like mixes from the Hawaiian brand Kōloa, and hard seltzers flavored with popular local fruits, like lilikoi.

The store seemed like a great place to pick up tasty souvenirs to bring home.

Display of macadamia nuts at Costco in Hawaii — Costco had a macadamia-nut option for just about everyone.
Tammy Barr

I'd stop here to grab souvenir snacks for a lot of people (or to bring treats home for ourselves). After all, buying in bulk can be cost-effective.

One good pick might be macadamia nuts, which Hawaii is a huge producer of. This location had more varieties of them than I ever thought possible — plain, roasted, salted, and chocolate-covered varieties, plus some mixed with popcorn.

The dark-chocolate-covered Alohamacs macadamia nuts were my favorite.

The food court still had the $1.50 hot dog deal.

Line of people at Costco food court in Honolulu — I still paid just $1.50 for a famous hot-dog combo.
Tammy Barr

Many foods cost more in Hawaii, but I was glad to still find Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog and drink combo here.

Unfortunately, unlike other Costco locations I've visited in the US, this location didn't have convenient ordering kiosks. Instead, I waited in a fairly long line to place my food order.

The food-court seating area was outdoors.

Food court seating area in Honolulu - a few tables under covered area — There weren't as many tables and chairs as I expected at the food court.
Tammy Barr

Since this Costco is in a mild tropical environment, I'd hoped the food court would be a pleasant outdoor terrace.

The dining area is outdoors, but it was more like a sparsely filled walkway next to the parking lot with a limited number of tables.

Even so, it was nice to enjoy our hot dogs and drinks in the fresh air.

Of course, we fueled up at Costco before we left.

Local jewelry display inside Honolulu Costco — We made sure to get gas at Costco, too.
Tammy Barr

We used a rental car throughout our trip and quickly realized just how expensive gas can be in Hawaii.

Fortunately, like in the contiguous US, many Costco locations here have a gas station with prices we found to be far less than the competition.

So, I came to Costco to economically fuel my rental car at the beginning and end of my Hawaii trip.

If you're a Costco member visiting Hawaii, consider stopping by the chain.

Hot dogs and soda at Costco in HAwaii — It was interesting to walk through a Costco in a new place.
Tammy Barr

For us, a visit to Costco during our Hawaii vacation felt like a fruitful endeavor.

Even though we didn't buy a ton of bulk groceries, we enjoyed looking through the aisles to see what's popular and available in a new place.

I was extra impressed by the variety and amount of Hawaiian-produced snacks and other locally produced goods. Plus, venturing around air-conditioned store was a pleasant break from the heat.

Costco is likely to be my first and last stop on future trips to the Aloha State — especially if I have a rental car and need fuel.

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