A Local Hawaii Expert's Guide To Student Renting in Honolulu Neighborhoods

Aloha! This is Allison Wallis, your local Apartmenthomeliving.com expert for Honolulu, Hawai‘i, with info about the best neighborhoods for college students. While many locals who attend college here choose to stay home rather than move into an apartment, apartments and other rentals are available at a range of prices. Honolulu is one of the most expensive cities to live in, and rent typically takes up between 30 and 40 percent (or more) of a person’s take-home pay.

Many people who choose to rent during college either have multiple roommates or rent rooms in a family home known as an “ʻohana apartment.” Rentals are typically smaller than what you would find on the mainland, but the outdoor surroundings of Hawai‘i make up for it in spades.

Commuting and parking can be a hassle in most areas of Honolulu, so many students either take public transportation or buy a moped.

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

The largest university in Hawai‘i, UH Mānoa, is home to over 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as JABSOM, Hawai'i's only medical school. It is surrounded by beautiful neighborhoods, including Mānoa, McCully/Mōʻiliʻili, and Makiki. Grab a group of friends to cheer on the UH Rainbow Wahines volleyball team, or use your student discount to visit the royal residence, ʻIolani Palace.

Mānoa

Mānoa is located in a lush green valley backed by the Koʻolau Mountains, but is only a fifteen-minute drive to Waikīkī. Many professors, students, and other UH faculty live there. The area is a mix of modern apartment buildings, condos, and old-style Hawai‘i plantation homes with student housing rooms for rent. Mānoa Valley is my favorite neighborhood in Honolulu and one of the greenest, coolest areas of the island, with daily showers helping to keep the heat down. Spend a free morning hiking through the jungle and a bamboo forest to the waterfall on the Mānoa Falls trail, then grab lunch at Andy’s Sandwiches and Smoothies on E. Mānoa Road before heading over to the Lyon Arboretum for more time in nature. I recommend Mānoa for any UH student who doesn’t have a car and wants to walk or bike to school. If you're a student planning to drive and park on campus, make sure to get your parking pass in the morning when sales open for the semester, or you might be out of luck.

McCully/Mōʻiliʻili

McCully/Mōʻiliʻiliī is a densely populated area between downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī. The area is more affordable than Mānoa and has many smaller apartment buildings, as well as some newer condos. Many houses have double walls and air conditioning, which is rare in some older neighborhoods. It’s accessible by walking and biking (one lane leads directly to UH Mānoa), and has good connections to DaBus, O‘ahu’s public bus service. Stop by Oh! My Grill for a Hawai‘ian-style plate lunch, or take a date to Tadka Indian Cuisine, both located in the McCully Shopping Center, and then head over to Savers to spend a couple of hours digging through the thrift racks. One UH student I know furnished her entire apartment at Savers.

Makiki

Makiki is northeast of downtown and is bordered by the upscale neighborhood of Tantalus. I love to take a drive up Tantalus Drive- it has some of the best views in Honolulu. A good tip is that in Makiki, the higher the elevation, the higher the rents. It's the neighborhood I first lived in when I moved here two decades ago. Makiki is divided into two areas: Makiki Heights, which is hilly and has many single-family homes, and Makiki Flats, with shops, condos, and apartments. The neighborhood has lots of older homes and a maze of little side streets. Spend a Saturday morning exploring Makiki Valley State Recreation Area and its banyan and eucalyptus trees. There are multiple trails of varying difficulties — the least challenging is the “Loop” trail.

Chaminade University

Chaminade is a small private Catholic university with around 2400 undergraduate and graduate students. The school educates many of the state’s nurses and mental health professionals- 51% of students graduate with a health professions degree. Its location between Diamond Head and downtown Honolulu makes commuting easy.

Kaimukī

Chaminade is located at the base of the residential area of St. Luis Heights, which is part of the bustling Kaimukī neighborhood. Down in the business district, the main street is Wai’alae Avenue, which is lined with small stores and cafés. On Saturday morning, head to Kapiʻolani Community College for the KCC Farmers Market — the largest farmers market in Hawaiʻi, where everything sold is produced in the islands. Grab a bunch of ripe little Apple Bananas and marvel over how much more delicious they are than any mainland banana you’ve ever had. Make sure to stop by Da Shop, a small bookstore packed with books written by locals and gifts.

Kapahulu

Kapahulu has quieter vibes than the surrounding neighborhoods. Access to DaBus is good, and many parts of Kapahulu are bikeable, but parking and traffic can be rough. Five minutes from the beach at Waikīkī, Kapahulu Avenue is a food lover’s paradise. Start your day off with a malasada from Leonard’s Bakery on your way to class, and stop by Waiola Bakery and Shave Ice after class for a sweet treat. Get the vanilla ice cream scoop added to your shave ice- trust me.

Kahala

Kahala is one of the more upscale and expensive neighborhoods in Honolulu. It’s a mix of older homes with long-term residents, and newer condos and homes. It’s a great neighborhood if you love the beach but don’t like the hustle of neighboring Waikīkī. There is a small mall with a Macy’s and restaurants. For a nice meal, look to the left of Whole Foods for a tiny restaurant called Et Al. They have lots of food options for various diets, including gluten-free, and their mochi waffles are flat-out amazing.

Hawai‘i Pacific University

HPU is a private university with around five thousand students. Fun fact: their mascot is Sharky the Shark. It’s located in the Aloha Tower Marketplace in downtown Honolulu Harbor. Stop by Gordon Biersch Brewery restaurant at the Marketplace for a draft beer and fish and chips on the waterfront. Or take a walk over to Capital Modern, the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, which always has new exhibits and activities. HPU educates many nurses and aquatic science students.

Chinatown

Chinatown has been experiencing a revitalization over the last few years, but it can still be rough in spots. While parking is at a premium, many people make do with using DaBus or a moped for commuting. Rents can be lower in this neighborhood, but much of the housing there is older and may lack elevators, double-walls, or air conditioning. If you are a wheelchair user or have mobility issues, Chinatown may be difficult to navigate. Chinatown is great for people who want an active nightlife but don’t want to deal with Waikīkī tourists. There are lots of produce vendors and lei makers, which makes for fun shopping. Don’t miss the monthly Friday night Art Walks to Chinatown galleries.

Kaka’ako

Kaka’ako is another neighborhood being given new life. Rents vary, with some units reserved for lower-income residents, and more condos are currently under construction. Formerly a warehouse district, it has vintage and thrift stores and is very walkable and pet-friendly. There's also a bar with axe throwing, and a rage room to get out your anxiety before finals. Local artists have painted incredible murals all over the neighborhood. As a wheelchair user, I find Kaka’ako one of the easiest neighborhoods to navigate. There’s good access to the bus and the highway, great infrastructure, and more renewal to come. If you're looking to be in Honolulu long-term, this is a great neighborhood to get started in.

Nuʻuanu

Nuʻuanu is located in a valley sheltered by the Koʻolau mountains. Nuʻuanu means “cool heights” in Hawai‘ian, and some people can get by without air conditioning (and considering the cost of electricity here, that’s a very good thing). There are lots of ʻohana units in historic, older homes. It’s close to downtown Honolulu but feels like a different world. Drive to the Pali lookout for one of the best views in the world, but be careful on windy days- there are crosswinds that can get pretty intense.

The wonderful thing about Honolulu is that it probably has a neighborhood that you will love living in. Lean into city life in Chinatown or Kaka’ako, relax at the beach in Kahala, or spend some time in serene green nature in Nuʻuanu. The city is small enough that many residents don’t need a car, which saves countless hours in traffic and parking fees. I’m always so excited to see a new crop of college students venturing out to explore the island.