Do you have a kitchen in your condo rental, or are you planning a picnic on the beach? Then you could probably use a pit stop at one of Maui’s grocery stores during your stay.
You’ll find the cheapest Maui groceries at national chains — Walmart, Costco, and Target — but you’ll experience more of an island vibe by shopping at local spots such as Foodland and Island Grocery. These unique stores carry a broader selection of Hawaiian-style ingredients — a perfect fit if you’re planning to experiment by cooking local dishes during your stay.
And while washing dishes on vacation may sound like a drag, buying groceries and making some of your own meals has its benefits. Save the cash to put toward extra excursions, tours, or a few special (read: pricey) dinners.
Featured photo by nrd on Unsplash
Table of Contents
- Are groceries expensive in Maui?
- How much does food cost in Maui?
- What’s the best place to buy groceries in Maui?
- The best bang for your buck: Costco
- For the budget-minded: Walmart
- For when you’ve just landed and need more than groceries: Target
- For a familiar grocery experience: Safeway
- For local flavor: Foodland
- For supporting local: Island Grocery Depot
- An alternative to Safeway: Times Supermarket
- For Amazon Prime members: Whole Foods
Are groceries expensive in Maui?
In a word: yes. We calculate that grocery prices are 32% more expensive on average when compared to mainland pricing. Our calculations include the price of staple grocery items (such as eggs, milk, and bread) between Maui and Seattle, Washington.
Since grocery prices can vary depending on where you live (large cities with a high cost of living tend to have pricier groceries), your sticker shock when on Maui could end up more extreme than ours.
How much does food cost in Maui?
We compared the price differences between some pantry staples sold in Maui compared to stores in the Seattle area as of January 2022.
In a few instances, Maui was cheaper. For example: soda cans from Safeway. The Maui Safeway was 21% cheaper than the mainland store. In other cases, the price in Maui outstripped Seattle’s. Maui Safeway’s milk, for example, was 103% more expensive than our Seattle-area Safeway.
For the most part, Maui grocery prices were more expensive than mainland pricing.
| Target – Maui | Target – Seattle | Difference | Safeway – Maui | Safeway – Seattle | Difference | Walmart – Maui | Walmart – Seattle | Difference | |
| Gallon of milk (non-organic) | $4.99 | $3.19 | 56% | $6.69 | $3.29 | 103% | $4.99 | $3.47 | 44% |
| One dozen eggs | $1.59 | $1.79 | (11%) | $3.99 | $1.99 | 100% | N/A | $1.59 | N/A |
| Hawaiian bread rolls | $4.49 | $3.99 | 13% | $6.99 | $4.49 | 56% | $4.48 | $3.68 | 22% |
| King Arthur flour 5lb | $4.79 | $5.29 | (9%) | $9.49 | $6.49 | 46% | $3.88 | $3.86 | 0.5% |
| Soda cans – 12 pack | $7.29 | $5.89 | 24% | $5.99 | $7.59 | (21%) | $7.74 | $5.78 | 34% |
What’s the best place to buy groceries in Maui?
Costco is your best bet for the cheapest groceries because you benefit from bulk pricing. But if you’re staying for a short trip or there are only two of you, shop Walmart or Target when you’re on a budget.
If your goal is to explore unique and delightful island products — think flavored Spam or coconut balls — visit local grocers such as Foodland or Island Grocers.
The best bang for your buck: Costco
If you’re traveling with a large group or staying for more than a few weeks, bring your Costco card when you pack for Maui. You’ll find the traditional low-cost staples like roast chicken near a pallet of pineapples and cases of milk. Another fun tip: pick up grocery options exclusive to the islands, such as cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company and seaweed chips. Costco is also a great place to pick up beach essentials such as chairs and boogie boards.
Costco
540 Haleakala Hwy
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours
M-F 10:00 am to 8:30 pm
Sat 9:30 am to 6:00 pm
Sun 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
In-store pickup? No
Curbside pickup? No
Delivery? Yes, with Instacart
For the budget-minded grocery shopper: Walmart
For U.S.-based travelers, Walmart requires no introduction. You’ll find the same familiar brands and groceries at the Kahului store that you’d find on the mainland.
Pro tip: take advantage of Walmart’s curbside or in-store pickup by placing an order online. Then pick up your groceries after you land on the island. That way you’ll spend less time on a grocery shopping errand and more time enjoying your vacation.
Walmart
101 Pakaula Street
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours
Daily 6:00 am to 11:00 am
In-store pickup? Yes
Curbside pickup? Yes
Delivery? Yes, for Walmart+ members only
For when you’ve just landed and need more than groceries: Target
Target isn’t just one of the lower-priced options for groceries in Maui. It’s also a great stop if you’ve forgotten to pack something, such as razor blades or reef-safe sunscreen. And it’s one of the closest shops near the Lahaina airport — perfect for a quick pickup.
As far as groceries, Target works for staples, particularly shelf stable food.
Target
100 Hookele Street
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours
Daily 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
In-store pickup? Yes
Curbside pickup? Yes
Delivery? Yes, with Shipt
For a familiar grocery experience: Safeway
Owned by Albertsons, which operates in 34 states across the U.S., Safeway is your traditional U.S. grocery store on the island of Maui. Like Walmart, most U.S. travelers will find familiar mainland brands and grocery items at this location.
Multiple locations and flexible open hours (most location stay open 24 hours) make Safeway one of the more convenient grocery stores in Maui.
Pro tip: use your Safeway club card for discounts.
Safeway Kihei
277 Pi’Ikea Ave
Kihei, HI 96753
Hours: open 24 hours
Safeway Kahului
1090 Ho’okele St
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours: open 24 hours
Safeway Lahaina
1221 Honoapiilani Hwy
Lahaina, HI 96761
Hours: open 24 hours
Safeway Wailuku
58 Maui Lani Pkwy Suite 5000
Wailuku, HI 96793
Hours: Daily 5:00 am to 2:00 am
In-store pickup? No
Curbside pickup? Yes
Delivery? Yes
For local flavor: Foodland
As Hawaii’s largest locally owned grocery store, Foodland is known for having a wider selection of island food. If you’re planning to cook a Hawaii-inspired dish during your trip, Foodland is your best choice for ingredients that you probably won’t find with the mainland grocery companies.
Pro tip: Try poke from Foodland’s deli section. Also, their insulated bags have fun designs and make perfect souvenirs.
Foodland Farms
345 Keawe Street, Suite 304
Lahaina, HI
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Foodland Kaahumanu
90 Kane Street
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
* Delivery and pickup not available at this location
Foodland Kehalani
370 Kehalani Village Drive
Wailuku, HI 96793
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Foodland Kihei
1881 S Kihei Road
Kihei, HI 96753
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Foodland Lahaina
878 Front Street, #6B
Lahaina, HI 96761
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Foodland Pukalani
55 Pukalani Street
Pukalani, HI 96768
Hours: Daily 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Delivery and pickup options vary depending on the store. Shop Foodland’s website to find out if the location near you currently offers pickup or delivery.
For supporting local: Island Grocery Depot
Another locally owned grocery store in Maui, this family-owned company is an option for Kahului and Lahaina visitors. Unless you happen to be in the area, it’s not a convenient location for south Maui (Kihei or Wailea) visitors.
Similar to Foodland, you’ll find island-inspired food at Island Grocery, such as bento meals, lumpia, and shelf-stable snacks such as jabong peel and nori.
According to some locals, Island Grocery tends to have lower prices than Safeway or Foodland.
Island Grocery Depot – Lahaina
58 Kupuohi Street
Lahaina, HI 96761
Hours
Daily 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
In-store pickup? No
Curbside pickup? No
Delivery? No
An alternative to Safeway: Times Supermarket
Visitors from the U.S. will find familiar mainland brands alongside ingredients traditionally found in Asian and Hispanic dishes.
Honokowai TIMES
3350 Lower Honoapiilani Highway
Lahaina, HI 96761
Hours: Daily 5 am – 2 am (11 pm closing until further notice)
Kihei TIMES
1310 South Kihei Road
96753 Kihei, HI
Hours: Daily 5 am – 2 am (11 pm closing until further notice)
Curbside pickup? Yes, Kihei only with Instacart
Delivery? Yes, with Instacart or Shipt
For Amazon Prime members: Whole Foods
If you’re a regular at the Whole Foods in your hometown, you’ll be delighted to know that you can leverage your Amazon Prime discount in Maui. Catering to both the health-conscious and eco-conscious, Whole Foods in Maui carries familiar brands you’d find on the mainland.
Although the store has a reputation for pricier groceries, both Amazon Prime members and Amazon credit card holders can shop the store’s organic offerings at a slight discount.
Whole Foods
70 E Kaahumanu Ave
Kahului, HI 96732
Hours: Daily 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
