This page gathers well-reviewed vacation rentals across Hilo and the Hāmākua Coast, grouped by area: walkable downtown Hilo, the oceanfront Keaukaha strip east of town, rural Puna to the south, and the rainforest Hāmākua Coast to the north. At the bottom, we look at what these rentals cost.
These have a kitchen and more room than a hotel, close to town or off in the rainforest with no neighbors in sight. Each has a strong review record. To see everything open on your dates, you can also search the full inventory on Vrbo [see note 1].
Table of contents
Downtown and Bayfront Hilo
In downtown Hilo you can park once and walk to the farmers market, the restaurants along Kamehameha Avenue, and the bayfront. (cut) For a fuller look at where to stay in town, see our Hilo accommodation guide.
Osorio Plantation House
Osorio Plantation House is an entire two-bedroom upstairs unit that sleeps five, a block from Bay Front Beach and a short walk to the Hilo Farmers Market and downtown. Guests give it 4.84 across 56 reviews, and it holds Superhost status. Free private parking helps when you plan to leave the car all day(cut): see the current listing on Airbnb.
Cute Downtown Studio
The Cute Downtown Studio is an entire studio for two, steps from the downtown core and next to Kalākaua Park and the Lyman Museum. Its 4.68 rating comes from 351 reviews, a longer track record than most listings in town(cut). See the current listing on Airbnb.
Keaukaha and the East Hilo Coast
Keaukaha is the quiet oceanfront residential strip east of downtown, running along Kalanianaʻole Avenue past a line of county beach parks. Richardson and Carlsmith have the swimming and snorkeling, and both are a short drive from downtown Hilo.
Wai ʻŌlena (Healing Ponds)
Wai ʻŌlena, listed as Healing Ponds, is an entire three-bedroom home for six across from the Keaukaha beach parks, about a three-minute walk from Richardson. It comes with private spring-fed swimming ponds on the grounds(cut), and it rates 4.87 across 181 reviews with Superhost and Guest Favorite status. See the current listing on Airbnb.
Oceanfront Carlsmith Condo
This oceanfront condo is an entire two-bedroom unit on the fourth floor, elevator included, sleeping four. It sits steps from Carlsmith (Four Mile) Beach Park, with snorkeling and sea turtles just out front and a private covered lanai over the water. It rates 4.75 across 52 reviews with Superhost status, and it is the most affordable oceanfront option in Keaukaha: see the current listing on Airbnb.
Puna
Puna is the rural, rustic district south of Hilo, centered on Pāhoa and the old lava zones, where rentals run cheaper and come with more space and jungle around them. Puna rentals are quiet, with a longer drive to town.
Breathe in Beauty, Peace and Light
On two private acres in lower Puna, Breathe in Beauty, Peace and Light is an entire two-bedroom home that sleeps four. At 4.98 from 663 reviews, it is the best-reviewed rental on this page, a Superhost and Guest Favorite that also ranks in the Top 5% of homes. It is a standalone retreat with a wrap-around lanai, about 40 minutes from Hilo: see the current listing on Airbnb.
Hale Maluhia
Hale Maluhia is a two-bedroom guest suite in walkable Pāhoa Village, with a private entrance and its own kitchen and bath, sleeping five. The hosts live in the adjoining part of the house, so this is a private suite rather than a standalone home(cut). It rates 4.85 across 342 reviews with Superhost status, and the plantation-style suite has a custom lava-rock kitchen counter: see the current listing on Airbnb.
The Hāmākua Coast
The Hāmākua Coast is the rainforest coastline just north of Hilo, running north from Papaʻikou through Honomū to Honokaʻa. Rentals here have ocean views and waterfalls a few minutes away. Restaurants and shops are farther off.
Birdsong Cottage
Birdsong Cottage sits 1.5 miles from the Hawaiʻi Tropical Botanical Garden, a small one-bedroom house with a swimming pool and an ocean view from the front porch. (cut) The house often books up months ahead, but you can sometimes book at the last minute when someone cancels. See more photos and read the reviews on Booking.com.
The Birdsong Cottage in Papaʻikou.
What Vacation Rentals Cost in Hilo and on the Hāmākua Coast
The chart below shows average daily rates for short-term vacation rentals in the Hilo and Hāmākua region over recent years. Hilo and the Hāmākua Coast are among the more affordable places to base yourself on the Big Island, running well below the Kona and Kohala resort coasts.
The price ranges shown above are also used in our Hawaii Trip Cost Calculator to estimate accommodation costs based on where you plan to stay on the Big Island.
Hilo as a budget base
Hilo and the Hāmākua Coast sit among the most affordable bases on the island. Rentals here cost less and give you more room. There are no resort amenities, and this rainforest region gets less sun than the resort coasts. Hilo is a working town rather than a resort strip. The chart above has the current average if you want a number to plan around.
How These Vacation Rental Price Estimates Are Calculated
The average nightly rates shown here are based on Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) data provided by Lighthouse Intelligence, Ltd. using data © State of Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
For the Hilo and Hāmākua area, pricing is not published month by month, but only as year-to-date totals reported each quarter. To estimate what rentals cost in each three-month period, we first remove the earlier months already included in those totals, then calculate a representative average for that quarter. This extra step allows us to show seasonal price patterns that are otherwise hidden in the raw data.
All figures represent an estimated total nightly cost, incorporating typical taxes, platform service fees, and cleaning fees. The goal is to provide a realistic estimate of what travelers can expect to pay when booking, not an artificially low headline price.
A detailed explanation of our data sources and calculation methods is available on our methodology page.
Note on using Vrbo to find vacation rentals in Hilo
[1] We are part of the Vrbo affiliate program. This means VRBO pays us a small fee for every completed booking we send their way. This money comes out of their marketing budget and doesn’t add any extra cost to your stay. Our affiliate-link policy explains how these links work.