Movies and shows make it seem like island living is nothing but beaches, cold drinks, and hammocks. While some of the stereotypes are true there are some critical aspect that are left out. Before you pack up for Tahiti, read this carefully.
1. Cost of living is insanely high.
Most people assume that a small island would mean a cheap place to live but that is far from the truth. Living on an island means almost everything must be imported and fuel must be brought by boat to power the electric plants. A gallon of milk in Hawaii runs about $7 and the average electric bill in Guam is about $500 for a small 2 bedroom condo. Islands might have a few local resources like local coconuts or locally made drinks and baked goods. But most produce needs to be airlifted in, driving the prices up immensely. Sure those beaches are pretty but are you prepared to spend $7 on a carton of strawberries? Or how about $8 for a bag of kale? Now take into account the climate, hot and humid all year. There is never a change in weather that allows less use of AC. The humidity causes fresh produce to go bad within a matter of days, even with a humidity controlled refrigerator. It's also a good thing islands are small, because gas is usually $2 a gallon more expensive than the mainland. You would think with a such a high cost of living that minimum wage would be higher, well it is but not by more than a $1 (at least on Guam). That is why so many islands have a poor local community, even working full time at around $10 an hour you still have hundreds of dollars in basic bills. For example (in averages for Guam): rent - $2000, utilities - $500, internet/cellphone - $200, groceries - $600. Imagine trying to pay $3300 a month in just bills off $10 an hour.
2. Small island = Crowded everything.
Guam is a mere 210 square miles but has close to 200,000 people on it not including the tons of tourist that visit year round (about 1.3 million tourist visit each year). This are no different other destination islands. It takes almost an hour to go about 30 miles on most days because there are just so many people. Every store has long lines, there are never parking spaces, and you are looking at about a minimum of 30 minutes of wait time at most restaurants. Road ragers need not move to an island; most islands keep speed limits under 30 miles per hour and are riddled with only one lane roads. Bora Bora is a total of 11.3 square miles with about 10,000 people not including tourist, no thank you.
3. Stateside conveniences are a thing of the past.
Some islands that are close to the mainland will have American stores (Hawaii has almost everything) but most do not. No Starbucks, no Target, no Walmart, no Chick-fil-a, no Panera Bread, and the list goes on and on. It's easy to say that you can live without these places but actually doing it is a different story. Those days of monsoon rains and having to drive to four different stores just to get 3 different things, they make you appreciate department stores. Don't get me wrong, some local stores have unique foods and some restaurants will have amazing food but it won't take the place of your beloved mainland stores. Maybe I am just a basic white girl, but I miss my pumpkin spice lattes.
4. The weather is way overrated.
Hot weather year round seems like it is some kind of wondrous thing -- it's not all it's cracked up to be. You are just sweaty and fizzy all day, everyday. Yes it's hot, but it's always humid (like 80%-100% humidity levels). Tropical islands experience rain almost everyday; kiss your smooth hair and perfect make-up goodbye ladies. The climate also destroys cars causing rust and cracking dash boards within a matter of years. The first year or two without snow are enjoyed but you will miss the fall and the snow. It's hard to get into the holiday spirit when you're wearing a sun dress.
I'm not saying to never move to an island, but these are important things to take into consideration before moving. Once you get to an island, it's usually expensive to move back, so don't let Hollywood fool you.
