Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $625 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$625

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon and in Hong Kong

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambon and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $625 in Ambon versus $2,984 in Hong Kong.

Ambon $625
Hong Kong $2,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $997 in Ambon versus $4,558 in Hong Kong.

Ambon $997
Hong Kong $4,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,368 in Ambon versus $6,132 in Hong Kong.

Ambon $1,368
Hong Kong $6,132

Living in Ambon costs roughly 79% less than in Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambon is 53% below, Hong Kong is 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

$8.46 HK$66.4

-87.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.77 Rp 246.2K

$63.2 HK$496

-78.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.82 Rp 68.3K

$6.20 HK$48.66

-38.39%

Cappuccino

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

$4.90 HK$38.41

-70.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,711

$1.27 HK$10.01

-66.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 Rp 5,155

$1.06 HK$8.31

-72.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

$7.68 HK$60.3

-70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 Rp 61.8K

$6.28 HK$49.24

-44.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$2.86 HK$22.45

-62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 Rp 17.6K

$2.43 HK$19.10

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$2.18 HK$17.09

-63.30%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$3.54 HK$27.80

-61.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 Rp 131.1K

$25.12 HK$197

-70.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 Rp 52.4K

$8.89 HK$69.8

-67.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 Rp 138.0K

$17.63 HK$138

-56.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 39.9K

$4.11 HK$32.22

-45.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$2.72 HK$21.32

-52.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.3K

$4.59 HK$36.05

-62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.6K

$4.02 HK$31.52

-68.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$3.25 HK$25.50

-60.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.6K

$3.27 HK$25.70

-39.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$1.60 HK$12.54

-54.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,711

$1.73 HK$13.56

-75.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

$13.14 HK$103

-82.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.10 Rp 377.1K

$16.59 HK$130

27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$2.01 HK$15.80

-9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 Rp 54.5K

$2.18 HK$17.13

39.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,719

$1.44 HK$11.31

-81.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.64 Rp 297.5K

$89.1 HK$699

-81.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,372

$3.64 HK$28.53

-85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,402

$1.31 HK$10.29

-72.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.0K

$15.82 HK$124

-83.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$4.06 HK$31.89

-80.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K Rp 377.3M

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-52.43%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.3K Rp 487.1M

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-27.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

$247 HK$1,942

-76.76%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.48 Rp 97.9K

$15.89 HK$125

-65.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.88 Rp 337.4K

$21.46 HK$168

-12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.58 Rp 332.0K

$91.4 HK$717

-79.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 Rp 137.5K

$9.08 HK$71.3

-15.31%

Cinema Ticket

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$13.96 HK$110

-90.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

$1,155 HK$9,067

-91.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,994 Rp 125.0M

$22.3K HK$174.6K

-68.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.94 Rp 767.5K

$68.9 HK$541

-37.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.09 Rp 573.6K

$40.44 HK$317

-20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

$79.9 HK$627

-8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

$118 HK$923

-39.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 Rp 3.7M

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-90.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 Rp 2.3M

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-92.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 Rp 8.5M

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-90.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 Rp 7.2M

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-88.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,004 Rp 17.9M

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-96.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 Rp 16.4M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-94.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 Rp 2.2M

$3,228 HK$25.3K

-96.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

3.91

141.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$194 32.3%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 113% $220

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$127 21.1%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 1254% $1.6K

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$99 16.4%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 39.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$82 13.6%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 248% $203

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 9.8%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 247% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$21 3.5%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 460% $98

Getting Around

Ambon

$20 3.3%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 425% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Ambon and $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 2487% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Ambon vs $63.0 in Hong Kong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $415 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

1 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ambon Hong Kong 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Hong Kong

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ambon vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 377% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2487% lower in Hong Kong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Ambon versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $625 per month in Ambon versus $2,984 in Hong Kong – a 377% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 435% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $625 in Ambon versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ambon and Hong Kong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 377% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.