Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Hong Kong (China) Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Hong Kong (China)

Name: Hong Kong (China)
Address: HK

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $2,784 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $4,289 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $5,793 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

Australia is roughly 22% cheaper than Hong Kong (China) on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Hong Kong (China) are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Hong Kong (China) by 108%.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Hong Kong (China) ($2,784–$2,784), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$8.94 HK$70.1

81.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$62.8 HK$492

22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$6.48 HK$50.8

51.39%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$4.97 HK$38.97

-27.97%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$1.35 HK$10.61

90.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.10 HK$8.62

98.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$6.84 HK$53.6

-3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$6.31 HK$49.47

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$3.10 HK$24.27

-51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$2.30 HK$18.06

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.98 HK$15.49

4.55%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$3.48 HK$27.31

23.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$24.89 HK$195

-65.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$10.35 HK$81.1

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$21.83 HK$171

-36.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$3.45 HK$27.09

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$2.24 HK$17.54

23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$3.75 HK$29.37

-21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$3.08 HK$24.18

36.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$2.26 HK$17.76

7.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$2.23 HK$17.46

-5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$1.68 HK$13.14

34.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.72 HK$13.50

-12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$13.03 HK$102

142.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$15.41 HK$121

-7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$1.82 HK$14.29

152.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$2.67 HK$20.92

80.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$1.74 HK$13.65

73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$63.1 HK$495

55.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$3.72 HK$29.18

-6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.38 HK$10.81

26.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$14.84 HK$116

155.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$3.02 HK$23.64

-59.93%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$38.0K HK$297.6K

-23.50%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$32.6K HK$255.2K

-30.69%

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

$177 A$248

$228 HK$1,784

-22.07%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$17.95 HK$141

49.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$23.22 HK$182

125.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$77.4 HK$607

-38.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$8.48 HK$66.5

94.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$12.88 HK$101

6.60%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$998 HK$7,823

59.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$21.3K HK$166.6K

-40.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$73.4 HK$576

-1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$39.21 HK$307

30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$88.3 HK$692

16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$144 HK$1,128

-24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$2,171 HK$17.0K

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$1,537 HK$12.1K

-29.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$4,843 HK$38.0K

-51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$3,063 HK$24.0K

-42.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$25.5K HK$200.1K

-69.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$15.9K HK$124.9K

-65.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$3,342 HK$26.2K

19.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

3.97

59.95%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $2,168 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $2,168 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $3,377 in Hong Kong (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 18% more in Australia.

Salaries are 15% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Hong Kong (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China), and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Hong Kong (China) consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 26% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Hong Kong (China) it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.