Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,626 a month against $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong (China) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Australia
Hong Kong (China)
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,046
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Hong Kong (China)

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

  • Australia $2,626
  • Hong Kong (China) $3,046

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $4,715 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

  • Australia $3,810
  • Hong Kong (China) $4,715

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $6,384 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

  • Australia $4,994
  • Hong Kong (China) $6,384

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Hong Kong (China) ($3,028–$3,028), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 14% lower than in Hong Kong (China) on average.

Both Australia and Hong Kong (China) are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Hong Kong (China) by 124%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 A$25.10
$8.47 HK$66.5
108.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2 A$121
$64.7 HK$508
31.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 A$15.77
$6.25 HK$49.02
77.44%
Cappuccino
$3.90 A$5.54
$5.17 HK$40.58
-24.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 A$4.05
$1.31 HK$10.28
117.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 A$3.29
$1.13 HK$8.88
104.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.53 A$10.71
$7.44 HK$58.4
1.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59 A$12.21
$6.54 HK$51.3
31.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.50
$2.90 HK$22.76
-39.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.81 A$3.99
$2.35 HK$18.47
19.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.19
$2.25 HK$17.68
-0.44%
Eggs
$5.02 A$7.14
$3.45 HK$27.10
45.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.87 A$14.03
$24.79 HK$194
-60.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 A$13.25
$8.85 HK$69.4
5.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.86 A$21.14
$18.08 HK$142
-17.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.82 A$5.43
$4.05 HK$31.77
-5.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.92 A$4.16
$2.62 HK$20.55
11.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 A$4.46
$4.71 HK$36.93
-33.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 A$6.84
$3.95 HK$30.95
21.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 A$3.98
$3.21 HK$25.15
-12.77%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 A$3.38
$3.22 HK$25.24
-26.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 A$3.37
$1.66 HK$13.00
42.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 A$2.35
$1.77 HK$13.92
-6.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13 A$55.7
$13.43 HK$105
191.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.93 A$19.81
$15.22 HK$119
-8.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96 A$7.05
$1.98 HK$15.50
150.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 A$7.36
$2.29 HK$17.95
125.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 A$3.44
$1.34 HK$10.50
80.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.6 A$135
$89.5 HK$702
5.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 A$4.97
$3.73 HK$29.22
-6.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 A$2.27
$1.36 HK$10.66
17.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.84 A$56.7
$16.00 HK$126
149.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 A$1.98
$3.98 HK$31.20
-65.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K A$42.7K
$44.5K HK$348.9K
-32.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K A$36.6K
$37.6K HK$295.3K
-31.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 A$292
$239 HK$1,878
-14.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33 A$40.30
$15.99 HK$125
77.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8 A$83.6
$21.59 HK$169
172.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.7 A$79.2
$98.3 HK$771
-43.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57 A$27.84
$9.38 HK$73.6
108.64%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38 A$21.87
$12.59 HK$98.8
22.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,145 A$3,051
$1,280 HK$10.0K
67.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K A$26.1K
$22.6K HK$177.3K
-18.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 A$111
$67.8 HK$531
15.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 A$80.0
$43.21 HK$339
30.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 A$164
$82.9 HK$650
38.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 A$175
$124 HK$973
-0.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,591 A$2,263
$2,373 HK$18.6K
-32.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,293 A$1,839
$1,777 HK$13.9K
-27.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,524 A$3,591
$5,399 HK$42.4K
-53.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 A$2,852
$3,614 HK$28.4K
-44.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,751 A$12.4K
$29.5K HK$231.1K
-70.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,260 A$8,904
$17.9K HK$140.2K
-64.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Hong Kong (China)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,984 A$5,666
$3,297 HK$25.9K
20.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.93
3.79
56.46%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K
Hong Kong (China)
$1.8K 37.5% $484
Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374
Hong Kong (China)
$412 10% $38
Eating Out
Australia
$297
Hong Kong (China)
$209 29.7% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292
Hong Kong (China)
$277 5.2% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168
Hong Kong (China)
$143 14.7% $25
Getting Around
Australia
$116
Hong Kong (China)
$105 9% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86
Hong Kong (China)
$124 43% $37

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $2,432 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $2,432 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $3,264 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 33% more in Australia.

Salaries are 19% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Australia
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
🕒 Local time
13:03 1:03 PM
10:03 10:03 AM
3 h behind Australia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,473,055
7,413,070
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.76 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Australia Hong Kong (China) 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Australia
  • Hong Kong (China)

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
Australia vs Hong Kong (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Hong Kong (China)?
Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China): a central one-bedroom averages $2,432 versus $1,383 in Australia.
Should I move to Australia or to Hong Kong (China)?
Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Australia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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