Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Canberra: $2,791 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,791

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canberra 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 Canberra and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,791 per month in Canberra vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Canberra $2,791
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $3,958 per month in Canberra vs $4,558 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Canberra $3,958
Hong Kong $4,558

A family of three spends $5,125 per month in Canberra vs $6,132 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Canberra $5,125
Hong Kong $6,132

Canberra is about 6% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Canberra and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Canberra by 108%, Hong Kong by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 A$24.53

$8.46 HK$66.4

102.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 A$126

$63.2 HK$496

39.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 A$15.03

$6.20 HK$48.66

69.35%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.63

$4.90 HK$38.41

-19.59%

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

$3.17 A$4.54

$1.27 HK$10.01

149.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 A$3.76

$1.06 HK$8.31

148.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.90

$7.68 HK$60.3

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 A$13.93

$6.28 HK$49.24

54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$2.86 HK$22.45

-47.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.60

$2.43 HK$19.10

32.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$2.18 HK$17.09

21.10%

Eggs

$5.25 A$7.51

$3.54 HK$27.80

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 A$18.71

$25.12 HK$197

-47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.54

$8.89 HK$69.8

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.15

$17.63 HK$138

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.63

$4.11 HK$32.22

-4.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.43

$2.72 HK$21.32

13.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 A$5.14

$4.59 HK$36.05

-21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 A$7.28

$4.02 HK$31.52

26.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.36

$3.25 HK$25.50

-6.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.96

$3.27 HK$25.70

-15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.51

$1.60 HK$12.54

53.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.73 HK$13.56

-5.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.29 A$63.4

$13.14 HK$103

237.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 A$20.28

$16.59 HK$130

-14.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.87

$2.01 HK$15.80

138.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 A$8.08

$2.18 HK$17.13

159.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$1.44 HK$11.31

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 A$133

$89.1 HK$699

4.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 A$5.67

$3.64 HK$28.53

8.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.31 HK$10.29

24.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 A$60.7

$15.82 HK$124

167.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.87

$4.06 HK$31.89

-67.73%

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

$27.4K A$39.3K

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-38.15%

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

$29.3K A$41.9K

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-21.62%

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

$179 A$256

$247 HK$1,942

-27.62%

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

$26.92 A$38.53

$15.89 HK$125

69.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$78.5

$21.46 HK$168

155.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 A$119

$91.4 HK$717

-8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.11 A$38.80

$9.08 HK$71.3

198.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 A$22.20

$13.96 HK$110

11.10%

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

$2,382 A$3,410

$1,155 HK$9,067

106.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.7K

$22.3K HK$174.6K

-10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 A$110

$68.9 HK$541

11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.3

$40.44 HK$317

37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$79.9 HK$627

43.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$118 HK$923

12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 A$2,449

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,100

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-14.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 A$4,433

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 A$2,816

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-44.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.2K A$16.0K

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-61.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,417 A$10.6K

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-57.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,310 A$6,168

$3,228 HK$25.3K

33.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

3.91

52.17%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 3, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 17.1% $251

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$401 14.2%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 3.5% $14

Eating Out

Canberra

$300 10.6%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 31.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$261 9.2%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 9.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$171 6%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 19% $32

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 9.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$114 4%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 4.5% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,711 in Canberra versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Canberra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Canberra versus $63.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Canberra vs $415 in Hong Kong – so Canberra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

3 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 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 AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canberra Hong Kong 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,791 in Canberra, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,187 per month in Canberra and $4,476 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canberra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,791 in Canberra and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Canberra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,791 in Canberra and $2,984 in Hong Kong. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,791 in Canberra to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Canberra. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.