Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $880 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$880

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $880 in Cha-am versus $2,984 in Hong Kong.

Cha-am $880
Hong Kong $2,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Cha-am versus $4,584 in Hong Kong.

Cha-am $1,412
Hong Kong $4,584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Cha-am versus $6,183 in Hong Kong.

Cha-am $1,944
Hong Kong $6,183

Living in Cha-am costs roughly 71% less than in Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cha-am is 35% below, Hong Kong is 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ฿110

$7.75 HK$60.8

-57.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.60 ฿755

$64.7 HK$508

-65.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ฿243

$6.18 HK$48.51

17.64%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ฿68.1

$5.08 HK$39.85

-59.84%

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

$0.68 ฿22.66

$1.31 HK$10.31

-48.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.50

$1.09 HK$8.56

-68.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$7.47 HK$58.6

-68.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ฿100

$6.50 HK$51.0

-53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿59.5

$2.89 HK$22.71

-38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿49.76

$2.31 HK$18.14

-35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

$2.13 HK$16.71

-37.56%

Eggs

$1.95 ฿65.0

$3.52 HK$27.65

-44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 ฿417

$24.72 HK$194

-49.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 ฿85.0

$8.52 HK$66.9

-70.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ฿341

$18.00 HK$141

-43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ฿118

$4.18 HK$32.79

-15.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.86

$2.68 HK$21.07

-54.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ฿62.5

$4.49 HK$35.22

-58.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.3

$4.03 HK$31.66

-56.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ฿59.0

$3.12 HK$24.51

-43.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$3.15 HK$24.72

-65.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ฿38.80

$1.62 HK$12.75

-28.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.07

$1.74 HK$13.66

-74.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$13.50 HK$106

-68.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 ฿592

$16.54 HK$130

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿57.8

$1.94 HK$15.19

-10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ฿99.0

$2.18 HK$17.11

35.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ฿30.63

$1.41 HK$11.04

-34.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.26 ฿744

$88.6 HK$696

-74.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ฿45.80

$3.69 HK$28.94

-62.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.67

$1.32 HK$10.36

-18.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿121

$15.77 HK$124

-77.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ฿46.86

$4.03 HK$31.65

-65.26%

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

$16.4K ฿546.9K

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-63.36%

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

$27.1K ฿905.9K

$37.8K HK$296.6K

-28.26%

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

$82.1 ฿2,744

$250 HK$1,959

-67.11%

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

$11.41 ฿381

$15.60 HK$122

-26.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 ฿791

$21.77 HK$171

8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.81 ฿796

$94.2 HK$739

-74.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 ฿194

$9.29 HK$72.9

-37.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ฿222

$13.91 HK$109

-52.19%

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

$609 ฿20.4K

$1,162 HK$9,122

-47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿368.4K

$21.9K HK$171.6K

-49.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ฿1,675

$68.0 HK$534

-26.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.35 ฿981

$41.91 HK$329

-29.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ฿2,357

$79.7 HK$626

-11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ฿1,758

$122 HK$956

-56.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ฿12.5K

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-83.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ฿9,109

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-84.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ฿25.1K

$5,041 HK$39.6K

-85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 ฿21.5K

$3,435 HK$27.0K

-81.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$351 ฿11.7K

$3,271 HK$25.7K

-89.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

3.91

52.43%

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

Last update for Cha-am: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cha-am

$273 31%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 531% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Cha-am

$235 26.7%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 74.6% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cha-am

$117 13.3%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 145% $170

Eating Out

Cha-am

$94 10.7%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 113% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Cha-am

$91 10.4%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 53.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cha-am

$37 4.2%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 229% $85

Getting Around

Cha-am

$33 3.7%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 220% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $373 in Cha-am and $2,241 in Hong Kong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 831% 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: $23.00 in Cha-am vs $65.0 in Hong Kong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $411 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Cha-am

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,354

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cha-am Hong Kong 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cha-am
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

Cha-am vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am and Hong Kong differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($880 vs $2,984 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 831% 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: $373 in Cha-am versus $2,241 in Hong Kong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $880 per month in Cha-am versus $2,984 in Hong Kong – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cha-am runs roughly 298% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $880 in Cha-am versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cha-am 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.