Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $4,584 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Hong Kong $4,584

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $6,183 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Hong Kong $6,183

Daejeon is about 55% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Daejeon and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Daejeon by 0%, Hong Kong by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$7.75 HK$60.8

-6.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$64.7 HK$508

-43.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$6.18 HK$48.51

-9.87%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$5.08 HK$39.85

-29.13%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$1.31 HK$10.31

-6.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$1.09 HK$8.56

-40.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$7.47 HK$58.6

-53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$6.50 HK$51.0

-43.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$2.89 HK$22.71

-24.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$2.31 HK$18.14

15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$2.13 HK$16.71

23.94%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$3.52 HK$27.65

-27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$24.72 HK$194

-55.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$8.52 HK$66.9

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$18.00 HK$141

13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$4.18 HK$32.79

166.03%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$2.68 HK$21.07

104.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$4.49 HK$35.22

29.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$4.03 HK$31.66

50.62%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$3.12 HK$24.51

71.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$3.15 HK$24.72

-10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.62 HK$12.75

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$1.74 HK$13.66

-34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$13.50 HK$106

-75.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$16.54 HK$130

14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$1.94 HK$15.19

31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$2.18 HK$17.11

62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.41 HK$11.04

-21.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$88.6 HK$696

-87.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$3.69 HK$28.94

-10.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.32 HK$10.36

-46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$15.77 HK$124

6.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$4.03 HK$31.65

-69.48%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-36.29%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$37.8K HK$296.6K

-37.18%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$250 HK$1,959

-31.17%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$15.60 HK$122

175.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$21.77 HK$171

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$94.2 HK$739

-64.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$13.91 HK$109

-18.69%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$1,162 HK$9,122

-73.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$21.9K HK$171.6K

0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$68.0 HK$534

-5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$41.91 HK$329

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$79.7 HK$626

15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$122 HK$956

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-83.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-82.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$5,041 HK$39.6K

-79.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$3,435 HK$27.0K

-82.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$29.2K HK$229.0K

-80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-74.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$3,271 HK$25.7K

-28.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.91

-6.65%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 8% $36

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 484% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 21.1% $50

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 33.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 1.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 119% $66

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 368% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon versus $2,241 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 40% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daejeon versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $446 in Daejeon vs $411 in Hong Kong – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

1 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Daejeon Hong Kong 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Daejeon
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

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

Hong Kong costs about 122% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,016 per month in Daejeon 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 Daejeon, 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 $1,344 in Daejeon and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 122%.

Public transport costs about 699% less in Daejeon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daejeon, where all-in costs run around $1,344, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Daejeon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Daejeon costs $1,344 versus $2,984 in Hong Kong. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Daejeon. 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.