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

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Hong Kong (China) costs about 27% more than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 HK$70.1

$16.24 A$22.57

-44.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 HK$492

$77.1 A$107

-18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 HK$50.8

$9.81 A$13.64

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$4.97 HK$38.97

$3.58 A$4.97

38.83%

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

$1.35 HK$10.61

$2.57 A$3.57

-47.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 HK$8.62

$2.18 A$3.03

-49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 HK$53.6

$6.63 A$9.22

3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 HK$49.47

$7.12 A$9.90

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 HK$24.27

$1.50 A$2.09

106.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 HK$18.06

$2.53 A$3.51

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 HK$15.49

$2.07 A$2.88

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.48 HK$27.31

$4.29 A$5.96

-18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.89 HK$195

$8.65 A$12.02

187.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 HK$81.1

$8.34 A$11.60

24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.83 HK$171

$13.90 A$19.33

57.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 HK$27.09

$3.30 A$4.58

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 HK$17.54

$2.77 A$3.85

-19.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 HK$29.37

$2.95 A$4.10

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 HK$24.18

$4.19 A$5.83

-26.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 HK$17.76

$2.42 A$3.36

-6.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.46

$2.10 A$2.92

6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 HK$13.14

$2.26 A$3.14

-25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.50

$1.50 A$2.09

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 HK$102

$31.58 A$43.90

-58.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 HK$121

$14.29 A$19.86

7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 HK$14.29

$4.59 A$6.38

-60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 HK$20.92

$4.82 A$6.70

-44.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 HK$13.65

$3.02 A$4.19

-42.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 HK$495

$98.3 A$137

-35.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 HK$29.18

$3.48 A$4.84

6.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 HK$10.81

$1.75 A$2.43

-21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 HK$116

$37.97 A$52.8

-60.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.02 HK$23.64

$1.21 A$1.68

149.59%

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

$38.0K HK$297.6K

$29.0K A$40.4K

30.73%

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

$32.6K HK$255.2K

$22.6K A$31.4K

44.28%

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

$228 HK$1,784

$177 A$247

28.32%

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

$17.95 HK$141

$26.85 A$37.32

-33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.22 HK$182

$52.4 A$72.9

-55.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 HK$607

$47.57 A$66.1

62.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.48 HK$66.5

$16.46 A$22.88

-48.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 HK$101

$13.73 A$19.09

-6.19%

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

$998 HK$7,823

$1,593 A$2,215

-37.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K HK$166.6K

$12.7K A$17.7K

67.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 HK$576

$72.0 A$100

1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 HK$307

$51.3 A$71.3

-23.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 HK$692

$103 A$143

-14.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 HK$1,128

$108 A$151

32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 HK$17.0K

$1,401 A$1,947

54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 HK$12.1K

$1,080 A$1,501

42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,843 HK$38.0K

$2,340 A$3,253

106.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,063 HK$24.0K

$1,756 A$2,441

74.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.5K HK$200.1K

$7,733 A$10.7K

230.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.9K HK$124.9K

$5,563 A$7,733

186.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,342 HK$26.2K

$4,000 A$5,560

-16.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

6.35

-37.48%

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

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $3,377 in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,878 in Australia. 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

Hong Kong (China) vs Australia: 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.