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 $2,990 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $2,547 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,601 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,678 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,212 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $4,808 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Hong Kong (China) is about 17% higher than in 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 117%, Australia by 85%.

The regional cost range is wider in Hong Kong (China) ($2,990–$2,990) than in Australia ($1,218–$3,352), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 HK$63.5

$17.74 A$24.73

-54.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 HK$504

$86.9 A$121

-25.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 HK$48.68

$11.35 A$15.82

-45.29%

Cappuccino

$5.13 HK$40.26

$3.99 A$5.57

28.57%

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

$1.29 HK$10.09

$2.97 A$4.14

-56.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 HK$8.59

$2.51 A$3.50

-56.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 HK$56.9

$7.75 A$10.80

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 HK$44.04

$8.07 A$11.25

-30.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 HK$23.74

$1.76 A$2.46

72.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 HK$17.66

$2.87 A$4.00

-21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 HK$17.64

$2.37 A$3.31

-5.06%

Eggs

$3.44 HK$26.98

$5.11 A$7.13

-32.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 HK$207

$10.13 A$14.13

160.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 HK$65.8

$9.57 A$13.35

-12.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 HK$149

$15.59 A$21.74

21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.75

$3.83 A$5.34

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 HK$19.10

$3.13 A$4.36

-22.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 HK$37.08

$3.35 A$4.67

41.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 HK$25.99

$4.88 A$6.80

-32.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 HK$24.30

$2.92 A$4.07

6.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.47

$2.36 A$3.29

37.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 HK$11.82

$2.46 A$3.43

-38.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.63

$1.70 A$2.38

2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.43 HK$105

$39.46 A$55.0

-65.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 HK$128

$14.69 A$20.48

10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 HK$15.12

$5.07 A$7.07

-61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 HK$16.88

$5.36 A$7.48

-59.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 HK$10.23

$2.84 A$3.96

-54.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 HK$698

$97.3 A$136

-8.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 HK$29.22

$3.56 A$4.96

4.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 HK$10.80

$1.68 A$2.34

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 HK$126

$40.94 A$57.1

-60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.90 HK$30.56

$1.35 A$1.88

188.89%

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

$44.7K HK$350.3K

$29.1K A$40.5K

53.69%

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

$37.2K HK$291.9K

$29.5K A$41.1K

26.25%

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

$241 HK$1,891

$207 A$289

16.24%

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

$15.01 HK$118

$29.34 A$40.91

-48.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.99 HK$172

$60.0 A$83.7

-63.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.7 HK$735

$59.3 A$82.6

58.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 HK$77.9

$20.28 A$28.27

-50.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 HK$107

$16.04 A$22.36

-15.27%

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

$1,071 HK$8,401

$2,194 A$3,059

-51.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$18.6K A$26.0K

17.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 HK$526

$81.1 A$113

-17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 HK$327

$56.9 A$79.3

-26.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 HK$640

$119 A$165

-31.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 HK$930

$126 A$176

-6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 HK$17.9K

$1,637 A$2,282

39.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 HK$13.3K

$1,306 A$1,821

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,204 HK$40.8K

$2,589 A$3,609

101.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 HK$26.3K

$1,963 A$2,737

71.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K HK$233.8K

$8,394 A$11.7K

255.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.0K HK$141.4K

$6,140 A$8,560

193.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 HK$24.4K

$4,067 A$5,670

-23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.93

-35.92%

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

Last update for Hong Kong (China): September 6, 2026

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,265 in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,426 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,265 in Hong Kong and $1,845 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,137 in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,945 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 35% more in Australia.

Salaries are 26% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 31% 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 31% 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.