Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong (China)
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Hong Kong (China) Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,046

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong (China) and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hong Kong (China) and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,046 in Hong Kong (China) versus $791 in China.

Hong Kong (China) $3,046
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,715 in Hong Kong (China) versus $1,251 in China.

Hong Kong (China) $4,715
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,384 in Hong Kong (China) versus $1,711 in China.

Hong Kong (China) $6,384
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $3,028–$3,028 in Hong Kong (China). City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Hong Kong (China) is roughly 285% more expensive than in China on average.

Hong Kong (China) (124% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.47 HK$66.5

$2.98 ¥19.81

184.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$22.09 ¥147

193.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 HK$49.02

$5.20 ¥34.60

20.19%

Cappuccino

$5.17 HK$40.58

$2.97 ¥19.74

74.07%

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

$1.31 HK$10.28

$0.48 ¥3.19

172.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.88

$0.30 ¥2.01

276.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 HK$58.4

$1.08 ¥7.18

588.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 HK$51.3

$2.28 ¥15.15

186.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 HK$22.76

$1.80 ¥11.96

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HK$18.47

$1.68 ¥11.15

39.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 HK$17.68

$0.92 ¥6.13

144.57%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.10

$1.61 ¥10.73

114.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.79 HK$194

$13.38 ¥89.0

85.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 HK$69.4

$3.35 ¥22.28

164.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 HK$142

$11.35 ¥75.5

59.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 HK$31.77

$1.82 ¥12.12

122.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 HK$20.56

$1.31 ¥8.69

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 HK$36.93

$1.49 ¥9.89

216.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 HK$30.95

$1.27 ¥8.47

211.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 HK$25.15

$0.71 ¥4.73

352.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 HK$25.24

$0.93 ¥6.21

246.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 HK$13.00

$0.62 ¥4.12

167.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 HK$13.92

$0.56 ¥3.74

216.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.43 HK$105

$3.78 ¥25.15

255.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 HK$119

$12.13 ¥80.7

25.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 HK$15.50

$0.83 ¥5.54

138.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 HK$17.95

$1.68 ¥11.21

36.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 HK$10.50

$0.29 ¥1.91

362.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 HK$702

$17.83 ¥119

402.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 HK$29.22

$1.49 ¥9.89

150.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 HK$10.66

$0.37 ¥2.49

267.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 HK$126

$7.10 ¥47.23

125.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.98 HK$31.21

$1.26 ¥8.37

215.87%

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

$44.5K HK$348.9K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

128.73%

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

$37.6K HK$295.3K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

114.68%

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

$239 HK$1,878

$54.6 ¥363

338.78%

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

$15.99 HK$125

$8.73 ¥58.1

83.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.59 HK$169

$11.07 ¥73.6

95.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 HK$771

$40.77 ¥271

141.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.38 HK$73.6

$14.48 ¥96.4

-35.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 HK$98.8

$6.78 ¥45.12

85.69%

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

$1,280 HK$10.0K

$517 ¥3,437

147.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K HK$177.3K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

14.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 HK$532

$46.53 ¥310

45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.21 HK$339

$35.66 ¥237

21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 HK$650

$77.0 ¥512

7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 HK$973

$80.3 ¥534

54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 HK$18.6K

$386 ¥2,567

515.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 HK$13.9K

$235 ¥1,561

657.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,399 HK$42.4K

$822 ¥5,469

556.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,614 HK$28.4K

$453 ¥3,015

697.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.5K HK$231.1K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

527.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.9K HK$140.2K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

653.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,297 HK$25.9K

$1,093 ¥7,274

201.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.46

9.54%

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

Last update for Hong Kong (China): October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong (China)

$1.8K 58.3%

China

$235 29.6% 86.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong (China)

$412 13.5%

China

$210 26.5% 49% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong (China)

$277 9.1%

China

$74 9.4% 73.2% $203

Eating Out

Hong Kong (China)

$209 6.9%

China

$88 11.1% 57.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong (China)

$143 4.7%

China

$108 13.6% 24.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong (China)

$124 4.1%

China

$54 6.9% 56% $69

Getting Around

Hong Kong (China)

$105 3.5%

China

$22 2.8% 78.8% $83

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $2,432 in Hong Kong (China), $298 in China. Capital cities: $2,432 in Hong Kong vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,264 in Hong Kong (China), $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 716% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 186% more in Hong Kong (China).

Public transport is 389% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are about 3.7 times higher in Hong Kong (China).

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

Same time as Hong Kong (China)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,413,070

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.76 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Hong Kong (China) China 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong (China)
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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

Hong Kong (China) vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), China comes out about 74% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $2,432 in Hong Kong (China) and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.