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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,752 in Hong Kong (China) versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Hong Kong (China) versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,787 in Hong Kong (China) versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Hong Kong (China) is roughly 287% more expensive than China on average.

Hong Kong (China) (105% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Hong Kong (China): monthly costs span $2,752 to $2,752, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Hong Kong (China).

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 HK$70.4

$2.81 ¥18.98

219.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 HK$494

$23.30 ¥158

170.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 HK$51.4

$5.01 ¥33.87

30.94%

Cappuccino

$4.98 HK$39.04

$3.01 ¥20.38

65.45%

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

$1.30 HK$10.15

$0.45 ¥3.03

188.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.55

$0.29 ¥1.97

275.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 HK$53.7

$0.95 ¥6.41

621.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 HK$51.3

$2.05 ¥13.87

219.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 HK$24.02

$1.76 ¥11.87

74.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 HK$17.43

$1.62 ¥10.98

37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 HK$15.35

$0.95 ¥6.45

106.32%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.56

$1.56 ¥10.55

125.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.75 HK$202

$13.06 ¥88.3

97.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 HK$82.3

$3.28 ¥22.17

220.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 HK$171

$10.65 ¥72.0

104.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 HK$28.35

$1.78 ¥12.03

103.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 HK$18.12

$1.24 ¥8.42

86.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 HK$30.38

$1.50 ¥10.12

158.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 HK$24.16

$1.15 ¥7.79

167.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 HK$18.31

$0.75 ¥5.07

212.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.41

$0.86 ¥5.81

158.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 HK$13.15

$0.62 ¥4.17

170.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.51

$0.56 ¥3.81

207.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.10 HK$103

$3.51 ¥23.76

273.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 HK$148

$11.66 ¥78.9

62.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 HK$14.36

$0.80 ¥5.40

128.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 HK$20.81

$1.66 ¥11.25

60.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 HK$13.13

$0.43 ¥2.93

290.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 HK$490

$20.86 ¥141

199.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 HK$28.16

$1.37 ¥9.26

162.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.27

$0.35 ¥2.38

274.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.66 HK$115

$6.63 ¥44.82

121.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.11 HK$24.35

$1.14 ¥7.69

172.81%

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

$38.2K HK$299.7K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

99.38%

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

$32.9K HK$257.5K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

96.05%

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

$235 HK$1,839

$51.2 ¥346

358.61%

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

$17.94 HK$141

$10.16 ¥68.7

76.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 HK$176

$11.51 ¥77.9

94.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 HK$597

$40.53 ¥274

88.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 HK$66.7

$15.05 ¥102

-43.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 HK$100

$6.10 ¥41.26

110.16%

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

$986 HK$7,725

$402 ¥2,719

145.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K HK$167.5K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

20.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 HK$571

$45.57 ¥308

59.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 HK$310

$33.26 ¥225

19.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 HK$711

$72.6 ¥491

24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 HK$1,123

$74.5 ¥503

92.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 HK$17.4K

$429 ¥2,903

417.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 HK$12.3K

$257 ¥1,739

510.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,893 HK$38.3K

$895 ¥6,055

446.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,105 HK$24.3K

$541 ¥3,660

473.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.4K HK$214.6K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

446.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.0K HK$133.6K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

590.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,187 HK$25.0K

$1,055 ¥7,132

202.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

4.06

-2.22%

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

Last update for Hong Kong (China): May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $2,235 in Hong Kong (China), $286 in China. Capital cities: $2,235 in Hong Kong vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,166 in Hong Kong (China), $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 681% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 210% more in Hong Kong (China).

Public transport is 256% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are 268% higher in Hong Kong (China).

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 $865 per month in China and $2,752 in Hong Kong (China), there's a 218% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Hong Kong (China) beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Hong Kong (China), it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Hong Kong (China) may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.