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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,990 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $366 in India, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,601 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $581 in India, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,212 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $795 in India, rent included.

The cost of living in Hong Kong (China) is about 717% higher than in India on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Hong Kong (China) sits 117% above the global median, while India is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Hong Kong (China) ($2,990–$2,990) than in India ($228–$810), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 HK$63.5

$2.15 ₹205

276.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 HK$504

$10.42 ₹996

517.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 HK$48.68

$3.59 ₹343

72.98%

Cappuccino

$5.13 HK$40.26

$1.67 ₹160

207.19%

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

$1.29 HK$10.09

$0.39 ₹37.26

230.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 HK$8.59

$0.17 ₹15.92

547.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 HK$56.9

$1.87 ₹179

288.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 HK$44.04

$3.18 ₹304

76.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 HK$23.74

$0.64 ₹61.1

373.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 HK$17.66

$0.45 ₹42.66

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 HK$17.64

$0.63 ₹59.9

257.14%

Eggs

$3.44 HK$26.98

$0.87 ₹83.5

295.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 HK$207

$4.62 ₹442

470.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 HK$65.8

$2.86 ₹273

193.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 HK$149

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.75

$1.95 ₹186

114.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 HK$19.10

$0.67 ₹64.3

264.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 HK$37.08

$0.99 ₹94.3

377.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 HK$25.99

$0.51 ₹48.45

549.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 HK$24.30

$0.35 ₹33.23

785.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.47

$0.42 ₹39.69

673.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 HK$11.82

$0.44 ₹41.87

243.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.63

$0.31 ₹29.80

461.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.43 HK$105

$5.14 ₹491

161.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 HK$128

$7.58 ₹724

114.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 HK$15.12

$1.67 ₹160

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 HK$16.88

$2.79 ₹266

-22.94%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 HK$10.23

$0.25 ₹23.64

420.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 HK$698

$8.53 ₹815

943.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 HK$29.22

$0.94 ₹89.4

296.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.27 ₹25.96

411.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 HK$126

$1.60 ₹153

903.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.90 HK$30.56

$1.12 ₹107

248.21%

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

$44.7K HK$350.3K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

258.94%

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

$37.2K HK$291.9K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

84.52%

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

$241 HK$1,891

$37.28 ₹3,562

546.94%

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

$15.01 HK$118

$3.49 ₹334

330.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.99 HK$172

$7.20 ₹688

205.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.7 HK$735

$14.69 ₹1,403

538.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 HK$77.9

$7.31 ₹698

35.98%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 HK$107

$3.08 ₹294

341.23%

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

$1,071 HK$8,401

$59.1 ₹5,646

1713.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$1,693 ₹161.8K

1192.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 HK$526

$23.25 ₹2,221

188.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 HK$327

$24.03 ₹2,296

73.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 HK$640

$40.99 ₹3,917

99.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 HK$930

$30.46 ₹2,911

289.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 HK$17.9K

$143 ₹13.7K

1494.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 HK$13.3K

$93.2 ₹8,902

1723.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,204 HK$40.8K

$332 ₹31.7K

1468.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 HK$26.3K

$214 ₹20.4K

1473.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K HK$233.8K

$1,203 ₹115.0K

2377.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.0K HK$141.4K

$643 ₹61.5K

2702.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 HK$24.4K

$441 ₹42.1K

606.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

8.93

-57.45%

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 India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,265 in Hong Kong (China) vs $121 in India. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,265 in Hong Kong and $272 in Delhi.

Average salary: $3,137 in Hong Kong (China) vs $410 in India. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1772% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 530% more in Hong Kong (China).

Public transport is 1186% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are 665% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

India is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 476% 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 India, contributing to the overall 476% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in India, but in Hong Kong (China) it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

India 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.