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

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,336 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,823 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $4,579 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Hong Kong (China) is about 21% higher than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Hong Kong (China) and United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Hong Kong (China) by 113%, United Kingdom by 77%.

The regional cost range is wider in Hong Kong (China) ($2,848–$2,848) than in United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.01 HK$70.6

$20.23 £15.04

-55.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 HK$509

$88.3 £65.6

-26.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.93

$10.35 £7.69

-39.71%

Cappuccino

$5.16 HK$40.46

$4.77 £3.55

8.18%

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

$1.29 HK$10.08

$2.44 £1.82

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 HK$8.48

$1.73 £1.29

-37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 HK$51.4

$6.85 £5.09

-4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 HK$48.50

$6.52 £4.84

-5.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 HK$23.43

$1.66 £1.23

80.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.12

$1.71 £1.27

35.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 HK$15.83

$2.21 £1.64

-8.60%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.07

$4.09 £3.04

-15.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.07 HK$197

$9.52 £7.08

163.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 HK$79.8

$9.02 £6.71

12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.12 HK$173

$14.18 £10.54

55.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 HK$27.48

$2.96 £2.20

18.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 HK$18.39

$1.68 £1.25

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 HK$30.97

$2.84 £2.11

39.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 HK$23.02

$3.41 £2.53

-13.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 HK$18.19

$1.69 £1.26

37.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.46

$1.58 £1.17

41.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 HK$13.65

$1.12 £0.84

55.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 HK$13.32

$1.53 £1.14

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 HK$102

$20.16 £14.99

-35.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.89 HK$132

$10.47 £7.78

61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 HK$14.45

$2.87 £2.14

-35.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 HK$20.74

$3.30 £2.45

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 HK$13.15

$3.33 £2.48

-49.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 HK$496

$96.3 £71.6

-34.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.48

$5.53 £4.11

-32.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.33

$1.60 £1.19

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 HK$117

$27.51 £20.45

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.05 HK$23.94

$1.90 £1.41

60.53%

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

$38.7K HK$303.5K

$38.1K £28.3K

1.66%

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

$33.2K HK$260.6K

$41.0K £30.5K

-18.91%

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

$232 HK$1,819

$326 £242

-28.86%

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

$17.87 HK$140

$17.18 £12.77

4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 HK$175

$42.96 £31.94

-47.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 HK$598

$45.94 £34.15

65.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 HK$67.6

$15.87 £11.80

-45.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 HK$98.2

$13.80 £10.26

-9.20%

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

$1,004 HK$7,872

$1,723 £1,281

-41.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K HK$170.5K

$20.9K £15.5K

4.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 HK$580

$90.3 £67.1

-18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 HK$305

$44.39 £33.00

-12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 HK$706

$103 £76.7

-12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 HK$1,101

$103 £76.3

36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 HK$17.5K

$1,419 £1,055

57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 HK$12.4K

$1,143 £850

38.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,811 HK$37.7K

$2,298 £1,708

109.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 HK$24.2K

$1,873 £1,392

64.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.5K HK$215.3K

$5,728 £4,258

379.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.0K HK$133.3K

$4,339 £3,226

291.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,220 HK$25.2K

$3,264 £2,427

-1.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.75

-30.96%

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

Last update for Hong Kong (China): July 13, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,160 in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,266 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,160 in Hong Kong and $2,937 in London.

Average salary: $3,230 in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,192 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 31% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 46% more expensive in United Kingdom.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

United Kingdom is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% 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 United Kingdom, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in United Kingdom, but in Hong Kong (China) it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

United Kingdom 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.