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 $2,752 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,270 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,474 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,787 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $4,585 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Hong Kong (China) costs about 16% more than 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 105%, United Kingdom by 76%.

Hong Kong (China) has a wider regional cost range ($2,752–$2,752) than United Kingdom ($1,678–$3,892), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Hong Kong (China).

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 HK$70.4

$20.41 £15.17

-55.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 HK$494

$87.0 £64.7

-27.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 HK$51.4

$10.13 £7.53

-35.24%

Cappuccino

$4.98 HK$39.04

$4.70 £3.49

5.96%

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

$1.30 HK$10.15

$2.36 £1.75

-44.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.55

$1.76 £1.30

-38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 HK$53.7

$6.66 £4.95

2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 HK$51.3

$6.43 £4.78

1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 HK$24.02

$1.70 £1.27

80.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 HK$17.43

$1.63 £1.21

36.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 HK$15.35

$2.29 £1.70

-14.41%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.56

$4.03 £2.99

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.75 HK$202

$9.77 £7.26

163.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 HK$82.3

$8.92 £6.63

17.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 HK$171

$14.31 £10.64

52.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 HK$28.35

$3.05 £2.26

18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 HK$18.12

$1.61 £1.19

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 HK$30.38

$2.84 £2.11

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 HK$24.16

$3.53 £2.62

-12.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 HK$18.31

$1.61 £1.19

45.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.41

$1.57 £1.17

41.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 HK$13.15

$1.17 £0.87

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.51

$1.56 £1.16

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.10 HK$103

$20.03 £14.89

-34.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 HK$148

$10.90 £8.10

73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 HK$14.36

$2.90 £2.16

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 HK$20.81

$3.38 £2.51

-21.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 HK$13.13

$3.17 £2.35

-47.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 HK$490

$95.2 £70.8

-34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 HK$28.16

$5.45 £4.05

-34.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.27

$1.59 £1.18

-17.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.66 HK$115

$27.31 £20.30

-46.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.11 HK$24.35

$1.99 £1.48

56.28%

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

$38.2K HK$299.7K

$37.8K £28.1K

1.27%

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

$32.9K HK$257.5K

$40.2K £29.9K

-18.17%

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

$235 HK$1,839

$323 £240

-27.25%

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

$17.94 HK$141

$17.22 £12.80

4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 HK$176

$42.23 £31.39

-46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 HK$597

$46.03 £34.21

65.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 HK$66.7

$15.67 £11.65

-45.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 HK$100

$13.48 £10.02

-4.90%

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

$986 HK$7,725

$1,713 £1,274

-42.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K HK$167.5K

$20.8K £15.5K

2.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 HK$571

$91.3 £67.8

-20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 HK$310

$44.88 £33.36

-11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 HK$711

$102 £75.9

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 HK$1,123

$104 £77.3

37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 HK$17.4K

$1,417 £1,053

57.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 HK$12.3K

$1,132 £841

38.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,893 HK$38.3K

$2,308 £1,715

112.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,105 HK$24.3K

$1,839 £1,367

68.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.4K HK$214.6K

$5,727 £4,257

378.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.0K HK$133.6K

$4,523 £3,362

276.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,187 HK$25.0K

$3,333 £2,477

-4.38%

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): May 31, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,235 in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,265 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,235 in Hong Kong and $3,019 in London.

Average salary: $3,166 in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,219 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 77% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 29% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 45% 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

Hong Kong (China) is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 1% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Hong Kong (China), contributing to the overall 1% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong (China), but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Hong Kong (China) 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.