Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $625 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Ambon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $625 in Ambon.

Hong Kong $2,984
Ambon $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,558 in Hong Kong versus $997 in Ambon.

Hong Kong $4,558
Ambon $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,132 in Hong Kong versus $1,368 in Ambon.

Hong Kong $6,132
Ambon $1,368

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 377% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 123% above, Ambon is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

669.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$13.77 Rp 246.2K

358.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$3.82 Rp 68.3K

62.30%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

233.33%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$0.43 Rp 7,711

195.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.29 Rp 5,155

265.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

235.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$3.46 Rp 61.8K

81.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

167.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$0.99 Rp 17.6K

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

172.50%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

158.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$7.33 Rp 131.1K

242.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$2.93 Rp 52.4K

203.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$7.72 Rp 138.0K

128.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$2.23 Rp 39.9K

84.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

110.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$1.70 Rp 30.3K

170.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$1.27 Rp 22.6K

216.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

151.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$1.99 Rp 35.6K

64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

119.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.43 Rp 7,711

302.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

473.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$21.10 Rp 377.1K

-21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$3.05 Rp 54.5K

-28.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$0.26 Rp 4,719

453.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$16.64 Rp 297.5K

435.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$0.52 Rp 9,372

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$0.36 Rp 6,402

263.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$2.69 Rp 48.0K

488.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

401.23%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$21.1K Rp 377.3M

110.22%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$27.3K Rp 487.1M

37.11%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

330.37%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$5.48 Rp 97.9K

189.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$18.88 Rp 337.4K

13.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$18.58 Rp 332.0K

391.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$7.69 Rp 137.5K

18.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

918.98%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

1115.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$6,994 Rp 125.0M

218.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$42.94 Rp 767.5K

60.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$32.09 Rp 573.6K

26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

9.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

64.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$207 Rp 3.7M

953.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$127 Rp 2.3M

1254.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$477 Rp 8.5M

957.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$405 Rp 7.2M

774.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$1,004 Rp 17.9M

2803.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$915 Rp 16.4M

1819.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$125 Rp 2.2M

2486.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

9.46

-58.67%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ambon: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Ambon

$127 21.1% 92.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Ambon

$194 32.3% 53.1% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Ambon

$82 13.6% 71.3% $203

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Ambon

$59 9.8% 71.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Ambon

$99 16.4% 28.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Ambon

$21 3.5% 82.1% $98

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Ambon

$20 3.3% 80.9% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,180 in Hong Kong and $207 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 2487% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Hong Kong vs $14.00 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $194 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇩 Ambon

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

17:37 5:37 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

275,888

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Between locations

Hong Kong Ambon 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Ambon

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 vs Ambon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 377% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2487% higher in Hong Kong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $207 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,984 per month in Hong Kong versus $625 in Ambon – a 377% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 435% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $625 in Ambon versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Ambon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 377% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.