Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Arklow

For one person, living is cheaper in Arklow: $2,554 a month against $3,028 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)
Arklow, Ireland
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,028
/mo nomad
Arklow
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Arklow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,028 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,554 in Arklow, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $3,028
  • Arklow $2,554

A couple spends around $4,727 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,690 in Arklow, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,727
  • Arklow $3,690

A family of three spends $6,426 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,827 in Arklow, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,426
  • Arklow $4,827

Hong Kong costs about 19% more than Arklow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Arklow sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Arklow by 88%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.11 HK$63.6
$22.19 €19.93
-63.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.9 HK$493
$88.4 €79.5
-28.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.33 HK$49.65
$11.33 €10.18
-44.13%
Cappuccino
$5.03 HK$39.44
$4.20 €3.77
19.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 HK$9.98
$2.95 €2.65
-56.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 HK$8.47
$2.22 €1.99
-51.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.74 HK$60.7
$5.38 €4.83
43.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.55 HK$51.4
$5.37 €4.82
21.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.87 HK$22.51
$1.71 €1.54
67.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 HK$19.11
$2.27 €2.04
7.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.69
$1.86 €1.67
14.52%
Eggs
$3.43 HK$26.88
$4.48 €4.03
-23.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.73 HK$194
$14.23 €12.78
73.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.86 HK$69.5
$12.88 €11.57
-31.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.81 HK$140
$16.78 €15.07
6.14%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 HK$33.00
$3.32 €2.98
26.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.60 HK$20.36
$3.00 €2.69
-13.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.65 HK$36.51
$3.35 €3.01
38.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.05 HK$31.80
$4.72 €4.24
-14.19%
Potato (1kg)
$3.18 HK$24.97
$2.36 €2.12
34.75%
Onion (1kg)
$3.25 HK$25.46
$1.82 €1.64
78.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 HK$12.47
$1.40 €1.26
13.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 HK$13.50
$2.10 €1.88
-18.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.27 HK$104
$19.86 €17.84
-33.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.22 HK$119
$13.35 €11.99
14.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 HK$15.18
$4.06 €3.65
-52.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 HK$17.91
$3.58 €3.22
-36.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 HK$10.05
$2.27 €2.04
-43.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.0 HK$691
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.75 HK$29.38
$5.18 €4.65
-27.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 HK$10.23
$1.54 €1.38
-15.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.92 HK$125
$32.70 €29.38
-51.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.05 HK$31.80
$2.14 €1.92
89.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.6K HK$349.5K
$38.3K €34.4K
16.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K HK$294.3K
$37.5K €33.7K
0.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$242 HK$1,895
$244 €219
-1.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.72 HK$123
$21.79 €19.58
-27.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.12 HK$166
$55.4 €49.74
-61.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$99.8 HK$783
$59.4 €53.4
67.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.52 HK$74.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.80 HK$100
$13.29 €11.94
-3.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,287 HK$10.1K
$1,077 €968
19.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.0K HK$172.7K
$5,279 €4,742
317.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.7 HK$523
$95.8 €86.0
-30.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.46 HK$333
$43.42 €39.00
-2.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.6 HK$655
$106 €95.4
-21.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$957
$121 €109
0.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,432 HK$19.1K
$1,484 €1,333
63.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,764 HK$13.8K
$1,250 €1,122
41.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,347 HK$41.9K
$2,796 €2,512
91.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,677 HK$28.8K
$1,909 €1,715
92.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$28.4K HK$223.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$18.1K HK$141.8K
$3,844 €3,453
370.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Arklow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,264 HK$25.6K
$4,869 €4,374
-32.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
4.14
-8.45%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arklow: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.8K
Arklow
$1.2K 29.2% $514
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$410
Arklow
$390 5% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$278
Arklow
$321 15.5% $43
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$205
Arklow
$320 55.9% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$142
Arklow
$165 16.4% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$125
Arklow
$86 31.4% $39
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$103
Arklow
$22 * 78.8% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,432 in Hong Kong versus $1,484 in Arklow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Arklow, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $88 in Arklow. Groceries tell a different story – $410 in Hong Kong vs $390 in Arklow – so Arklow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇮🇪 Arklow
🕒 Local time
02:04 2:04 AM
18:04 6:04 PM
8 h behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
13,399
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Arklow 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Arklow

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 Arklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Arklow compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,028 in Hong Kong, $2,554 in Arklow – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Arklow?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,543 per month in Hong Kong and $3,831 in Arklow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Arklow?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arklow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,484 there versus $2,432 in Hong Kong.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $88 in Arklow. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Hong Kong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Arklow, where all-in costs run around $2,554, than in Hong Kong at $3,028. In Arklow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Hong Kong or Arklow?
Families tend to lean toward Arklow – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Hong Kong or Arklow safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Hong Kong vs other spots: cost of living compared

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