Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
Learn more

Ballarat Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $1,902 in Ballarat.

Hong Kong $2,984
Ballarat $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $3,035 in Ballarat.

Hong Kong $4,584
Ballarat $3,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $4,168 in Ballarat.

Hong Kong $6,183
Ballarat $4,168

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 57% more expensive than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 121% above, Ballarat 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$17.70 A$25.47

-56.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$69.9 A$101

-7.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$10.27 A$14.78

-39.82%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.79 A$5.45

34.04%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$2.95 A$4.24

-55.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$1.89 A$2.72

-42.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$6.06 A$8.72

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$6.09 A$8.77

6.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.57 A$2.27

84.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.65 A$3.82

-12.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.32 A$3.35

-8.19%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$4.09 A$5.88

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.56 A$15.20

134.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$9.96 A$14.33

-14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$14.97 A$21.55

20.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$3.51 A$5.04

19.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.02 A$4.34

-11.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$3.11 A$4.48

44.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.68 A$6.73

-13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.07 A$4.42

1.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.55 A$3.67

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.35 A$3.38

-31.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.48 A$2.14

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$34.39 A$49.49

-60.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$12.66 A$18.21

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.31 A$3.33

-16.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.11 A$4.48

-29.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$2.76 A$3.97

-48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$69.9 A$101

26.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$2.53 A$3.65

45.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.34 A$1.93

-1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$26.64 A$38.33

-40.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.18 A$1.70

241.53%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$28.4K A$40.9K

57.06%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$26.0K A$37.4K

45.36%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$206 A$296

21.41%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$27.76 A$39.95

-43.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$57.4 A$82.6

-62.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$31.36 A$45.13

200.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$11.18 A$16.09

-16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$15.38 A$22.14

-9.56%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$2,144 A$3,085

-45.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$30.2K A$43.4K

-27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$68.7 A$98.8

-0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$50.1 A$72.2

-16.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$99.6 A$143

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$134 A$193

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$923 A$1,329

142.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$671 A$965

156.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,288 A$1,854

291.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,454 A$2,092

136.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$4,622 A$6,651

531.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$3,449 A$4,963

409.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$3,136 A$4,512

4.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.55

-29.55%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Ballarat

$671 35.3% 61% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Ballarat

$350 18.4% 14.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Ballarat

$291 15.3% 1.3% $3.8

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Ballarat

$280 14.7% 38.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Ballarat

$158 8.3% 13.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Ballarat

$62 3.3% 49.1% $60

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Ballarat

$90 4.7% 13.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,241 in Hong Kong and $923 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 4% 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: $65.0 in Hong Kong vs $70.0 in Ballarat. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $350, with Ballarat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

03:57 3:57 AM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

105,348

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Ballarat 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $923 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Hong Kong versus $2,144 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Hong Kong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ballarat delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,902 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ballarat hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.