Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $883 in Boroko, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Boroko $883

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,279 in Boroko, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Boroko $1,279

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,676 in Boroko, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Boroko $1,676

Hong Kong costs about 238% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 123% above the global median, while Boroko is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$7.32 PGK 32.06

15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$34.97 PGK 153

80.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$5.65 PGK 24.74

9.73%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.42

$2.49 PGK 10.91

96.79%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$0.73 PGK 3.22

73.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.68 PGK 2.99

55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$2.57 PGK 11.28

198.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$3.60 PGK 15.78

74.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.51 PGK 6.60

89.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$1.20 PGK 5.27

102.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$1.22 PGK 5.34

78.69%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$3.69 PGK 16.19

-4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$4.91 PGK 21.53

411.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$5.74 PGK 25.15

54.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$6.51 PGK 28.52

170.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.23

$3.93 PGK 17.21

4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$3.13 PGK 13.74

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$2.68 PGK 11.76

71.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$2.67 PGK 11.69

50.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$2.84 PGK 12.45

14.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$0.85 PGK 3.75

284.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$1.13 PGK 4.94

41.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.43 PGK 1.87

302.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$5.51 PGK 24.16

138.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$4.87 PGK 21.33

240.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$1.13 PGK 4.95

77.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$1.58 PGK 6.93

37.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$0.43 PGK 1.88

234.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$29.80 PGK 131

198.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.54

$4.54 PGK 19.87

-19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.36 PGK 5.96

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$11.18 PGK 48.99

41.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$0.79 PGK 3.47

413.92%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

115.41%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

114.67%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$62.5 PGK 274

296.00%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$22.96 PGK 101

-30.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$90.5 PGK 396

-76.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$42.26 PGK 185

116.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$14.52 PGK 63.6

-37.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$6.56 PGK 28.73

112.80%

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

$1,155 HK$9,068

$328 PGK 1,438

251.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$2,247 PGK 9,848

890.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$32.17 PGK 141

114.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$13.05 PGK 57.2

209.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$45.08 PGK 198

77.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$26.83 PGK 118

338.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

-34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$225 PGK 984

664.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$224 PGK 982

1480.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$356 PGK 1,561

806.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

-64.45%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Boroko

$225 25.2% 86.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Boroko

$211 23.6% 49.2% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Boroko

$176 19.7% 38.2% $109

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Boroko

$131 14.7% 36.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Boroko

$53 5.9% 61.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Boroko

$55 6.2% 53.6% $64

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Boroko

$43 4.8% 59.2% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $3,311 in Boroko. 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 806% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $35.00 in Boroko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $211 – making Boroko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

2 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Boroko 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong costs about 238% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,324 in Boroko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boroko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,155 per month in Hong Kong and $328 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,984 in Hong Kong and $883 in Boroko. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boroko costs $883 versus $2,984 in Hong Kong. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Boroko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.