Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,627 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $1,627 in Busan.

Hong Kong $2,984
Busan $1,627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,558 in Hong Kong versus $2,557 in Busan.

Hong Kong $4,558
Busan $2,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,132 in Hong Kong versus $3,486 in Busan.

Hong Kong $6,132
Busan $3,486

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 83% more expensive than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 123% above, Busan 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$7.25 ₩9,718

16.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$48.28 ₩64.7K

30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$6.47 ₩8,664

-4.17%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$3.65 ₩4,888

34.25%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$1.77 ₩2,373

-28.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$1.39 ₩1,866

-23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$3.83 ₩5,137

100.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$4.37 ₩5,857

43.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$2.32 ₩3,107

23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$3.26 ₩4,373

-25.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$3.11 ₩4,167

-29.90%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$2.62 ₩3,506

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$11.18 ₩15.0K

124.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$10.38 ₩13.9K

-14.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$25.03 ₩33.5K

-29.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$11.02 ₩14.8K

-62.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$3.54 ₩4,738

-23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-41.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$5.85 ₩7,845

-31.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$5.88 ₩7,883

-44.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$3.39 ₩4,545

-3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$2.73 ₩3,657

-41.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$1.32 ₩1,771

31.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$3.33 ₩4,459

294.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$18.44 ₩24.7K

-10.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$2.38 ₩3,184

-15.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$3.48 ₩4,657

-37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$1.19 ₩1,589

21.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$59.1 ₩79.2K

50.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$3.60 ₩4,828

1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$0.72 ₩962

81.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$16.66 ₩22.3K

-5.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.36 ₩1,826

198.53%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

48.69%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$33.8K ₩45.3M

10.64%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$196 ₩263.2K

25.99%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$36.52 ₩48.9K

-56.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$27.50 ₩36.9K

-21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$62.5 ₩83.7K

46.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$9.62 ₩12.9K

-5.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$12.04 ₩16.1K

15.95%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$637 ₩853.9K

81.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$21.6K ₩28.9M

3.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$106 ₩142.3K

-35.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$65.6 ₩87.8K

-38.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$94.5 ₩126.6K

-15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$128 ₩171.7K

-8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$734 ₩983.3K

197.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$365 ₩488.8K

371.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$1,341 ₩1.8M

276.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$701 ₩939.4K

405.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$10.0K ₩13.4M

191.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$6,421 ₩8.6M

173.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$2,841 ₩3.8M

13.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.22

-7.35%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Busan

$365 22.7% 78.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Busan

$483 30.1% 16.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Busan

$260 16.2% 8.6% $24

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Busan

$162 10.1% 21.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Busan

$177 11.1% 28.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Busan

$87 5.4% 27.5% $33

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Busan

$71 4.4% 32.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,180 in Hong Kong and $734 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 14% 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 $48.00 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $483, with Hong Kong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

22:45 10:45 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

3,586,079

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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 = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Busan 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Busan

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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $734 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 51% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,155 in Hong Kong versus $637 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,627 in Busan versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,627 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Busan 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.