Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Carlton

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,287 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $2,287 in Carlton.

Hong Kong $2,984
Carlton $2,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $3,321 in Carlton.

Hong Kong $4,584
Carlton $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $4,355 in Carlton.

Hong Kong $6,183
Carlton $4,355

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 30% more expensive than in Carlton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 121% above, Carlton 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$17.71 A$25.48

-56.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$68.7 A$98.9

-5.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$9.96 A$14.34

-37.95%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$2.92 A$4.21

73.97%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$2.63 A$3.78

-50.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$2.13 A$3.06

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$6.76 A$9.73

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$6.54 A$9.41

-0.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.32 A$1.90

118.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.05 A$2.95

12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$1.32 A$1.90

61.36%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.20 A$4.60

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.28 A$14.79

140.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$9.99 A$14.38

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$15.28 A$21.98

17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$3.32 A$4.78

25.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.81 A$4.05

-4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$3.20 A$4.60

40.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.48 A$6.44

-10.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.46 A$3.54

26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.22 A$3.19

41.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.13 A$3.07

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.90 A$1.29

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$25.25 A$36.33

-46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$10.62 A$15.28

55.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$5.74 A$8.26

-66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$5.12 A$7.37

-57.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$3.05 A$4.38

-53.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$80.9 A$116

9.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.72 A$5.36

-0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.26 A$1.82

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$26.18 A$37.68

-39.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.36 A$1.95

196.32%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$18.4K A$26.5K

142.57%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$13.8K A$19.9K

173.26%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$89.5 A$129

178.78%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$27.31 A$39.31

-42.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$45.80 A$65.9

-52.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$31.60 A$45.47

198.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$17.32 A$24.92

-46.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.96 A$18.64

7.33%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$2,061 A$2,965

-43.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$12.6K A$18.1K

73.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$79.1 A$114

-14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$49.37 A$71.1

-15.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$70.0 A$101

13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$134 A$193

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$1,391 A$2,001

61.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,204 A$1,732

42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$2,150 A$3,093

134.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,829 A$2,631

87.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$5,647 A$8,126

416.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,209 A$7,496

237.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$5,717 A$8,227

-42.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.9

-33.73%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Carlton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Carlton

$1.2K 52.6% 30% $515

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Carlton

$338 14.8% 17.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Carlton

$163 7.1% 43.3% $124

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Carlton

$273 11.9% 35.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Carlton

$150 6.5% 6.8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Carlton

$58 2.5% 52.9% $64

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Carlton

$103 4.5% 1.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,241 in Hong Kong and $1,391 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Hong Kong vs $69.0 in Carlton. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $338, with Carlton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Carlton

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

19,001

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 →

On the map

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Hong Kong Carlton 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Carlton

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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong and Carlton differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,984 vs $2,287 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Carlton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $1,391 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Hong Kong versus $2,061 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Hong Kong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,287 in Carlton versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.