Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Changwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Changwon: $1,538 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Changwon
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $1,538 in Changwon.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Changwon $1,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $2,371 in Changwon.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Changwon $2,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $3,204 in Changwon.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Changwon $3,204

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 94% more expensive than in Changwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 121% above, Changwon 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$7.54 ₩10.0K
2.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$28.15 ₩37.4K
129.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$5.24 ₩6,968
17.94%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$3.70 ₩4,923
37.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$1.79 ₩2,383
-26.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$1.01 ₩1,338
7.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$3.03 ₩4,023
146.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$4.18 ₩5,563
55.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$2.24 ₩2,983
29.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$3.20 ₩4,254
-27.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$3.20 ₩4,257
-33.44%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$2.61 ₩3,476
34.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$10.83 ₩14.4K
128.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$10.63 ₩14.1K
-19.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$24.43 ₩32.5K
-26.32%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$11.09 ₩14.7K
-62.31%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$3.62 ₩4,807
-25.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$8.02 ₩10.7K
-44.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$6.01 ₩7,991
-32.95%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$5.82 ₩7,745
-46.39%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$3.28 ₩4,358
-3.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$2.82 ₩3,746
-42.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$1.33 ₩1,771
30.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$3.39 ₩4,508
298.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$18.77 ₩25.0K
-11.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$2.34 ₩3,114
-17.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$3.35 ₩4,451
-34.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$0.98 ₩1,300
43.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$2.91 ₩3,874
26.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$0.78 ₩1,031
69.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$16.59 ₩22.1K
-4.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$1.36 ₩1,806
196.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$29.3K ₩39.0M
52.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$33.1K ₩44.0M
14.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$199 ₩264.0K
25.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$36.37 ₩48.4K
-57.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$26.52 ₩35.3K
-17.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$52.5 ₩69.8K
79.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
$12.48 ₩16.6K
-25.56%
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$10.99 ₩14.6K
26.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$629 ₩836.2K
84.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$21.9K ₩29.2M
-0.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$106 ₩140.8K
-35.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$64.4 ₩85.6K
-34.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$92.8 ₩123.4K
-14.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$127 ₩168.7K
-4.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$543 ₩722.4K
312.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$378 ₩502.1K
354.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$1,240 ₩1.6M
306.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$753 ₩1.0M
356.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$7,598 ₩10.1M
284.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$6,197 ₩8.2M
183.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Changwon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
$1,705 ₩2.3M
91.84%
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 10, 2026

Last update for Changwon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Changwon
$378 78% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Changwon
$483 17.6% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Changwon
$261 8.9% $26
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Changwon
$155 23% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Changwon
$175 25.2% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Changwon
$74 39% $48
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Changwon
$11 * 89.8% $94

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,241 in Hong Kong and $543 in Changwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 92% 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 $28.00 in Changwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $483, with Hong Kong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇰🇷 Changwon
🕒 Local time
10:26 10:26 AM
11:26 11:26 AM
1 h ahead of Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
1,055,839
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Changwon 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Changwon

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 Changwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hong Kong and in Changwon?
Hong Kong and Changwon differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,984 vs $1,538 including rent). Changwon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Hong Kong or Changwon?
Average pay runs 92% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Hong Kong and in Changwon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $543 in Changwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Hong Kong pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hong Kong or Changwon?
All in, you'll spend $2,984 per month in Hong Kong versus $1,538 in Changwon – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,538 in Changwon versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Changwon but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Changwon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hong Kong and Changwon?
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.
Is Hong Kong or Changwon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Changwon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Hong Kong or Changwon?
Expats usually find Changwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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