Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Cheongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheongju: $1,398 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $1,398 in Cheongju.

Hong Kong $2,984
Cheongju $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $2,320 in Cheongju.

Hong Kong $4,584
Cheongju $2,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $3,241 in Cheongju.

Hong Kong $6,183
Cheongju $3,241

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 113% more expensive than in Cheongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 121% above, Cheongju 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$7.64 ₩10.2K

1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$48.79 ₩64.9K

32.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.13 ₩8,153

0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.65 ₩4,851

39.18%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.78 ₩2,361

-26.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$1.41 ₩1,873

-22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.79 ₩5,033

97.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.40 ₩5,845

47.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.35 ₩3,128

22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.11 ₩4,129

-25.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$3.14 ₩4,178

-32.17%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.71 ₩3,606

29.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$11.18 ₩14.9K

121.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$10.27 ₩13.7K

-17.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$24.55 ₩32.6K

-26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$11.41 ₩15.2K

-63.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.56 ₩4,727

-24.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$8.30 ₩11.0K

-45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$5.91 ₩7,859

-31.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$6.14 ₩8,161

-49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$3.26 ₩4,336

-3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.74 ₩3,637

-40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.29 ₩1,717

34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.32 ₩4,413

306.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.55 ₩24.7K

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.47 ₩3,287

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.35 ₩4,458

-34.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.09 ₩1,450

29.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.57 ₩4,741

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.77 ₩1,017

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$16.65 ₩22.1K

-5.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.36 ₩1,811

196.32%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

51.32%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$33.4K ₩44.4M

13.25%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$203 ₩269.6K

23.07%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$24.35 ₩32.4K

-35.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$26.57 ₩35.3K

-18.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$52.5 ₩69.8K

79.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$12.07 ₩16.1K

-23.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.10 ₩16.1K

14.96%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$624 ₩830.0K

86.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$37.95 ₩50.5K

79.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$64.9 ₩86.3K

-35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$95.1 ₩126.4K

-16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$113 ₩150.1K

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$347 ₩461.0K

546.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$267 ₩354.8K

543.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,158 ₩1.5M

335.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$758 ₩1.0M

352.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$7,214 ₩9.6M

304.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,577 ₩7.4M

215.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,595 ₩3.5M

26.05%

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 Cheongju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Cheongju

$267 19.1% 84.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Cheongju

$485 34.7% 18.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Cheongju

$254 18.2% 11.6% $33

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Cheongju

$164 11.7% 18.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Cheongju

$140 10% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Cheongju

$77 5.5% 37.1% $45

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8% 88.8% $93

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 $347 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 26% 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 $49.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $485, with Hong Kong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

835,669

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Cheongju 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Cheongju

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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% 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 $347 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Hong Kong versus $624 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,398 in Cheongju versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,398 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.