Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Cherthala

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherthala: $290 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $33,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Cherthala
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Cherthala Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Cherthala

🇮🇳 India

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $290 in Cherthala, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,050
Cherthala $290

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $472 in Cherthala, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,786
Cherthala $472

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $654 in Cherthala, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,522
Cherthala $654

Hong Kong costs about 952% more than Cherthala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Cherthala is 79% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$0.76 ₹72.2

1001.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$6.19 ₹584

923.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$2.31 ₹218

182.68%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.33

$1.03 ₹97.2

400.00%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.33 ₹31.41

318.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.12 ₹11.76

841.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$1.46 ₹138

429.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.62

$1.89 ₹179

194.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.01

$0.60 ₹56.8

390.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.91

$0.36 ₹33.66

569.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$0.51 ₹48.15

335.29%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.73

$0.85 ₹80.6

301.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$3.77 ₹356

514.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$2.30 ₹217

276.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.02

$2.14 ₹203

96.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.50 ₹47.68

416.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.68

$0.88 ₹83.3

431.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.33

$0.47 ₹44.31

751.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$0.34 ₹32.58

838.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.38 ₹36.32

760.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.29

$0.41 ₹38.48

282.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.44

$0.27 ₹25.71

533.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$1.93 ₹182

590.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$1.86 ₹176

736.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.87

$1.06 ₹100

90.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$1.55 ₹146

47.10%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.48 ₹329

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 HK$9.67

$0.21 ₹19.85

485.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 HK$686

$6.93 ₹655

1163.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.46

$0.86 ₹81.5

337.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.49 ₹45.88

165.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$1.62 ₹153

883.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.09 ₹103

291.74%

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

$45.0K HK$352.7K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

298.16%

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

$37.6K HK$294.8K

$19.7K ₹1.9M

90.79%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$20.89 ₹1,974

1035.38%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$3.06 ₹289

405.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$4.32 ₹408

419.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$764

$10.33 ₹976

843.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

$5.94 ₹561

51.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$1.62 ₹153

701.23%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$45.84 ₹4,330

2740.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$515 ₹48.7K

5772.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$7.53 ₹711

802.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$8.31 ₹785

415.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$70.9 ₹6,701

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$14.44 ₹1,364

738.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 HK$18.7K

$122 ₹11.5K

1862.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 HK$14.1K

$76.8 ₹7,259

2234.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,695 HK$44.6K

$264 ₹24.9K

2056.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,786 HK$29.7K

$190 ₹17.9K

1897.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.8K HK$226.0K

$919 ₹86.8K

3037.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.9K HK$147.9K

$540 ₹51.0K

3394.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

$232 ₹22.0K

1274.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

9.37

-58.48%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Cherthala

$77 26.5% 95.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Cherthala

$76 26.3% 81.2% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Cherthala

$28 9.8% 89.7% $247

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Cherthala

$38 13.2% 81.6% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Cherthala

$46 15.7% 67.7% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Cherthala

$14 4.7% 89% $110

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Cherthala

$11 3.8% 89.2% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,385 in Hong Kong versus $122 in Cherthala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hong Kong are about 14 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $6 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $76 – making Cherthala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇳 Cherthala

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

11:31 11:31 AM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

45,827

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.128 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.128 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Cherthala 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Cherthala

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 Cherthala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong costs about 952% more than Cherthala, 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 $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $435 in Cherthala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cherthala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $122 there versus $2,385 in Hong Kong.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $6 in Cherthala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,050 in Hong Kong and $290 in Cherthala. That makes Cherthala about 90% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Cherthala, where all-in costs run around $290, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Cherthala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cherthala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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