Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Daegu

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,569 in Daegu, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Daegu $1,569

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,402 in Daegu, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Daegu $2,402

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,235 in Daegu, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Daegu $3,235

Hong Kong costs about 90% more than Daegu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hong Kong and Daegu sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Daegu by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$9.29 ₩12.3K

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$37.12 ₩49.4K

74.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.67 ₩7,536

8.99%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.97 ₩5,284

27.96%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.56 ₩2,075

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.90 ₩1,202

21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.82 ₩5,082

95.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$5.42 ₩7,204

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.38 ₩3,161

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$4.49 ₩5,976

-48.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.66 ₩3,541

-19.92%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.72 ₩3,619

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.30 ₩13.7K

140.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.44 ₩9,888

14.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$20.76 ₩27.6K

-13.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$6.59 ₩8,762

-36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.69 ₩3,577

-0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$5.72 ₩7,599

-21.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$5.96 ₩7,921

-32.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.65 ₩3,518

17.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.06 ₩2,735

52.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$4.35 ₩5,789

-62.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.37 ₩1,825

27.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$2.88 ₩3,832

368.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$14.91 ₩19.8K

10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.14 ₩2,848

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.49 ₩3,317

-12.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.11 ₩1,473

27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$76.4 ₩101.5K

16.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.14 ₩4,172

17.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.61 ₩811

116.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$8.02 ₩10.7K

96.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.33 ₩1,775

203.01%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$28.5K ₩37.9M

56.67%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$41.5K ₩55.1M

-8.85%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$280 ₩371.6K

-10.70%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$50.5 ₩67.1K

-69.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$47.09 ₩62.6K

-53.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$51.0 ₩67.8K

84.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$11.89 ₩15.8K

-21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.26 ₩15.0K

23.53%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$531 ₩706.4K

118.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$27.9K ₩37.1M

-21.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$56.3 ₩74.8K

20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$50.3 ₩66.9K

-16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$96.0 ₩127.7K

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$164 ₩218.5K

-25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$408 ₩542.1K

449.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$273 ₩363.6K

528.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,044 ₩1.4M

382.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$607 ₩806.7K

466.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$7,125 ₩9.5M

309.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,559 ₩7.4M

216.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,478 ₩3.3M

32.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.07

-22.88%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Daegu

$273 17.4% 84.1% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Daegu

$414 26.4% 0.7% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Daegu

$377 24% 31.4% $90

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Daegu

$179 11.4% 11.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Daegu

$165 10.5% 17.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Daegu

$73 4.7% 39.8% $49

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Daegu

$87 5.5% 16.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $408 in Daegu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $37.00 in Daegu. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $414 in Daegu – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Daegu

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

2,528,933

💱 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 Daegu 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Daegu

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 Daegu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,569 in Daegu – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,353 in Daegu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daegu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $37.00 in Daegu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,569 in Daegu. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,569 in Daegu to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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