Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Daejeon

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,344 in Daejeon, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Daejeon $1,344

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,104 in Daejeon, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Daejeon $2,104

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,865 in Daejeon, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Daejeon $2,865

Hong Kong costs about 122% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Daejeon sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Daejeon by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$7.28 ₩9,678

6.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$36.77 ₩48.9K

75.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.57 ₩7,412

10.95%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.60 ₩4,784

41.11%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.22 ₩1,622

7.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.65 ₩859

67.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.50 ₩4,659

113.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.70 ₩4,917

75.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.18 ₩2,900

32.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.66 ₩3,542

-13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.64 ₩3,514

-19.32%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.55 ₩3,385

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.92 ₩14.5K

126.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$8.24 ₩11.0K

3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$20.43 ₩27.2K

-11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$11.12 ₩14.8K

-62.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$5.49 ₩7,300

-51.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$5.81 ₩7,732

-22.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$6.07 ₩8,072

-33.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$5.34 ₩7,102

-41.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.82 ₩3,744

11.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$1.71 ₩2,273

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.14 ₩1,510

52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.33 ₩4,426

305.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.90 ₩25.1K

-12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.55 ₩3,393

-23.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.54 ₩4,712

-38.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.10 ₩1,456

28.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$11.09 ₩14.7K

699.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.31 ₩4,398

11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.71 ₩950

85.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$16.82 ₩22.4K

-6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.23 ₩1,638

227.64%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$28.5K ₩37.8M

56.97%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$23.7K ₩31.6M

59.18%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$172 ₩228.4K

45.28%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$42.96 ₩57.1K

-63.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$22.18 ₩29.5K

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$33.10 ₩44.0K

184.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.31 ₩15.0K

22.99%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$304 ₩403.8K

282.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$21.9K ₩29.1M

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$64.5 ₩85.8K

5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$41.91 ₩55.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$92.4 ₩122.8K

-13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$107 ₩142.0K

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$369 ₩490.2K

507.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$294 ₩391.3K

483.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,028 ₩1.4M

390.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$593 ₩788.5K

479.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$5,547 ₩7.4M

425.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$4,546 ₩6.0M

286.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,336 ₩3.1M

40.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

3.65

7.12%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Daejeon

$294 21.9% 82.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Daejeon

$446 33.2% 8.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Daejeon

$237 17.6% 17.4% $50

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Daejeon

$151 11.2% 25.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Daejeon

$138 10.2% 1.8% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Daejeon

$56 4.2% 54.3% $66

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Daejeon

$22 1.7% 78.6% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $369 in Daejeon. 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 40% 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 Daejeon. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $446 in Daejeon – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

1,537,324

💱 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 Daejeon 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Daejeon

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 Daejeon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong costs about 122% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,016 in Daejeon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,344 in Daejeon. That's a gap of about 122%.

Public transport costs about 699% less in Daejeon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daejeon, where all-in costs run around $1,344, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Daejeon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Daejeon costs $1,344 versus $2,984 in Hong Kong. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Daejeon. 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.