Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Darwin

For one person, living costs are similar in Hong Kong and in Darwin: $2,984 and $3,070 a month, rent and utilities included.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Darwin
Learn more

Darwin Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Darwin

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,070

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $3,070 in Darwin.

Hong Kong $2,984
Darwin $3,070

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,558 in Hong Kong versus $4,116 in Darwin.

Hong Kong $4,558
Darwin $4,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,132 in Hong Kong versus $5,163 in Darwin.

Hong Kong $6,132
Darwin $5,163

Living in Hong Kong costs roughly 3% less than in Darwin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 123% above, Darwin 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$22.53 A$32.25

-62.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$90.0 A$129

-29.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$10.96 A$15.69

-43.43%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$4.07 A$5.82

20.39%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$3.31 A$4.74

-61.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$3.09 A$4.42

-65.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$7.54 A$10.79

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$7.41 A$10.61

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.49 A$2.13

91.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$2.97 A$4.24

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$2.18 A$3.12

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$4.35 A$6.23

-18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$8.91 A$12.74

181.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$8.49 A$12.15

4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$9.27 A$13.27

90.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$3.91 A$5.59

5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$2.86 A$4.09

-4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$2.81 A$4.01

63.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$5.15 A$7.37

-21.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$2.53 A$3.61

28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$2.42 A$3.46

35.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$2.07 A$2.96

-22.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$2.12 A$3.03

-18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$43.93 A$62.9

-70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$11.81 A$16.91

40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$10.12 A$14.48

-80.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$7.83 A$11.20

-72.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$48.01 A$68.7

85.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$3.72 A$5.32

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.32 A$1.89

-0.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$49.60 A$71.0

-68.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.29 A$1.84

214.73%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$31.4K A$44.9K

41.31%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$41.5K A$59.4K

-9.99%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$216 A$309

14.71%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$33.26 A$47.59

-52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$61.3 A$87.7

-64.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$79.7 A$114

14.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$28.11 A$40.22

-67.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$17.07 A$24.42

-18.22%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$1,924 A$2,753

-39.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$8,239 A$11.8K

170.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$83.2 A$119

-17.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$46.11 A$66.0

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$105 A$150

-23.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$138 A$198

-15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$1,716 A$2,456

27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,670 A$2,390

2.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$2,712 A$3,881

86.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$2,156 A$3,085

64.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$3,794 A$5,429

668.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$3,538 A$5,063

396.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$4,166 A$5,962

-22.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

6.14

-36.32%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Darwin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Darwin

$1.7K 55% 2.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Darwin

$377 12.4% 9.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Darwin

$310 10.2% 8.9% $25

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Darwin

$340 11.2% 65.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Darwin

$168 5.5% 21.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Darwin

$114 3.8% 4.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Darwin

$58 * 1.9% 44.5% $47

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 $2,180 in Hong Kong and $1,716 in Darwin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Darwin pays 29% 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: $63.0 in Hong Kong vs $90.0 in Darwin. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $377, with Darwin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Darwin

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

122,207

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Darwin 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Darwin

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 Darwin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Darwin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $1,716 in Darwin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Darwin pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hong Kong – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $90.0 in Darwin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hong Kong is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Hong Kong is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Darwin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Darwin 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 Hong Kong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Darwin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.