Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Des Moines, IA: $2,171 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

145

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,005

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Hong Kong $3,005
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,643 in Hong Kong versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Hong Kong $4,643
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,281 in Hong Kong versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Hong Kong $6,281
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 38% more expensive than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 122% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 HK$61.2

$19.69 $19.69

-60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$80.8 $80.8

-19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.97

$12.22 $12.22

-48.94%

Cappuccino

$5.01 HK$39.34

$6.16 $6.16

-18.67%

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

$1.29 HK$10.12

$2.93 $2.93

-55.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HK$8.74

$2.56 $2.56

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 HK$61.0

$4.99 $4.99

55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 HK$50.3

$5.89 $5.89

8.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 HK$22.79

$0.91 $0.91

218.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 HK$18.29

$3.03 $3.03

-23.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.51

$3.38 $3.38

-34.02%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.04

$4.00 $4.00

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.96 HK$196

$9.69 $9.69

157.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 HK$69.0

$9.91 $9.91

-11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 HK$139

$13.68 $13.68

29.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 HK$32.59

$4.33 $4.33

-4.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 HK$20.62

$1.51 $1.51

74.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 HK$35.65

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 HK$32.08

$3.68 $3.68

11.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 HK$25.25

$3.07 $3.07

4.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 HK$25.56

$2.14 $2.14

52.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 HK$12.94

$2.38 $2.38

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.62

$2.19 $2.19

-20.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 HK$106

$7.85 $7.85

71.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 HK$119

$14.79 $14.79

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 HK$15.44

$1.70 $1.70

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$3.09 $3.09

-28.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.04

$1.73 $1.73

-26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 HK$707

$58.1 $58.1

54.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 HK$28.84

$1.97 $1.97

86.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 HK$10.60

$1.23 $1.23

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 HK$127

$19.70 $19.70

-17.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.20 HK$32.94

$0.93 $0.93

351.61%

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

$44.9K HK$352.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

65.14%

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

$36.8K HK$288.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

46.39%

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

$238 HK$1,865

$185 $185

28.71%

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

$15.70 HK$123

$53.6 $53.6

-70.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 HK$172

$70.2 $70.2

-68.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 HK$715

$63.8 $63.8

42.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 HK$71.8

$20.14 $20.14

-54.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 HK$102

$9.99 $9.99

29.73%

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

$1,172 HK$9,201

$1,187 $1,187

-1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K HK$174.2K

$12.0K $12.0K

85.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 HK$533

$59.5 $59.5

14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 HK$342

$42.98 $42.98

1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 HK$652

$101 $101

-17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 HK$963

$145 $145

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 HK$17.7K

$1,177 $1,177

91.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 HK$13.7K

$872 $872

100.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,173 HK$40.6K

$1,738 $1,738

197.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,394 $1,394

154.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.3K HK$229.7K

$2,320 $2,320

1161.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.5K HK$137.1K

$2,325 $2,325

651.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 HK$25.8K

$3,647 $3,647

-9.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.56

-42.23%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.3%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 50.2% $879

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.7%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 14.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9.2%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 12% $33

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$203 6.7%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 61.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$143 4.8%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 9.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$117 3.9%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 28.5% $33

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$106 3.5%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 30.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,255 in Hong Kong and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Hong Kong vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $349, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

03:48 3:48 AM

13 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Des Moines, IA 12,350 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Moines, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Des Moines, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Des Moines, IA. 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: $2,255 in Hong Kong versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Des Moines, IA – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,005 per month in Hong Kong versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,005 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Des Moines, IA but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Des Moines, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Des Moines, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Des Moines, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Des Moines, IA 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 Des Moines, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.