Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Dili

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,574 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,574 in Dili, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Dili $1,574

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,466 in Dili, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Dili $2,466

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,359 in Dili, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Dili $3,359

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

Both Hong Kong and Dili sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Dili by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$5.13 $5.13

64.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$42.43 $42.43

48.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$7.91 $7.91

-21.62%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$4.18 $4.18

17.22%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$1.63 $1.63

-22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$2.76 $2.76

-61.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$2.57 $2.57

198.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$4.46 $4.46

40.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$2.37 $2.37

20.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$2.52 $2.52

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$0.96 $0.96

127.08%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$2.68 $2.68

32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$2.05 $2.05

1125.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$9.41 $9.41

-5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$15.78 $15.78

11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$3.29 $3.29

24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$1.85 $1.85

47.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$2.49 $2.49

84.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$2.26 $2.26

77.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$1.24 $1.24

162.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$1.15 $1.15

184.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$0.85 $0.85

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.98 $0.98

76.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$3.08 $3.08

326.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$11.95 $11.95

38.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$2.19 $2.19

-8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$2.89 $2.89

-24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$0.24 $0.24

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$29.78 $29.78

199.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$3.52 $3.52

3.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$3.58 $3.58

-63.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$19.75 $19.75

-19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.44 $1.44

181.94%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$18.0K $18.0K

146.72%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$16.7K $16.7K

123.44%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$152 $152

63.07%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$27.49 $27.49

-42.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$49.46 $49.46

84.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$6.17 $6.17

126.26%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$1,477 $1,477

-21.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$16.1K $16.1K

38.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$61.0 $61.0

13.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$30.46 $30.46

32.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$79.3 $79.3

0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$60.3 $60.3

95.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$831 $831

162.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$759 $759

126.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$2,739 $2,739

84.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,504 $1,504

135.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$3,656 $3,656

-11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.37

-27.19%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Dili

$759 47.9% 55.8% $959

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Dili

$275 17.3% 33.8% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Dili

$179 * 11.3% 37.1% $106

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Dili

$154 9.7% 24.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Dili

$104 6.6% 24.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Dili

$62 3.9% 48.2% $57

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Dili

$52 3.3% 50.4% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $831 in Dili. 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 13% higher in Dili, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $42.00 in Dili. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $275 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

19:31 7:31 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Dili 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Dili

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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hong Kong is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,361 in Dili. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dili, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong and $42.00 in Dili. 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 $1,574 in Dili. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Dili. 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.