Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Epping: $2,717 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Epping
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Epping Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $2,717 in Epping.

Hong Kong $2,984
Epping $2,717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,558 in Hong Kong versus $3,754 in Epping.

Hong Kong $4,558
Epping $3,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,132 in Hong Kong versus $4,791 in Epping.

Hong Kong $6,132
Epping $4,791

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 10% more expensive than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 123% above, Epping 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$12.68 A$18.14

-33.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$63.1 A$90.3

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$11.43 A$16.36

-45.76%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$3.21 A$4.60

52.65%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$2.45 A$3.50

-48.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$2.51 A$3.60

-57.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$8.30 A$11.87

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$8.32 A$11.91

-24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.60 A$2.29

78.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$2.80 A$4.00

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$2.78 A$3.98

-21.58%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$5.59 A$8.00

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$10.13 A$14.50

147.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$9.57 A$13.69

-7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$14.99 A$21.45

17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$3.72 A$5.32

10.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$2.87 A$4.11

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$2.45 A$3.51

87.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$3.58 A$5.13

12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$3.04 A$4.35

6.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$2.43 A$3.47

34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$1.97 A$2.82

-18.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$1.60 A$2.29

8.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$27.60 A$39.50

-52.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$8.37 A$11.98

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$4.48 A$6.41

-55.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$4.84 A$6.93

-54.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$3.59 A$5.14

-59.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$94.3 A$135

-5.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$3.55 A$5.08

2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.16 A$1.66

12.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$28.13 A$40.25

-43.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.43 A$2.05

183.92%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$21.2K A$30.3K

109.64%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$18.3K A$26.1K

104.62%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$142 A$203

74.57%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$28.25 A$40.42

-43.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$46.91 A$67.1

-54.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$55.5 A$79.5

64.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$17.85 A$25.55

-49.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$14.06 A$20.12

-0.71%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$1,801 A$2,577

-35.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$22.2K A$31.8K

0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$62.4 A$89.4

10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$49.94 A$71.5

-19.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$111 A$159

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$104 A$149

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$1,482 A$2,121

47.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,489 A$2,131

15.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$2,342 A$3,352

115.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$2,190 A$3,134

61.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$5,891 A$8,430

394.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,001 A$7,157

251.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$4,231 A$6,055

-23.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.5

-28.91%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Epping: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Epping

$1.5K 56% 13.3% $229

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Epping

$354 13.3% 14.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Epping

$217 8.2% 23.8% $68

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Epping

$252 9.5% 22.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Epping

$148 5.6% 7% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Epping

$84 3.1% 29.9% $36

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Epping

$118 4.4% 12.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,180 in Hong Kong and $1,482 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Hong Kong vs $63.0 in Epping. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $354, with Epping cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Epping

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

23,435

💱 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 = 0.623 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 = 8.8 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 = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Epping 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Epping

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Epping wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Epping the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Epping. 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 $1,482 in Epping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,984 per month in Hong Kong versus $2,717 in Epping – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,717 in Epping versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Epping but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Epping the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Epping delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Epping hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Epping 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 Epping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.