Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Exeter Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Exeter

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,848 in Hong Kong versus $2,357 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,336 in Hong Kong versus $3,869 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,823 in Hong Kong versus $5,381 in Exeter.

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 21% more expensive than in Exeter, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 113% above, Exeter 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.85 HK$69.4

$20.33 £15.14

-56.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 HK$503

$89.2 £66.4

-28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 HK$50.2

$10.11 £7.53

-36.70%

Cappuccino

$4.98 HK$39.08

$4.58 £3.41

8.73%

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

$1.35 HK$10.59

$3.13 £2.33

-56.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$1.75 £1.30

-37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 HK$53.6

$7.30 £5.44

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 HK$48.97

$6.18 £4.60

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 HK$23.66

$1.70 £1.26

77.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 HK$18.01

$1.84 £1.37

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 HK$15.56

$1.67 £1.25

18.56%

Eggs

$3.49 HK$27.35

$4.80 £3.57

-27.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 HK$199

$8.37 £6.23

203.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 HK$81.0

$7.12 £5.30

45.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 HK$172

$19.09 £14.21

15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 HK$26.98

$2.40 £1.78

43.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$1.22 £0.91

81.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 HK$30.27

$2.25 £1.68

71.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 HK$24.24

$3.20 £2.38

-3.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 HK$18.48

$1.10 £0.82

114.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.43

$1.31 £0.98

69.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 HK$13.25

$1.04 £0.78

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 HK$12.81

$1.40 £1.04

16.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$22.05 £16.42

-40.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 HK$134

$9.47 £7.05

80.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 HK$13.79

$2.58 £1.92

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 HK$21.48

$2.60 £1.94

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 HK$13.81

$2.78 £2.07

-36.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 HK$498

$104 £77.1

-38.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 HK$29.56

$6.64 £4.95

-43.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 HK$10.84

$1.68 £1.25

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 HK$119

$21.94 £16.33

-30.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.09 HK$24.25

$1.96 £1.46

57.65%

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

$38.7K HK$303.0K

$39.0K £29.1K

-0.98%

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

$32.1K HK$251.7K

$39.0K £29.0K

-17.59%

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

$229 HK$1,792

$338 £251

-32.28%

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

$17.59 HK$138

$16.45 £12.25

6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.95 HK$180

$46.64 £34.73

-50.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.6 HK$609

$39.02 £29.05

98.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 HK$66.8

$14.21 £10.58

-40.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 HK$99.1

$12.05 £8.97

4.90%

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

$1,001 HK$7,850

$1,462 £1,089

-31.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K HK$168.8K

$21.2K £15.8K

1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 HK$582

$76.6 £57.0

-3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.66 HK$303

$34.32 £25.55

12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 HK$719

$101 £75.2

-9.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 HK$1,115

$109 £80.9

30.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 HK$16.9K

$1,312 £976

64.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 HK$12.2K

$978 £728

59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 HK$37.5K

$2,571 £1,914

86.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 HK$24.2K

$2,476 £1,844

24.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.6K HK$216.7K

$5,448 £4,056

407.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K HK$132.8K

$6,535 £4,865

159.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 HK$25.3K

$3,142 £2,339

2.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.72

-30.59%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: July 14, 2026

Last update for Exeter: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,160 in Hong Kong and $1,312 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 3% 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: $64.0 in Hong Kong vs $89.0 in Exeter. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $288, with Exeter cheaper for home cooking.

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 Exeter: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong and Exeter differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,848 vs $2,357 including rent). Exeter is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Hong Kong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,160 in Hong Kong versus $1,312 in Exeter. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Exeter – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $64.0 in Hong Kong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,848 per month in Hong Kong versus $2,357 in Exeter – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,357 in Exeter versus $2,848 in Hong Kong, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Exeter but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Exeter the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Exeter 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 Exeter gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.