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: $2,752 in Hong Kong versus $2,385 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,269 in Hong Kong versus $3,900 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,787 in Hong Kong versus $5,415 in Exeter.

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 15% more expensive than Exeter, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 105% above, Exeter 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 HK$70.5

$20.10 £14.94

-55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 HK$509

$89.7 £66.7

-27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 HK$50.9

$10.17 £7.56

-36.09%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.78

$4.59 £3.42

10.68%

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

$1.31 HK$10.24

$3.05 £2.27

-57.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 HK$8.23

$1.74 £1.29

-39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 HK$53.1

$7.58 £5.64

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 HK$50.3

$6.27 £4.66

2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 HK$24.03

$1.71 £1.27

79.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 HK$17.21

$1.84 £1.37

19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 HK$15.40

$1.74 £1.30

12.64%

Eggs

$3.50 HK$27.46

$4.63 £3.44

-24.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.62 HK$201

$8.22 £6.11

211.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 HK$79.7

$6.84 £5.08

48.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.56 HK$177

$19.76 £14.69

14.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 HK$27.32

$2.40 £1.79

45.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.45

$1.29 £0.96

72.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 HK$29.99

$2.26 £1.68

69.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 HK$24.06

$3.15 £2.34

-2.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 HK$17.80

$1.10 £0.82

106.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 HK$17.78

$1.30 £0.97

74.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 HK$13.33

$1.00 £0.74

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.39

$1.46 £1.08

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 HK$100

$21.66 £16.10

-41.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 HK$153

$9.20 £6.84

111.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 HK$14.42

$2.62 £1.95

-29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 HK$21.04

$2.50 £1.86

7.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 HK$13.29

$2.68 £1.99

-36.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 HK$501

$103 £76.7

-38.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 HK$29.16

$6.59 £4.90

-43.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 HK$10.74

$1.63 £1.21

-15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.62 HK$115

$21.71 £16.14

-32.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.08 HK$24.16

$1.90 £1.41

62.11%

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

$38.7K HK$302.9K

$38.4K £28.5K

0.78%

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

$32.2K HK$252.6K

$38.6K £28.7K

-16.56%

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

$227 HK$1,778

$342 £254

-33.59%

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

$17.78 HK$139

$16.31 £12.12

9.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.40 HK$176

$45.85 £34.08

-51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 HK$592

$39.53 £29.39

90.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 HK$66.8

$14.05 £10.45

-39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 HK$98.3

$12.02 £8.93

4.33%

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

$987 HK$7,731

$1,472 £1,094

-32.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K HK$169.2K

$21.1K £15.7K

2.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 HK$583

$78.3 £58.2

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 HK$304

$33.38 £24.81

16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 HK$699

$101 £75.3

-12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 HK$1,102

$110 £81.7

28.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 HK$17.5K

$1,324 £984

68.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 HK$12.1K

$998 £742

54.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,752 HK$37.2K

$2,590 £1,925

83.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 HK$23.8K

$2,476 £1,841

22.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.9K HK$218.9K

$5,395 £4,010

417.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.3K HK$135.7K

$6,667 £4,956

159.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,166 HK$24.8K

$3,090 £2,297

2.45%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Exeter: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,235 in Hong Kong and $1,324 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 2% 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: $65.0 in Hong Kong vs $90.0 in Exeter. Groceries flip the comparison at $424 vs $287, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,752 vs $2,385 including rent). Exeter is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hong Kong pays 2% more on average, 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: $2,235 in Hong Kong versus $1,324 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 $90.0 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 $2,752 per month in Hong Kong versus $2,385 in Exeter – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,385 in Exeter versus $2,752 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 15% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.