Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Forbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,543 a month against $3,028 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
Learn more

Forbes Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,028

/mo nomad

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,028 in Hong Kong versus $2,543 in Forbes.

Hong Kong $3,028
Forbes $2,543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,727 in Hong Kong versus $3,751 in Forbes.

Hong Kong $4,727
Forbes $3,751

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,426 in Hong Kong versus $4,958 in Forbes.

Hong Kong $6,426
Forbes $4,958

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 19% more expensive than in Forbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hong Kong 123% above, Forbes 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.11 HK$63.6

$15.91 A$22.61

-49.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 HK$493

$94.9 A$135

-33.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 HK$49.65

$11.31 A$16.07

-44.03%

Cappuccino

$5.03 HK$39.44

$3.52 A$5.00

42.90%

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

$1.27 HK$9.98

$2.99 A$4.24

-57.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 HK$8.47

$2.37 A$3.37

-54.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 HK$60.7

$6.98 A$9.92

10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 HK$51.4

$7.40 A$10.52

-11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 HK$22.51

$1.69 A$2.41

69.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 HK$19.11

$2.42 A$3.44

0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.69

$2.14 A$3.04

-0.47%

Eggs

$3.43 HK$26.88

$5.00 A$7.10

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.73 HK$194

$10.16 A$14.44

143.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 HK$69.5

$9.52 A$13.53

-6.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 HK$140

$13.72 A$19.49

29.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.00

$3.78 A$5.37

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 HK$20.36

$3.01 A$4.27

-13.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 HK$36.51

$3.55 A$5.05

30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 HK$31.80

$4.92 A$6.99

-17.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 HK$24.97

$2.50 A$3.55

27.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.46

$2.55 A$3.63

27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 HK$12.47

$2.28 A$3.24

-30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.50

$1.45 A$2.06

18.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 HK$104

$46.43 A$66.0

-71.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 HK$119

$12.36 A$17.57

23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 HK$15.18

$4.75 A$6.75

-59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.91

$5.80 A$8.24

-60.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.05

$2.66 A$3.78

-51.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 HK$691

$78.5 A$111

12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 HK$29.38

$3.70 A$5.26

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.23

$1.72 A$2.45

-24.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 HK$125

$45.70 A$64.9

-65.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.05 HK$31.80

$1.25 A$1.78

224.00%

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

$44.6K HK$349.5K

$33.8K A$48.1K

31.73%

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

$37.5K HK$294.3K

$28.1K A$40.0K

33.30%

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

$242 HK$1,895

$195 A$277

23.92%

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

$15.72 HK$123

$23.66 A$33.62

-33.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 HK$166

$53.4 A$75.8

-60.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.8 HK$783

$59.1 A$84.0

68.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 HK$74.7

$19.72 A$28.02

-51.72%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 HK$100

$12.05 A$17.13

6.22%

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

$1,287 HK$10.1K

$2,301 A$3,269

-44.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K HK$172.7K

$21.3K A$30.3K

3.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 HK$523

$80.6 A$115

-17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 HK$333

$56.7 A$80.6

-25.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 HK$655

$117 A$166

-28.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$957

$124 A$176

-1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 HK$19.1K

$1,558 A$2,213

56.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 HK$13.8K

$1,278 A$1,816

38.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,347 HK$41.9K

$2,463 A$3,499

117.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,677 HK$28.8K

$2,041 A$2,901

80.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K HK$223.0K

$5,228 A$7,428

443.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.1K HK$141.8K

$5,146 A$7,312

251.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 HK$25.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.9

-35.76%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 27, 2026

Last update for Forbes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.2%

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3% 27.6% $486

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.6%

Forbes

$364 14.3% 11.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$278 9.2%

Forbes

$272 10.7% 2.3% $6.4

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.8%

Forbes

$275 10.8% 33.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$142 4.7%

Forbes

$170 6.7% 20.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$125 4.1%

Forbes

$83 3.3% 33.6% $42

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Forbes

$101 4% 2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,432 in Hong Kong and $1,558 in Forbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Hong Kong vs $95 in Forbes. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $364, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Forbes

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

8,481

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.115 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Forbes 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Forbes

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 Forbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,028 in Hong Kong and $2,543 in Forbes, so Forbes is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,543 in Hong Kong and $3,814 in Forbes to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,432 in Hong Kong versus $1,558 in Forbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,028 per month in Hong Kong versus $2,543 in Forbes – Forbes is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Forbes runs roughly 11% less than in Hong Kong. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,028 in Hong Kong, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forbes but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Forbes 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 Forbes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.