Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,259 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Fukuoka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,259
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,259 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Fukuoka $1,259

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,001 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Fukuoka $2,001

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,743 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Fukuoka $2,743

Hong Kong costs about 137% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$7.20 ¥1,138
7.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$42.93 ¥6,783
50.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$5.84 ¥922
5.82%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$3.77 ¥596
34.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$1.03 ¥163
27.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$0.70 ¥111
55.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$3.79 ¥599
97.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$2.18 ¥344
198.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$1.54 ¥243
87.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$1.91 ¥302
20.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$6.64 ¥1,050
-67.92%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$2.29 ¥362
53.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$18.31 ¥2,893
35.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$5.40 ¥853
57.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$19.00 ¥3,002
-5.26%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$3.54 ¥560
18.08%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$1.81 ¥287
48.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$2.87 ¥453
56.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$3.36 ¥531
19.94%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$2.15 ¥340
45.12%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$2.59 ¥409
21.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$1.02 ¥161
58.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$0.93 ¥147
87.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$3.79 ¥599
256.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$6.49 ¥1,025
154.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$1.71 ¥270
13.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$1.81 ¥286
20.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$1.47 ¥232
-4.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
$41.37 ¥6,537
114.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$3.91 ¥618
-5.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$2.09 ¥331
-36.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$17.67 ¥2,792
-10.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$1.11 ¥175
263.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$21.5K ¥3.4M
107.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$17.6K ¥2.8M
114.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$207 ¥32.8K
20.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$25.04 ¥3,955
-37.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$32.65 ¥5,159
-33.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$53.8 ¥8,506
74.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$10.91 ¥1,724
27.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$126 ¥19.8K
825.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$12.4K ¥2.0M
76.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$49.44 ¥7,811
37.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$25.89 ¥4,090
61.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$67.1 ¥10.6K
18.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$48.07 ¥7,594
153.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$486 ¥76.8K
360.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$303 ¥47.8K
467.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$1,233 ¥194.8K
308.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$730 ¥115.4K
370.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$6,329 ¥1.0M
361.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$2,696 ¥425.9K
551.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Fukuoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
$1,657 ¥261.8K
97.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
1.97
98.48%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Fukuoka
$303 82.4% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Fukuoka
$318 22.6% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Fukuoka
$265 7.6% $22
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Fukuoka
$151 25.2% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Fukuoka
$86 38.8% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Fukuoka
$76 38% $46
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Fukuoka
$62 41% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $486 in Fukuoka. 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 97% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $43.00 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $318 – making Fukuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇯🇵 Fukuoka
🕒 Local time
16:48 4:48 PM
17:48 5:48 PM
1 h ahead of Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
1,612,392
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Fukuoka 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Fukuoka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,259 in Fukuoka – roughly 137% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Fukuoka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,889 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Fukuoka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Hong Kong and Fukuoka?
Kindergarten costs $1,162 per month in Hong Kong and $126 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Hong Kong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fukuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Fukuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Hong Kong and Fukuoka?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,259 in Fukuoka to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Fukuoka safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Hong Kong and Fukuoka?
If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. 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.

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