Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,319 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,319 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Gimcheon $1,319

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,779 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Gimcheon $1,779

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,239 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Gimcheon $2,239

Hong Kong costs about 126% more than Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Gimcheon is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$6.09 ₩8,091

27.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$34.04 ₩45.3K

90.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.71 ₩8,928

-7.90%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.70 ₩4,921

37.30%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.61 ₩2,136

-18.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.63 ₩842

73.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.52 ₩4,683

112.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.47 ₩5,939

45.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.24 ₩2,975

29.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.21 ₩4,264

-28.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.26 ₩3,010

-5.75%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.31 ₩4,401

6.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$15.79 ₩21.0K

56.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.71 ₩10.3K

10.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$11.34 ₩15.1K

58.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$7.77 ₩10.3K

-46.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.24 ₩4,302

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$7.36 ₩9,792

-38.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$6.78 ₩9,020

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.56 ₩4,735

-12.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.41 ₩3,203

30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.04 ₩2,712

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.48 ₩1,971

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.44 ₩4,572

292.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.48 ₩24.6K

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.31 ₩3,071

-16.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.03 ₩1,367

36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$2.93 ₩3,895

25.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.66 ₩877

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.15 ₩1,525

250.43%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

51.35%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$35.9K ₩47.8M

5.15%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$213 ₩283.8K

16.94%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$44.15 ₩58.7K

-64.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$20.62 ₩27.4K

5.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$70.7 ₩93.9K

33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.36 ₩15.1K

22.45%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$303 ₩403.1K

283.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$17.7K ₩23.5M

23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$66.7 ₩88.7K

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$64.2 ₩85.3K

-34.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$74.1 ₩98.5K

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$98.6 ₩131.1K

23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$296 ₩393.1K

657.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$244 ₩324.3K

604.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,930 ₩2.6M

69.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.1

-4.63%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Gimcheon

$244 18.5% 85.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9% 0.6% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Gimcheon

$278 21.1% 3% $8.8

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Gimcheon

$149 11.3% 26.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Gimcheon

$137 10.4% 2.5% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Gimcheon

$93 7.1% 23.5% $29

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8% 90.1% $94

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $296 in Gimcheon. 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 69% 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 $34.00 in Gimcheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $408 – making Gimcheon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

143,056

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Gimcheon 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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Gimcheon

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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hong Kong is pricier by about 126%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,979 in Gimcheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gimcheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,319 in Gimcheon. That's a gap of about 126%.

Kindergarten costs $1,162 per month in Hong Kong and $303 in Gimcheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gimcheon, where all-in costs run around $1,319, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Gimcheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gimcheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Gimcheon. 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.