Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Gongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
Learn more

Gongju Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,539 in Gongju, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Gongju $1,539

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,437 in Gongju, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Gongju $2,437

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,335 in Gongju, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Gongju $3,335

Hong Kong costs about 94% more than Gongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Gongju sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Gongju by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$7.29 ₩9,697

6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$48.03 ₩63.9K

34.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.54 ₩8,700

-5.50%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.77 ₩5,015

34.75%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.85 ₩2,461

-29.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$1.44 ₩1,918

-24.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.84 ₩5,104

94.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.30 ₩5,721

51.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.26 ₩3,004

27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.19 ₩4,246

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$3.16 ₩4,197

-32.59%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.74 ₩3,641

28.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.89 ₩14.5K

127.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$10.47 ₩13.9K

-18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$24.73 ₩32.9K

-27.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-63.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.61 ₩4,803

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$8.27 ₩11.0K

-45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$5.95 ₩7,908

-32.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$6.11 ₩8,120

-48.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$3.22 ₩4,283

-2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.83 ₩3,766

-42.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.28 ₩1,704

35.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.28 ₩4,357

311.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.67 ₩24.8K

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.38 ₩3,166

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.53 ₩4,700

-38.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.14 ₩1,513

23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.67 ₩4,884

0.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.73 ₩967

80.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$17.08 ₩22.7K

-7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.37 ₩1,819

194.16%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.5K ₩39.3M

51.23%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$33.3K ₩44.3M

13.40%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$197 ₩262.1K

26.62%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$36.42 ₩48.4K

-57.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$26.72 ₩35.5K

-18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$51.9 ₩69.0K

81.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$12.00 ₩16.0K

-22.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.80 ₩15.7K

17.88%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$624 ₩830.3K

86.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$21.6K ₩28.7M

1.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$104 ₩137.8K

-34.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$66.4 ₩88.3K

-36.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$94.7 ₩125.9K

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$127 ₩168.5K

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$489 ₩650.1K

358.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$364 ₩484.6K

371.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,153 ₩1.5M

337.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$757 ₩1.0M

353.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$7,239 ₩9.6M

303.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,410 ₩7.2M

224.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,309 ₩1.7M

149.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.22

-7.35%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gongju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Gongju

$364 23.7% 78.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Gongju

$486 31.6% 18.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Gongju

$260 16.9% 9.3% $27

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Gongju

$164 10.7% 18.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Gongju

$176 11.5% 25.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Gongju

$75 4.9% 38.1% $47

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Gongju

$12 * 0.8% 88.7% $93

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 $489 in Gongju. 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 150% 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 $48.00 in Gongju. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $486 in Gongju – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Gongju

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

110,428

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Gongju 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Gongju

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 Gongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,539 in Gongju – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,308 in Gongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongju, 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 $1,539 in Gongju. That's a gap of about 94%.

Kindergarten costs $1,162 per month in Hong Kong and $624 in Gongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gongju, where all-in costs run around $1,539, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Gongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,539 in Gongju to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Gongju. 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.