Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Gwangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,329 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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 Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $1,329 in Gwangju.

Hong Kong $2,984
Gwangju $1,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $2,038 in Gwangju.

Hong Kong $4,584
Gwangju $2,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $2,747 in Gwangju.

Hong Kong $6,183
Gwangju $2,747

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 125% more expensive than in Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 121% above, Gwangju is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$5.98 ₩7,948

29.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$34.07 ₩45.3K

89.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.12 ₩8,131

0.98%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.25 ₩4,317

56.31%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.60 ₩2,127

-18.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.63 ₩837

73.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$2.48 ₩3,297

201.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.52 ₩6,008

43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.71 ₩2,269

69.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.37 ₩3,153

-2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.26 ₩3,009

-5.75%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.74 ₩3,639

28.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$8.85 ₩11.8K

179.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.97 ₩10.6K

6.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$11.26 ₩15.0K

59.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$5.15 ₩6,854

-18.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.04 ₩4,037

-11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$3.76 ₩5,002

19.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$3.04 ₩4,037

32.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.57 ₩4,747

-12.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.89 ₩2,515

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.00 ₩2,663

-19.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.35 ₩1,791

28.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.45 ₩4,584

291.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$11.10 ₩14.8K

49.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.46 ₩1,935

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.27 ₩3,024

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.06 ₩1,410

33.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$68.2 ₩90.6K

30.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.18 ₩4,223

16.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.62 ₩821

112.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$7.79 ₩10.4K

102.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.22 ₩1,616

230.33%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$28.0K ₩37.3M

59.32%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$35.3K ₩46.9M

7.06%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$210 ₩279.5K

18.72%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$43.76 ₩58.2K

-64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$21.18 ₩28.2K

2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$51.7 ₩68.7K

82.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$11.71 ₩15.6K

-20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.25 ₩15.0K

23.64%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$300 ₩399.0K

287.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$17.9K ₩23.8M

21.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$31.74 ₩42.2K

114.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$26.01 ₩34.6K

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$63.6 ₩84.5K

25.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$88.6 ₩117.8K

37.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$495 ₩657.9K

352.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$363 ₩482.7K

373.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,164 ₩1.5M

333.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$747 ₩992.8K

359.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$7,812 ₩10.4M

273.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$6,383 ₩8.5M

175.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,883 ₩3.8M

13.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

3.6

8.61%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Gwangju

$363 27.3% 78.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Gwangju

$308 23.2% 25% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Gwangju

$275 20.7% 4.1% $12

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Gwangju

$135 10.2% 32.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Gwangju

$94 7.1% 32.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Gwangju

$74 5.6% 39.2% $48

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 24.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,241 in Hong Kong and $495 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 13% 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 $34.00 in Gwangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $308 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

1,467,996

💱 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

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Hong Kong Gwangju 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Gwangju

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Hong Kong, 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: $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $495 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34.00 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 $2,984 per month in Hong Kong versus $1,329 in Gwangju – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,329 in Gwangju versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hong Kong, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Gwangju 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.