Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Hai Phong

For one person, living is cheaper in Hai Phong: $688 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Hai Phong
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Hai Phong Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Hai Phong

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Hai Phong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $688 in Hai Phong.

Hong Kong $2,984
Hai Phong $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,558 in Hong Kong versus $1,162 in Hai Phong.

Hong Kong $4,558
Hai Phong $1,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,132 in Hong Kong versus $1,635 in Hai Phong.

Hong Kong $6,132
Hai Phong $1,635

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 334% more expensive than in Hai Phong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 123% above, Hai Phong is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$1.57 ₫40.6K

438.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$18.94 ₫490.3K

233.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.65

$4.26 ₫110.4K

45.54%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$1.82 ₫47.1K

169.23%

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

$1.27 HK$10.00

$0.47 ₫12.3K

170.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.30 ₫7,715

253.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$0.80 ₫20.7K

860.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$1.58 ₫41.0K

297.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.55 ₫40.2K

84.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$0.51 ₫13.2K

376.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$0.82 ₫21.2K

165.85%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$1.45 ₫37.6K

144.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$10.46 ₫270.7K

140.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$3.79 ₫98.2K

134.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$9.96 ₫257.7K

77.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$3.39 ₫87.7K

21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$1.08 ₫27.8K

151.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$1.33 ₫34.4K

245.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.51

$1.14 ₫29.5K

252.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$0.96 ₫24.9K

238.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$1.10 ₫28.3K

197.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$0.55 ₫14.1K

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.55 ₫14.3K

214.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$1.16 ₫30.0K

1032.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$12.41 ₫321.1K

33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$0.74 ₫19.2K

171.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$1.67 ₫43.2K

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.30

$0.39 ₫10.0K

269.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$5.66 ₫146.3K

1473.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$0.80 ₫20.8K

355.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$0.57 ₫14.7K

129.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$1.90 ₫49.1K

732.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$0.89 ₫23.1K

356.18%

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

$44.4K HK$348.1K

$30.6K ₫791.8M

45.01%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$30.1K ₫778.1M

24.27%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$44.54 ₫1.2M

455.59%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$5.21 ₫134.8K

204.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$8.69 ₫224.9K

146.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$22.88 ₫592.1K

299.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$7.79 ₫201.6K

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$4.14 ₫107.2K

237.20%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$154 ₫4.0M

651.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$4,579 ₫118.5M

385.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$45.45 ₫1.2M

51.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$21.39 ₫553.4K

89.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$84.3 ₫2.2M

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$77.0 ₫2.0M

52.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$246 ₫6.4M

784.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$245 ₫6.3M

601.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$1,018 ₫26.3M

395.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$627 ₫16.2M

465.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$1,324 ₫34.3M

2101.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$977 ₫25.3M

1698.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$501 ₫13.0M

544.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

-44.14%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Hai Phong: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Hai Phong

$245 35.2% 85.7% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Hai Phong

$190 27.3% 54.2% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Hai Phong

$58 8.4% 79.5% $226

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Hai Phong

$57 8.3% 72% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Hai Phong

$103 14.8% 25.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Hai Phong

$31 4.5% 73.9% $88

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Hai Phong

$11 1.6% 89.7% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,180 in Hong Kong and $246 in Hai Phong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 545% 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: $63.0 in Hong Kong vs $19.00 in Hai Phong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $190 per month, with Hai Phong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇻🇳 Hai Phong

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

1 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

2,105,000

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,003 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Hai Phong 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Hai Phong

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 Hai Phong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong and Hai Phong differ by about 334% in total monthly costs ($2,984 vs $688 including rent). Hai Phong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 545% 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: $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $246 in Hai Phong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,984 per month in Hong Kong versus $688 in Hai Phong – a 334% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hai Phong runs roughly 1473% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $688 in Hai Phong versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hai Phong but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Hai Phong 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 Hai Phong 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 Hai Phong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 334% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.