Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Hamamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamamatsu: $775 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Hamamatsu
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Hamamatsu Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Hamamatsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong versus $775 in Hamamatsu.

Hong Kong $2,984
Hamamatsu $775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Hong Kong versus $1,251 in Hamamatsu.

Hong Kong $4,584
Hamamatsu $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,183 in Hong Kong versus $1,727 in Hamamatsu.

Hong Kong $6,183
Hamamatsu $1,727

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 285% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 121% above, Hamamatsu is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$3.86 ¥610

100.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$40.71 ¥6,432

58.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.07 ¥801

21.89%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.34 ¥528

52.10%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.04 ¥165

25.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.75 ¥118

45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$2.49 ¥393

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.22 ¥508

101.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.01 ¥160

186.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.64 ¥260

40.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$3.65 ¥577

-41.64%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$1.60 ¥253

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.37 ¥1,638

138.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$5.92 ¥935

43.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$14.44 ¥2,282

24.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$5.69 ¥899

-26.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.80 ¥443

-4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$2.95 ¥467

52.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.14 ¥654

-2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.63 ¥415

18.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.54 ¥401

24.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$1.24 ¥196

30.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.65 ¥102

167.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.86 ¥610

249.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$6.19 ¥977

167.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.76 ¥278

10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.11 ¥333

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$50.8 ¥8,017

74.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.21 ¥507

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$2.74 ¥433

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$20.75 ¥3,278

-24.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.10 ¥173

266.36%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

113.02%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$18.1K ¥2.9M

109.35%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$131 ¥20.7K

90.76%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$8.51 ¥1,345

83.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$32.52 ¥5,137

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$16.81 ¥2,655

-44.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.81 ¥2,024

8.59%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$643 ¥101.5K

80.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

46.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$61.5 ¥9,712

10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$36.85 ¥5,822

13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$61.0 ¥9,639

30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$102 ¥16.1K

19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

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

$7,748 ¥1.2M

276.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,222 ¥825.0K

236.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,580 ¥249.7K

106.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

2.64

48.11%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Hamamatsu

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Hamamatsu

$280 36.2% 31.7% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Hamamatsu

$172 22.2% 40.1% $115

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Hamamatsu

$112 14.5% 44.3% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Hamamatsu

$118 15.2% 16.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Hamamatsu

$26 * 3.3% 79% $96

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Hamamatsu

$68 * 8.7% 35.3% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Hong Kong pays 107% 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 $41.00 in Hamamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $280 per month, with Hamamatsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇯🇵 Hamamatsu

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

797,033

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

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).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Hamamatsu 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Hamamatsu

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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hong Kong and Hamamatsu differ by about 285% in total monthly costs ($2,984 vs $775 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Hong Kong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 in Hamamatsu versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.