Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kaesong

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Kaesong

🇰🇵 North Korea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.23

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

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

$247 HK$1,942

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

$15.89 HK$125

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kaesong: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Kaesong

–

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Kaesong

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Kaesong

–

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Kaesong

–

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Kaesong

–

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Kaesong

–

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Kaesong

–

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇵 Kaesong

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

308,000

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Hong Kong Kaesong 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Kaesong

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 Kaesong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Kaesong – 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 Kaesong. 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.