Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kashiwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,230 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Kashiwa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,230
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,230 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Kashiwa $1,230

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,857 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Kashiwa $1,857

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,484 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Kashiwa $2,484

Hong Kong costs about 143% more than Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Kashiwa is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$6.44 ¥1,018
20.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$24.90 ¥3,933
159.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$5.13 ¥811
20.47%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$3.46 ¥546
46.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$0.69 ¥108
89.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$0.79 ¥125
37.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$2.47 ¥391
202.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$3.13 ¥494
107.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$1.22 ¥193
136.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$1.13 ¥179
104.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$3.59 ¥567
-40.67%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$1.86 ¥293
89.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$6.39 ¥1,010
286.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$6.06 ¥958
40.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$9.37 ¥1,480
92.10%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$5.66 ¥893
-26.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$2.71 ¥428
-1.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$2.94 ¥465
52.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$4.09 ¥646
-1.47%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$2.49 ¥394
25.30%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$2.64 ¥417
19.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$0.60 ¥95.4
170.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$0.61 ¥96.6
185.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$3.88 ¥614
247.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$6.35 ¥1,003
160.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$1.80 ¥284
7.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$1.91 ¥301
14.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$1.44 ¥228
-2.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
$53.4 ¥8,439
65.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$3.10 ¥490
19.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$1.56 ¥246
-15.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$20.60 ¥3,255
-23.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$1.00 ¥159
303.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$21.6K ¥3.4M
106.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$18.5K ¥2.9M
104.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$127 ¥20.1K
96.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$24.24 ¥3,830
-35.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$31.65 ¥5,000
-31.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$52.9 ¥8,356
78.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$12.83 ¥2,027
8.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$628 ¥99.2K
85.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$14.7K ¥2.3M
49.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$62.1 ¥9,813
9.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$37.38 ¥5,906
12.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$61.5 ¥9,714
29.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$101 ¥15.9K
20.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$523 ¥82.6K
328.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$400 ¥63.2K
329.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$1,123 ¥177.5K
348.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$743 ¥117.5K
361.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$4,183 ¥660.9K
597.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$1,934 ¥305.5K
808.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Kashiwa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
$2,653 ¥419.2K
23.28%
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 Kashiwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Kashiwa
$400 76.7% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Kashiwa
$248 39.7% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Kashiwa
$183 36.3% $104
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Kashiwa
$133 34% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Kashiwa
$118 15.9% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Kashiwa
$79 35.6% $43
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Kashiwa
$70 33% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $523 in Kashiwa. 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 23% 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 $25.00 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $248 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇯🇵 Kashiwa
🕒 Local time
05:11 5:11 AM
06:11 6:11 AM
1 h ahead of Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
417,394
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Kashiwa 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Kashiwa

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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Kashiwa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,230 in Kashiwa – roughly 143% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Kashiwa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,845 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Kashiwa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kashiwa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $25.00 in Kashiwa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hong Kong or Kashiwa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,230 in Kashiwa. That's a gap of about 143%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kashiwa, where all-in costs run around $1,230, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Kashiwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Hong Kong and Kashiwa?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,230 in Kashiwa to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Kashiwa safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Hong Kong and Kashiwa?
If budget matters most, go with Kashiwa. 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.

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