Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,291 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,336 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,322 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,823 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,354 in Lisbon, rent included.

Hong Kong costs about 24% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hong Kong and Lisbon sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 113%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.85 HK$69.4

$16.19 €14.20

-45.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 HK$503

$63.3 €55.5

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 HK$50.2

$10.32 €9.05

-37.98%

Cappuccino

$4.98 HK$39.08

$2.83 €2.48

75.97%

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

$1.35 HK$10.59

$2.29 €2.01

-41.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$1.58 €1.38

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 HK$53.6

$3.40 €2.98

101.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 HK$48.97

$4.03 €3.53

55.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 HK$23.66

$1.09 €0.96

177.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 HK$18.01

$1.75 €1.53

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 HK$15.56

$1.76 €1.54

12.50%

Eggs

$3.49 HK$27.36

$3.17 €2.78

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 HK$199

$13.19 €11.57

92.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 HK$81.0

$7.97 €6.99

29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 HK$172

$15.53 €13.62

41.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 HK$26.98

$2.37 €2.08

45.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$1.71 €1.50

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 HK$30.27

$2.01 €1.76

92.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 HK$24.24

$2.43 €2.13

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 HK$18.48

$1.76 €1.54

34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.43

$2.03 €1.78

9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 HK$13.25

$1.92 €1.68

-11.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 HK$12.81

$0.85 €0.74

91.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$6.58 €5.77

99.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 HK$134

$5.58 €4.89

206.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 HK$13.79

$1.33 €1.17

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 HK$21.48

$2.97 €2.61

-7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 HK$13.81

$2.28 €2.00

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 HK$498

$45.79 €40.15

38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 HK$29.56

$4.23 €3.71

-10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 HK$10.84

$0.81 €0.71

70.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 HK$119

$18.44 €16.17

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.09 HK$24.25

$2.08 €1.82

48.56%

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

$38.7K HK$303.1K

$34.7K €30.4K

11.49%

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

$32.1K HK$251.7K

$39.2K €34.3K

-18.02%

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

$229 HK$1,792

$148 €130

54.39%

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

$17.59 HK$138

$20.46 €17.94

-14.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.95 HK$180

$39.56 €34.68

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.6 HK$609

$47.99 €42.08

61.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 HK$66.8

$18.60 €16.31

-54.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 HK$99.1

$9.22 €8.09

37.09%

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

$1,001 HK$7,851

$616 €540

62.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K HK$168.8K

$16.4K €14.4K

30.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 HK$582

$103 €90.1

-27.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.66 HK$303

$41.74 €36.60

-7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 HK$719

$94.8 €83.1

-3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 HK$1,115

$122 €107

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 HK$16.9K

$1,633 €1,431

32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 HK$12.2K

$1,232 €1,081

26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 HK$37.5K

$3,098 €2,717

54.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 HK$24.2K

$2,031 €1,781

51.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.6K HK$216.7K

$7,831 €6,866

252.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K HK$132.8K

$4,389 €3,849

286.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 HK$25.3K

$1,607 €1,409

100.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.81

4.20%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,160 in Hong Kong versus $1,633 in Lisbon. 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 101% 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 $64.0 in Hong Kong versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $267 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,848 in Hong Kong, $2,291 in Lisbon – roughly 24% apart. Hong Kong costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,272 per month in Hong Kong and $3,437 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Hong Kong and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,848 in Hong Kong and $2,291 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,848 in Hong Kong and $2,291 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,291 in Lisbon to $2,848 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lisbon. 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.