Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Manipal

For one person, living is cheaper in Manipal: $363 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $32,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Manipal
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Manipal Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Manipal

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $363 in Manipal, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,050
Manipal $363

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $554 in Manipal, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,786
Manipal $554

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $745 in Manipal, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,522
Manipal $745

Hong Kong costs about 741% more than Manipal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Manipal is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$1.61 ₹152

419.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$9.15 ₹864

592.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$2.59 ₹245

152.12%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.33

$1.34 ₹126

284.33%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.36 ₹34.48

283.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.14 ₹12.91

707.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$1.45 ₹137

433.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.62

$1.89 ₹179

194.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.01

$0.50 ₹47.05

488.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.91

$0.48 ₹45.59

402.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$0.45 ₹42.40

393.33%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.73

$0.81 ₹76.6

320.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$2.10 ₹198

1003.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$2.44 ₹230

255.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.02

$1.14 ₹107

269.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.62 ₹58.3

316.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.68

$0.78 ₹73.7

500.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.33

$0.46 ₹43.78

769.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$0.38 ₹35.56

739.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.42 ₹39.64

678.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.29

$0.11 ₹10.67

1327.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.44

$0.27 ₹25.68

533.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$4.18 ₹395

218.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$5.23 ₹494

197.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.87

$0.71 ₹66.7

184.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$2.24 ₹211

1.79%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.24 ₹306

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 HK$9.67

$0.20 ₹18.86

515.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 HK$686

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.46

$2.05 ₹194

83.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.11 ₹10.04

1081.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$2.08 ₹196

665.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.11 ₹105

284.68%

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

$45.0K HK$352.7K

$10.6K ₹1.0M

324.48%

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

$37.6K HK$294.8K

$17.3K ₹1.6M

116.88%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$56.2 ₹5,305

322.33%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$3.14 ₹297

392.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$6.02 ₹568

273.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$764

$18.80 ₹1,776

418.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$1.62 ₹153

701.23%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$20.95 ₹1,979

6114.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$505 ₹47.7K

5897.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$12.60 ₹1,190

439.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$28.30 ₹2,674

51.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$21.24 ₹2,006

282.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$26.20 ₹2,475

362.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 HK$18.7K

$151 ₹14.3K

1477.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 HK$14.1K

$110 ₹10.4K

1526.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,695 HK$44.6K

$389 ₹36.7K

1364.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,786 HK$29.7K

$236 ₹22.3K

1502.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.8K HK$226.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.9K HK$147.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

$709 ₹67.0K

350.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

9.37

-58.48%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manipal: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Manipal

$110 30.4% 93.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Manipal

$72 19.9% 82.2% $334

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Manipal

$65 18% 76.3% $210

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Manipal

$50 13.7% 76.1% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Manipal

$40 11% 71.8% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Manipal

$22 6.1% 82.1% $101

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Manipal

$3.4 * 0.9% 96.7% $99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,385 in Hong Kong versus $151 in Manipal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hong Kong are about 4.5 times higher, 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 $63 in Hong Kong versus $9 in Manipal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $72 – making Manipal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇳 Manipal

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

34,370

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.128 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.128 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Manipal 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Manipal

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 Manipal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $363 in Manipal – Manipal comes out roughly 88% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $544 in Manipal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manipal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $151 there versus $2,385 in Hong Kong.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $9 in Manipal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 462% more in Hong Kong, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manipal, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Manipal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $363 in Manipal to $3,050 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Manipal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.