Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Matsudo

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsudo: $1,200 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Matsudo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,200
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,200 in Matsudo, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Matsudo $1,200

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,896 in Matsudo, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Matsudo $1,896

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,593 in Matsudo, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Matsudo $2,593

Hong Kong costs about 149% more than Matsudo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Matsudo is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$6.47 ¥1,023
19.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$37.31 ¥5,895
73.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$5.02 ¥793
23.11%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$3.43 ¥542
48.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$1.10 ¥174
19.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$0.78 ¥124
39.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$2.45 ¥387
204.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$3.17 ¥501
105.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$1.44 ¥227
100.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$1.65 ¥260
40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$3.59 ¥567
-40.67%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$2.09 ¥330
68.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$10.21 ¥1,613
142.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$6.06 ¥957
40.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$14.09 ¥2,226
27.75%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$4.81 ¥759
-13.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$2.29 ¥361
17.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$2.94 ¥464
52.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$4.21 ¥666
-4.28%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$2.64 ¥417
18.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$2.67 ¥421
17.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$1.15 ¥181
40.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$0.76 ¥120
128.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$3.79 ¥599
256.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$6.21 ¥981
166.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$1.63 ¥258
19.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$2.01 ¥318
8.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$1.53 ¥241
-7.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
$53.9 ¥8,521
64.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$3.17 ¥501
16.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$2.74 ¥433
-51.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$18.67 ¥2,950
-15.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$1.04 ¥164
287.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$21.4K ¥3.4M
108.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$15.7K ¥2.5M
141.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$130 ¥20.5K
92.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$21.89 ¥3,458
-28.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$30.21 ¥4,772
-27.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$55.9 ¥8,832
68.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$12.39 ¥1,957
12.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$628 ¥99.3K
84.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
47.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$54.9 ¥8,670
23.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$33.28 ¥5,257
25.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$61.5 ¥9,718
29.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$71.8 ¥11.3K
69.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$456 ¥72.1K
391.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$348 ¥54.9K
394.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$1,160 ¥183.3K
334.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$738 ¥116.6K
365.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$4,559 ¥720.3K
540.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$1,840 ¥290.7K
854.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Matsudo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
2.25
73.78%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Matsudo
$348 79.8% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Matsudo
$279 32.1% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Matsudo
$182 36.6% $105
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Matsudo
$134 33.4% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Matsudo
$100 28.9% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Matsudo
$81 33.9% $41
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Matsudo
$77 26.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $456 in Matsudo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $37.00 in Matsudo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $279 – making Matsudo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇯🇵 Matsudo
🕒 Local time
23:17 11:17 PM
00:17 12:17 AM
1 h ahead of Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
485,803
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Matsudo 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Matsudo

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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Matsudo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,200 in Matsudo – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Matsudo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,800 in Matsudo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Matsudo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Matsudo, 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 $37.00 in Matsudo. 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 Matsudo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,200 in Matsudo. That's a gap of about 149%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Matsudo, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Matsudo 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 Matsudo?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,200 in Matsudo to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Matsudo 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 Matsudo?
If budget matters most, go with Matsudo. 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.

Hong Kong vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?