Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $613 in Medan, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Medan $613

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $940 in Medan, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Medan $940

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,266 in Medan, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Medan $1,266

Hong Kong costs about 387% more than Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Medan is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

353.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

679.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

109.49%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

232.03%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$0.35 Rp 6,215

274.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.25 Rp 4,534

336.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

350.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

81.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

160.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

95.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

162.96%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

166.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

204.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

137.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

183.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

74.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

155.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

216.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

271.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.38 Rp 6,905

326.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.44 Rp 7,872

295.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

370.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-27.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$0.27 Rp 4,816

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

1394.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$0.51 Rp 9,186

623.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.19 Rp 3,465

594.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

403.75%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

81.03%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

17.30%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

194.19%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

392.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

455.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

322.80%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$112 Rp 2.0M

941.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

1192.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

25.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$108 Rp 1.9M

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$111 Rp 2.0M

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$233 Rp 4.2M

862.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

1814.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$494 Rp 8.9M

919.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$212 Rp 3.8M

1521.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

2420.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$560 Rp 10.1M

3039.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$215 Rp 3.9M

1420.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

9.25

-57.73%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Medan

$90 14.6% 94.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Medan

$181 29.5% 56% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 61.1% $175

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Medan

$59 9.6% 70.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Medan

$140 22.9% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Medan

$24 3.8% 80.7% $98

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 91.9% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $233 in Medan. 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 1420% 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 $8.00 in Medan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $181 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

1 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Medan 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $613 in Medan – roughly 387% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $920 in Medan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medan, 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $8.00 in Medan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $613 in Medan. That's a gap of about 387%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Medan 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 $613 in Medan to $2,984 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 Medan. 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.