Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Melbourne

For one person, living costs are similar in Hong Kong and in Melbourne: $2,984 and $2,852 a month, rent and utilities included.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,852 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Melbourne $2,852

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,297 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Melbourne $4,297

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $5,742 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Melbourne $5,742

Hong Kong costs about 5% more than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hong Kong and Melbourne sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Melbourne by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$17.75 A$25.49

-52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$84.8 A$122

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$12.16 A$17.46

-49.01%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.42

$3.93 A$5.64

24.68%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$3.14 A$4.51

-59.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$2.43 A$3.49

-56.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$9.90 A$14.22

-22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$8.29 A$11.91

-24.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.55 A$2.22

84.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$3.01 A$4.32

-19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$2.88 A$4.14

-24.31%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$5.44 A$7.82

-34.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$10.59 A$15.22

137.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$9.61 A$13.81

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$14.99 A$21.54

17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.23

$4.15 A$5.96

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$3.05 A$4.38

-10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$3.30 A$4.74

39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$4.76 A$6.83

-15.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$3.04 A$4.36

6.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$2.55 A$3.66

28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$2.48 A$3.56

-35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$1.63 A$2.34

6.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$44.07 A$63.3

-70.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$12.43 A$17.85

33.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$5.33 A$7.65

-62.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$5.16 A$7.41

-57.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$3.84 A$5.52

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$142 A$203

-37.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.54

$4.40 A$6.32

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.40 A$2.01

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$29.83 A$42.84

-46.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.46 A$2.09

178.08%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$28.1K A$40.4K

57.63%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$25.9K A$37.3K

44.01%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$233 A$334

6.37%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$27.28 A$39.19

-41.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$57.0 A$81.9

-62.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$52.7 A$75.7

73.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$22.62 A$32.49

-59.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$17.10 A$24.57

-18.36%

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

$1,155 HK$9,068

$2,373 A$3,409

-51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$30.5K A$43.8K

-26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$78.2 A$112

-11.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$50.5 A$72.5

-19.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$121 A$173

-33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$133 A$191

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$1,713 A$2,460

27.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,402 A$2,014

22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$3,339 A$4,796

51.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$2,529 A$3,632

40.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$7,018 A$10.1K

315.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$6,767 A$9,721

159.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$4,228 A$6,074

-23.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.9

-33.73%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 18.4% $316

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 7.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 11.3% $32

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Melbourne

$314 11% 52.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 24.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 27.2% $32

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 60.2% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $1,713 in Melbourne. 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 31% higher in Melbourne, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Hong Kong vs $385 in Melbourne – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

13:53 1:53 PM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Melbourne 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $2,852 in Melbourne – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $4,277 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Melbourne, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong and $85.0 in Melbourne. 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 $2,852 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 5%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,984 in Hong Kong and $2,852 in Melbourne. 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 $2,852 in Melbourne 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 Melbourne. 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.