Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Ongjin
🇰🇵 North Korea
$710
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $710 in Ongjin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Ongjin $710

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,126 in Ongjin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,558
  • Ongjin $1,126

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,543 in Ongjin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,132
  • Ongjin $1,543

Hong Kong costs about 320% more than Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 123% above the global median, while Ongjin is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.46 HK$66.4
$2.79 $2.79
203.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.2 HK$496
$23.34 $23.34
170.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.20 HK$48.66
$7.98 $7.98
-22.31%
Cappuccino
$4.90 HK$38.42
$1.16 $1.16
322.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 HK$10.01
$0.98 $0.98
29.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 HK$8.31
$0.98 $0.98
8.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.68 HK$60.3
$6.64 $6.64
15.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.28 HK$49.24
$2.26 $2.26
177.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.86 HK$22.45
$0.93 $0.93
207.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.43 HK$19.10
$1.57 $1.57
54.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 HK$17.09
$2.26 $2.26
-3.54%
Eggs
$3.54 HK$27.80
$3.28 $3.28
7.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.12 HK$197
$4.66 $4.66
439.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.89 HK$69.8
$2.29 $2.29
288.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.63 HK$138
$5.67 $5.67
210.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.11 HK$32.23
$6.80 $6.80
-39.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.72 HK$21.32
$4.63 $4.63
-41.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.59 HK$36.05
$2.34 $2.34
96.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 HK$31.52
$2.29 $2.29
75.55%
Potato (1kg)
$3.25 HK$25.50
$3.50 $3.50
-7.14%
Onion (1kg)
$3.27 HK$25.70
$3.33 $3.33
-1.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 HK$12.54
$2.31 $2.31
-30.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 HK$13.56
$0.43 $0.43
302.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.14 HK$103
$4.67 $4.67
181.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.59 HK$130
$7.81 $7.81
112.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 HK$15.80
$1.11 $1.11
81.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.13
$2.23 $2.23
-2.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 HK$11.31
$1.00 $1.00
44.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.1 HK$699
$39.98 $39.98
122.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 HK$28.54
$1.57 $1.57
131.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 HK$10.29
$2.23 $2.23
-41.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.82 HK$124
$41.01 $41.01
-61.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.06 HK$31.89
$0.75 $0.75
441.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.4K HK$348.2K
$23.0K $23.0K
92.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K HK$293.2K
$27.9K $27.9K
33.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$247 HK$1,942
$33.78 $33.78
632.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.89 HK$125
$11.46 $11.46
38.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.46 HK$168
$45.71 $45.71
-53.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.4 HK$717
$43.61 $43.61
109.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.08 HK$71.3
$14.96 $14.96
-39.30%
Cinema Ticket
$13.96 HK$110
$7.75 $7.75
80.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,155 HK$9,068
$109 $109
957.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K HK$174.6K
$2,117 $2,117
951.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.9 HK$541
$22.72 $22.72
203.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.44 HK$317
$27.97 $27.97
44.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 HK$627
$61.6 $61.6
29.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 HK$923
$84.1 $84.1
39.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 HK$17.1K
$89.2 $89.2
2344.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$91.3 $91.3
1781.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,047 HK$39.6K
$2,244 $2,244
124.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,543 HK$27.8K
$136 $136
2502.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.1K HK$228.7K
$1,691 $1,691
1623.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$1,423 $1,423
1134.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Ongjin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 HK$25.3K
$214 $214
1406.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
7.11
-45.01%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Ongjin
$91 94.7% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$415
Ongjin
$229 44.7% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$285
Ongjin
$91 68.1% $194
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$205
Ongjin
$106 48.5% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$138
Ongjin
$88 36% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$119
Ongjin
$59 50.4% $60
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Ongjin
$57 46% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $89.2 in Ongjin. 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 1406% 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $23.00 in Ongjin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $229 – making Ongjin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇰🇵 Ongjin
🕒 Local time
09:59 9:59 AM
10:59 10:59 AM
1 h ahead of Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
152,878
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Ongjin 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Ongjin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $710 in Ongjin – roughly 320% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Ongjin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,065 in Ongjin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Ongjin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ongjin, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong and $23.00 in Ongjin. 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 Ongjin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $710 in Ongjin. That's a gap of about 320%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ongjin, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Ongjin 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 Ongjin?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $710 in Ongjin to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Ongjin 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 Ongjin?
If budget matters most, go with Ongjin. 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?