Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,400 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,400 in Osaka, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Osaka $1,400

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,991 in Osaka, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Osaka $1,991

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,582 in Osaka, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Osaka $2,582

Hong Kong costs about 113% more than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hong Kong and Osaka sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Osaka by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$6.19 ¥979

36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$31.80 ¥5,032

98.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$4.93 ¥781

25.76%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$3.00 ¥474

63.33%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$1.45 ¥229

-12.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.72 ¥113

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$2.62 ¥415

193.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$3.91 ¥618

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$1.46 ¥230

95.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$1.31 ¥207

85.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$5.25 ¥831

-58.48%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$2.03 ¥321

74.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$9.77 ¥1,545

157.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$9.22 ¥1,460

-3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$17.95 ¥2,841

-1.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$3.29 ¥520

24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$2.00 ¥317

36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$2.11 ¥334

117.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$4.11 ¥650

-2.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$1.51 ¥239

115.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$1.19 ¥188

174.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$1.30 ¥206

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.86 ¥137

101.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$3.82 ¥604

243.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$9.74 ¥1,542

70.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$1.87 ¥296

7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$3.15 ¥499

-30.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$1.34 ¥212

7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$32.68 ¥5,171

172.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$3.85 ¥610

-5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$3.19 ¥505

-58.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$21.93 ¥3,470

-27.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.10 ¥173

269.09%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

106.25%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

146.93%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$140 ¥22.2K

76.66%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$24.14 ¥3,821

-34.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$30.58 ¥4,840

-29.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$49.41 ¥7,819

84.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$18.41 ¥2,914

-50.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$12.27 ¥1,941

13.77%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$511 ¥80.9K

126.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$13.1K ¥2.1M

70.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$47.50 ¥7,517

45.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$30.12 ¥4,767

34.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$73.4 ¥11.6K

8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$91.0 ¥14.4K

29.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$704 ¥111.3K

209.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$508 ¥80.4K

238.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$1,751 ¥277.2K

188.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$765 ¥121.1K

363.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$6,208 ¥982.3K

369.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$1,938 ¥306.7K

806.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$2,346 ¥371.2K

37.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

2.21

76.92%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Osaka

$508 36.9% 70.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Osaka

$301 21.9% 27.4% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Osaka

$195 14.2% 31.6% $90

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Osaka

$130 9.5% 36.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Osaka

$109 7.9% 21.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 38% $45

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 44.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $704 in Osaka. 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 38% 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 $32.00 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $301 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

22:01 10:01 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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 = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Osaka 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Osaka

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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,400 in Osaka – roughly 113% 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 $2,100 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Osaka, 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 $32.00 in Osaka. 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 $1,400 in Osaka. That's a gap of about 113%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Osaka, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Osaka 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 $1,400 in Osaka 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 Osaka. 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.