Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,300 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,300 in Otsu, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Otsu $1,300

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,886 in Otsu, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Otsu $1,886

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,472 in Otsu, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Otsu $2,472

Hong Kong costs about 130% more than Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Otsu is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$8.63 ¥1,364

-10.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$32.03 ¥5,061

101.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.00 ¥790

23.60%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.24 ¥511

56.79%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.23 ¥195

6.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.88 ¥139

23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.17 ¥501

135.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.29 ¥678

51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.51 ¥239

91.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.54 ¥243

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$4.52 ¥714

-52.88%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.12 ¥334

66.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$15.86 ¥2,506

55.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$6.89 ¥1,089

23.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$17.02 ¥2,689

5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$4.90 ¥775

-14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.47 ¥390

8.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$4.88 ¥771

-7.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.36 ¥689

-7.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.18 ¥344

43.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.92 ¥303

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$1.14 ¥181

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.94 ¥149

85.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.89 ¥614

247.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$9.69 ¥1,530

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.96 ¥310

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.17 ¥343

0.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.49 ¥235

-5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$52.6 ¥8,303

68.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.13 ¥494

17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$2.80 ¥442

-52.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$28.90 ¥4,566

-45.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.07 ¥169

276.64%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

106.95%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

148.12%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$115 ¥18.2K

116.70%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$23.03 ¥3,639

-32.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$30.88 ¥4,878

-29.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$51.2 ¥8,082

84.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$9.67 ¥1,528

-3.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.33 ¥1,948

12.81%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$569 ¥89.9K

104.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

76.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$56.7 ¥8,955

19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$35.70 ¥5,639

17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$69.3 ¥10.9K

15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$98.8 ¥15.6K

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$450 ¥71.1K

398.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$376 ¥59.4K

357.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$625 ¥98.7K

706.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$461 ¥72.8K

645.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$4,259 ¥672.9K

585.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$1,749 ¥276.3K

904.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,814 ¥286.6K

80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

2.1

86.19%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Otsu

$376 28.9% 78.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Otsu

$331 25.4% 19.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Otsu

$169 13% 41.1% $118

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Otsu

$156 12% 22.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Otsu

$117 9% 16.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 37.8% $46

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 27.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $450 in Otsu. 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 80% 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 $32.00 in Otsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $331 – making Otsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

341,314

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 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).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Otsu 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,300 in Otsu – roughly 130% 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 $1,950 in Otsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Otsu, 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 $32.00 in Otsu. 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 $1,300 in Otsu. That's a gap of about 130%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Otsu, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Otsu 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 $1,300 in Otsu 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 Otsu. 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.