Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Palembang

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 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 Palembang
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Palembang Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $615 in Palembang, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Palembang $615

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $980 in Palembang, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Palembang $980

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,344 in Palembang, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Palembang $1,344

Hong Kong costs about 385% more than Palembang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Palembang is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

579.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$16.00 Rp 287.9K

304.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

119.15%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

293.80%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.25 Rp 4,503

336.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

339.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.27 Rp 58.9K

98.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

158.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

100.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

159.76%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

188.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$7.24 Rp 130.4K

241.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

184.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$7.44 Rp 133.9K

141.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

86.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

141.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

205.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

194.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

149.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.44 Rp 7,856

295.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

510.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$21.49 Rp 386.7K

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.94 Rp 52.9K

-25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$0.44 Rp 7,878

220.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$0.53 Rp 9,526

596.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.40 Rp 7,284

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$2.84 Rp 51.2K

455.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

391.46%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$23.2K Rp 417.8M

92.43%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$31.6K Rp 568.7M

19.60%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

248.74%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

255.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$19.20 Rp 345.5K

13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$19.72 Rp 355.0K

377.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$7.99 Rp 143.8K

16.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

388.07%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$90.1 Rp 1.6M

1189.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$8,423 Rp 151.6M

159.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

58.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$28.77 Rp 517.8K

45.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

75.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$230 Rp 4.1M

874.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$147 Rp 2.6M

1067.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$532 Rp 9.6M

847.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$361 Rp 6.5M

851.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$1,254 Rp 22.6M

2227.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$886 Rp 15.9M

1882.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$309 Rp 5.6M

958.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

9.46

-58.67%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Palembang

$147 23.9% 91.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Palembang

$194 31.5% 52.8% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Palembang

$95 15.5% 66.8% $192

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Palembang

$52 8.5% 74% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Palembang

$97 15.8% 30.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Palembang

$25 4.1% 79.2% $97

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Palembang

$4.3 * 0.7% 95.9% $100

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $230 in Palembang. 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 958% 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 $16.00 in Palembang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $194 – making Palembang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇩 Palembang

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

19:31 7:31 PM

1 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

1,708,413

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Palembang 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Palembang

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 Palembang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $615 in Palembang – roughly 385% 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 $923 in Palembang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palembang, 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 $16.00 in Palembang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Hong Kong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palembang, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Palembang 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 $615 in Palembang 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 Palembang. 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.