Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Pathein

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathein: $1,021 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Pathein
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Pathein Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Pathein

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,021 in Pathein, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Pathein $1,021

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,830 in Pathein, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Pathein $1,830

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,639 in Pathein, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Pathein $2,639

Hong Kong costs about 192% more than Pathein, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Pathein is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$1.48 MMK 3,095

423.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$19.79 MMK 41.4K

226.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$7.97 MMK 16.7K

-22.46%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$1.47 MMK 3,082

245.58%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$0.52 MMK 1,098

151.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.51 MMK 1,078

113.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$1.48 MMK 3,108

404.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$0.98 MMK 2,048

563.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.46 MMK 3,047

58.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.98 MMK 6,249

-28.52%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.47 MMK 5,165

42.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$40.74 MMK 85.3K

-39.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$5.92 MMK 12.4K

43.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$8.06 MMK 16.9K

123.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$10.02 MMK 21.0K

-58.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$10.08 MMK 21.1K

-55.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.91 MMK 10.3K

-17.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$4.07 MMK 8,530

-23.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.01 MMK 4,217

56.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.52 MMK 1,098

211.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$2.95 MMK 6,185

357.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$20.03 MMK 41.9K

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.48 MMK 3,094

31.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$1.98 MMK 4,152

10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.02 MMK 2,145

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$2.97 MMK 6,222

430.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.99 MMK 4,161

102.51%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$32.5K MMK 68.0M

37.44%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$31.4K MMK 65.7M

20.33%

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

$250 HK$1,959

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

$15.60 HK$122

$20.30 MMK 42.5K

-23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$10.18 MMK 21.3K

113.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$151 MMK 316.3K

-37.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$2.05 MMK 4,298

578.54%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$396 MMK 829.8K

193.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$4,748 MMK 9.9M

360.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$20.34 MMK 42.6K

234.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$14.75 MMK 30.9K

184.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$49.03 MMK 102.7K

62.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$60.1 MMK 125.8K

102.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$401 MMK 840.1K

458.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$301 MMK 631.0K

470.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,089 MMK 2.3M

362.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$984 MMK 2.1M

248.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pathein: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Pathein

$301 29.5% 82.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Pathein

$397 * 38.9% 3.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Pathein

$30 * 3% 89.4% $256

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Pathein

$67 6.6% 66.8% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Pathein

$65 6.4% 53.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Pathein

$155 15.2% 27.2% $33

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Pathein

$5.1 * 0.5% 95.1% $99

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 $401 in Pathein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $20.00 in Pathein. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $397 – making Pathein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇲🇲 Pathein

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

315,600

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, 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).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Hong Kong Pathein 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Pathein

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 Pathein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,021 in Pathein – roughly 192% 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 $1,532 in Pathein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pathein, 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 $20.00 in Pathein. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pathein, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Pathein 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 $1,021 in Pathein 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 Pathein. 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.