Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Pekanbaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Pekanbaru
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$628
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $628 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Pekanbaru $628

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $983 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Pekanbaru $983

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,339 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Pekanbaru $1,339

Hong Kong costs about 375% more than Pekanbaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Pekanbaru is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
441.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$8.20 Rp 147.6K
688.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$2.41 Rp 43.4K
156.43%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
290.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$0.58 Rp 10.4K
125.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$0.33 Rp 5,954
230.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$2.07 Rp 37.3K
260.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$3.45 Rp 62.1K
88.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
122.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$1.15 Rp 20.6K
100.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
139.33%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$1.68 Rp 30.3K
109.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$7.30 Rp 131.3K
238.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$2.37 Rp 42.7K
259.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$6.49 Rp 116.9K
177.35%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$2.70 Rp 48.5K
54.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$1.70 Rp 30.6K
57.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$2.41 Rp 43.4K
86.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$1.27 Rp 22.8K
217.32%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$1.24 Rp 22.3K
151.61%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
64.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
116.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$0.35 Rp 6,350
397.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$2.16 Rp 38.9K
525.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$21.45 Rp 386.0K
-22.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
1.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$3.01 Rp 54.2K
-27.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$0.29 Rp 5,230
386.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
$8.44 Rp 152.0K
950.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$0.92 Rp 16.6K
301.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$0.40 Rp 7,154
230.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$2.68 Rp 48.2K
488.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$0.76 Rp 13.6K
430.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$23.3K Rp 418.9M
91.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$26.0K Rp 468.5M
45.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$62.1 Rp 1.1M
302.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$5.99 Rp 107.9K
160.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$23.78 Rp 428.1K
-8.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$28.34 Rp 510.2K
232.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
$8.31 Rp 149.7K
11.79%
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$3.03 Rp 54.6K
359.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$96.0 Rp 1.7M
1110.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$7,773 Rp 139.9M
181.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$31.96 Rp 575.3K
112.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$28.42 Rp 511.6K
47.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$54.8 Rp 985.5K
45.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$80.8 Rp 1.5M
50.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$262 Rp 4.7M
756.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$145 Rp 2.6M
1086.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$540 Rp 9.7M
832.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$356 Rp 6.4M
864.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$1,070 Rp 19.3M
2626.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$807 Rp 14.5M
2076.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Pekanbaru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
$176 Rp 3.2M
1758.57%
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 Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Pekanbaru
$145 91.6% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Pekanbaru
$201 51.1% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Pekanbaru
$92 68% $195
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Pekanbaru
$55 72.6% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Pekanbaru
$88 37.1% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Pekanbaru
$34 71.8% $88
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Pekanbaru
$13 88% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $262 in Pekanbaru. 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 1759% 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 $8.00 in Pekanbaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $201 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇮🇩 Pekanbaru
🕒 Local time
07:55 7:55 AM
06:55 6:55 AM
1 h behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
1,020,308
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Pekanbaru 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Pekanbaru

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Pekanbaru compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $628 in Pekanbaru – roughly 375% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Pekanbaru?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $942 in Pekanbaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Pekanbaru?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pekanbaru, 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $8.00 in Pekanbaru. 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 Pekanbaru?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $628 in Pekanbaru. That's a gap of about 375%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pekanbaru, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $628 in Pekanbaru to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru?
If budget matters most, go with Pekanbaru. 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.

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