Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,005

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,005
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $4,643 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,643
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $6,281 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,281
Phuket $2,845

Hong Kong costs about 149% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 122% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 HK$61.2

$4.40 ฿147

77.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$32.26 ฿1,078

100.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.97

$8.76 ฿293

-28.77%

Cappuccino

$5.01 HK$39.34

$2.83 ฿94.5

77.03%

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

$1.29 HK$10.12

$0.90 ฿30.14

43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HK$8.74

$0.47 ฿15.56

136.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 HK$61.0

$2.55 ฿85.2

204.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 HK$50.3

$3.83 ฿128

67.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 HK$22.79

$1.73 ฿57.7

67.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 HK$18.29

$1.47 ฿49.11

58.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.51

$1.51 ฿50.6

47.68%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.04

$2.17 ฿72.7

58.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.96 HK$196

$19.70 ฿658

26.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 HK$69.0

$3.34 ฿112

163.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 HK$139

$11.16 ฿373

58.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 HK$32.59

$2.85 ฿95.1

45.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 HK$20.62

$1.70 ฿56.9

54.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 HK$35.65

$2.19 ฿73.3

107.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 HK$32.08

$2.05 ฿68.4

99.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 HK$25.25

$1.45 ฿48.57

122.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 HK$25.56

$1.38 ฿46.16

136.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 HK$12.94

$1.07 ฿35.69

54.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.62

$0.51 ฿16.91

241.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 HK$106

$4.26 ฿142

215.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 HK$119

$18.58 ฿621

-18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 HK$15.44

$1.78 ฿59.7

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$2.85 ฿95.2

-22.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.04

$2.26 ฿75.6

-43.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 HK$707

$22.10 ฿738

307.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 HK$28.84

$3.01 ฿101

21.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 HK$10.60

$1.06 ฿35.34

27.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 HK$127

$3.86 ฿129

319.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.20 HK$32.94

$1.45 ฿48.45

189.66%

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

$44.9K HK$352.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

70.45%

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

$36.8K HK$288.9K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

36.64%

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

$238 HK$1,865

$96.4 ฿3,221

146.51%

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

$15.70 HK$123

$11.04 ฿369

42.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 HK$172

$17.14 ฿573

27.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 HK$715

$52.2 ฿1,744

74.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 HK$71.8

$11.16 ฿373

-18.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 HK$102

$7.81 ฿261

65.94%

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

$1,172 HK$9,201

$556 ฿18.6K

110.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K HK$174.2K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

91.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 HK$533

$64.2 ฿2,146

5.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 HK$342

$28.69 ฿959

51.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 HK$652

$95.4 ฿3,187

-12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 HK$963

$88.0 ฿2,940

39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 HK$17.7K

$737 ฿24.6K

205.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 HK$13.7K

$462 ฿15.5K

278.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,173 HK$40.6K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

146.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

195.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.3K HK$229.7K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

739.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.5K HK$137.1K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

592.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 HK$25.8K

$501 ฿16.7K

556.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 73.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 34.5% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 54.7% $151

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$203 6.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 40.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$143 4.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$117 3.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 42.1% $49

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$106 3.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 62.7% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,255 in Hong Kong versus $737 in Phuket. 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 556% 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 Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

11:13 11:13 AM

1 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Phuket 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Hong Kong and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,005 in Hong Kong and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 149%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Phuket 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 $1,208 in Phuket to $3,005 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 Phuket. 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.