Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Ratchaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $944 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Ratchaburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$944
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $944 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $2,984
  • Ratchaburi $944

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,573 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,584
  • Ratchaburi $1,573

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,202 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,183
  • Ratchaburi $2,202

Hong Kong costs about 216% more than Ratchaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Ratchaburi is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.75 HK$60.8
$3.59 ฿120
115.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$35.96 ฿1,202
79.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.18 HK$48.51
$9.10 ฿304
-32.09%
Cappuccino
$5.08 HK$39.85
$2.04 ฿68.1
149.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.31
$0.74 ฿24.78
77.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 HK$8.56
$0.30 ฿9.93
263.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 HK$58.6
$2.31 ฿77.2
223.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 HK$51.0
$2.66 ฿88.8
144.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.89 HK$22.71
$1.78 ฿59.6
62.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 HK$18.14
$1.44 ฿47.98
60.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 HK$16.71
$1.39 ฿46.38
53.24%
Eggs
$3.52 HK$27.65
$2.22 ฿74.1
58.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.72 HK$194
$15.32 ฿512
61.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 HK$66.9
$2.56 ฿85.7
232.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 HK$141
$10.00 ฿334
80.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 HK$32.79
$3.48 ฿116
20.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 HK$21.07
$1.21 ฿40.35
121.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 HK$35.22
$1.92 ฿64.1
133.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 HK$31.66
$1.91 ฿63.8
110.99%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 HK$24.51
$1.20 ฿40.07
160.00%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 HK$24.72
$1.09 ฿36.40
188.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 HK$12.75
$1.22 ฿40.84
32.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.66
$0.45 ฿14.99
286.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 HK$106
$4.30 ฿144
213.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 HK$130
$17.87 ฿597
-7.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 HK$15.19
$1.76 ฿58.8
10.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 HK$17.11
$2.90 ฿96.8
-24.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 HK$11.04
$0.92 ฿30.82
53.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 HK$696
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 HK$28.94
$1.38 ฿46.08
167.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 HK$10.36
$1.12 ฿37.58
17.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.77 HK$124
$3.60 ฿120
338.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.03 HK$31.65
$1.51 ฿50.4
166.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.7K HK$350.5K
$46.1K ฿1.5M
-3.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K HK$296.6K
$26.9K ฿899.0K
40.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 HK$1,959
$90.9 ฿3,037
174.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60 HK$122
$11.58 ฿387
34.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.77 HK$171
$19.18 ฿641
13.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.2 HK$739
$46.61 ฿1,558
102.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.29 HK$72.9
$14.27 ฿477
-34.90%
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 HK$109
$7.49 ฿250
85.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,162 HK$9,122
$628 ฿21.0K
84.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K HK$171.6K
$14.3K ฿477.1K
53.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$534
$50.5 ฿1,686
34.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 HK$329
$29.47 ฿985
42.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.7 HK$626
$93.9 ฿3,138
-15.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 HK$956
$74.8 ฿2,501
62.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,241 HK$17.6K
$441 ฿14.7K
407.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,718 HK$13.5K
$293 ฿9,777
487.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,041 HK$39.6K
$1,387 ฿46.3K
263.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 HK$27.0K
$737 ฿24.6K
365.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.2K HK$229.0K
$1,969 ฿65.8K
1382.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.6K HK$137.9K
$1,584 ฿52.9K
1009.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Ratchaburi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,271 HK$25.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
5.96
-34.40%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.7K
Ratchaburi
$293 83% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$411
Ratchaburi
$244 40.7% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$287
Ratchaburi
$122 57.6% $165
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$201
Ratchaburi
$102 49.6% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$140
Ratchaburi
$112 20.1% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$122
Ratchaburi
$62 49.5% $60
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$105
Ratchaburi
$11 * 89.8% $94

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 $441 in Ratchaburi. 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 $36.00 in Ratchaburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $244 – making Ratchaburi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇹🇭 Ratchaburi
🕒 Local time
04:00 4:00 AM
03:00 3:00 AM
1 h behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
38,208
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Ratchaburi 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Ratchaburi

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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Ratchaburi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $944 in Ratchaburi – roughly 216% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Ratchaburi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,415 in Ratchaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Ratchaburi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratchaburi, 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 $36.00 in Ratchaburi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 69% 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.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ratchaburi, where all-in costs run around $944, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $944 in Ratchaburi to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi?
If budget matters most, go with Ratchaburi. 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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