Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Richmond

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond: $2,450 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
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Richmond Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Richmond

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,450 in Richmond, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Richmond $2,450

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,462 in Richmond, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Richmond $3,462

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,475 in Richmond, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Richmond $4,475

Hong Kong costs about 22% more than Richmond, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hong Kong and Richmond sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Richmond by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$10.31 A$14.76

-24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$82.2 A$118

-21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$12.34 A$17.68

-49.92%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.43 A$4.91

48.10%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$3.15 A$4.52

-58.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$2.47 A$3.54

-55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.46 A$4.96

115.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$8.55 A$12.24

-23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.54 A$2.21

87.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.89 A$4.14

-20.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.64 A$3.77

-19.32%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.64

$5.58 A$7.99

-36.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$6.98 A$10.00

254.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.14 A$10.23

19.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$6.98 A$9.99

157.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$3.97 A$5.69

5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.14 A$4.49

-14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$3.13 A$4.48

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.79 A$6.87

-15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.97 A$4.25

5.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.48 A$3.56

27.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.74

$2.46 A$3.53

-34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.55 A$2.22

12.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$34.20 A$48.99

-60.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$7.12 A$10.20

132.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$5.71 A$8.18

-66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$5.32 A$7.63

-59.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$2.67 A$3.83

-47.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$76.2 A$109

16.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$4.53 A$6.49

-18.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.36 A$1.95

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$29.85 A$42.76

-47.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.47 A$2.11

174.15%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$28.4K A$40.7K

57.06%

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

$37.8K HK$296.5K

$26.8K A$38.3K

41.22%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$227 A$326

9.84%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$28.05 A$40.18

-44.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$57.1 A$81.9

-61.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$58.2 A$83.4

61.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$18.55 A$26.57

-49.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$15.01 A$21.50

-7.33%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$2,346 A$3,360

-50.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$29.5K A$42.2K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$79.1 A$113

-14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$50.6 A$72.5

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$119 A$170

-32.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$134 A$192

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$1,215 A$1,741

84.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,235 A$1,769

39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$2,462 A$3,527

104.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,784 A$2,555

92.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$5,764 A$8,257

406.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$4,275 A$6,124

310.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.9

-33.73%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Richmond: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Richmond

$1.2K 50.4% 28.1% $483

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Richmond

$326 13.3% 20.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Richmond

$312 12.8% 8.9% $25

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Richmond

$218 8.9% 8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Richmond

$172 7% 23% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Richmond

$88 3.6% 27.7% $34

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Richmond

$98 4% 6% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $1,215 in Richmond. 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 $82.0 in Richmond. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $326 in Richmond – so Richmond wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Richmond

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

28,587

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.78 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Richmond 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Richmond

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 Richmond: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $2,450 in Richmond – roughly 22% 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 $3,674 in Richmond. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Richmond, 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 $82.0 in Richmond. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $2,450 in Richmond. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Richmond, where all-in costs run around $2,450, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Richmond 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 $2,450 in Richmond 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 Richmond. 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.