Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Seoul $3,931

Hong Kong costs about 66% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hong Kong and Seoul sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-11.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-18.04%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$4.23 ₩5,624

20.09%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.63 ₩2,167

-19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.74 ₩985

47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.64 ₩4,843

105.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$6.15 ₩8,175

5.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.01 ₩2,679

43.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.13 ₩4,164

-26.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$4.32 ₩5,744

-50.69%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.61 ₩4,794

-2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$17.83 ₩23.7K

38.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-18.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.38 ₩4,499

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$5.81 ₩7,723

-22.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$6.41 ₩8,520

-37.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.75 ₩4,983

-16.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.54 ₩3,375

24.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.84 ₩3,782

-42.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.11 ₩1,472

56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.35 ₩4,455

302.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.40 ₩3,185

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.37 ₩4,480

-35.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.14 ₩1,521

23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$46.11 ₩61.3K

92.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.49 ₩4,643

5.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.63 ₩840

109.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$8.86 ₩11.8K

77.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.51 ₩2,005

166.89%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

52.58%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

33.95%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$218 ₩289.2K

14.74%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-55.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$21.29 ₩28.3K

2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$58.1 ₩77.2K

62.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-42.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.31 ₩15.0K

22.99%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-40.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-4.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$57.0 ₩75.8K

19.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$33.39 ₩44.4K

25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$71.5 ₩95.0K

11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$82.5 ₩109.7K

47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$901 ₩1.2M

148.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$612 ₩813.5K

180.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

99.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

171.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

47.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-10.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.08

-4.17%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 64.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 16.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 4.5% $13

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 8.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 21.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 33.9% $41

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 45.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $901 in Seoul. 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 12% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $477 – making Hong Kong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Seoul 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,794 in Seoul – roughly 66% 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 $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul. 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 $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Seoul 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 $1,794 in Seoul 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 Seoul. 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.