Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Songdo-dong

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,444 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
Learn more

Songdo-dong Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,444 in Songdo-dong, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Songdo-dong $1,444

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,292 in Songdo-dong, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Songdo-dong $2,292

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,140 in Songdo-dong, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Songdo-dong $3,140

Hong Kong costs about 107% more than Songdo-dong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hong Kong and Songdo-dong sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Songdo-dong by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$5.87 ₩7,798

32.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$34.90 ₩46.4K

85.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.63 ₩8,816

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.62 ₩4,815

40.33%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.53 ₩2,032

-14.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.58 ₩777

87.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.06 ₩4,063

144.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$4.56 ₩6,067

42.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.20 ₩2,925

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.06 ₩4,066

-24.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.35 ₩3,126

-9.36%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.33 ₩4,429

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$15.79 ₩21.0K

56.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.80 ₩10.4K

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$11.34 ₩15.1K

58.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$7.80 ₩10.4K

-46.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.18 ₩4,234

-15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-41.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$6.78 ₩9,017

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.55 ₩4,720

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.42 ₩3,216

30.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.04 ₩2,718

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.47 ₩1,960

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.29 ₩4,379

310.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.48 ₩24.6K

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.29 ₩3,043

-15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.64 ₩4,836

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.61 ₩817

116.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.35 ₩1,790

198.52%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.2K ₩38.8M

53.04%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$35.7K ₩47.4M

5.92%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$210 ₩278.6K

19.11%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$43.59 ₩58.0K

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$20.61 ₩27.4K

5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.32 ₩15.1K

22.88%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$380 ₩505.4K

205.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$17.9K ₩23.8M

22.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$64.3 ₩85.5K

5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$64.7 ₩86.0K

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$75.5 ₩100.4K

5.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$99.0 ₩131.6K

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$453 ₩602.6K

279.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,914 ₩2.5M

163.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,064 ₩1.4M

222.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$3,372 ₩4.5M

-3.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.1

-4.63%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Songdo-dong

$453 31.4% 73.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Songdo-dong

$408 * 28.3% 0.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Songdo-dong

$274 19% 4.6% $13

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Songdo-dong

$143 9.9% 28.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5% 2.5% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6% 81.4% $99

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Songdo-dong

$6.7 * 0.5% 93.6% $98

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 3% higher in Songdo-dong, 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 $35.00 in Songdo-dong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $408 – making Songdo-dong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Songdo-dong 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,444 in Songdo-dong – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,166 in Songdo-dong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $35.00 in Songdo-dong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Songdo-dong, where all-in costs run around $1,444, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Songdo-dong 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 $1,444 in Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong. 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.