Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and St. Andrews Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and St. Andrews

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,809 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,131 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,243 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,942 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,677 per month in Hong Kong vs $5,754 in St. Andrews, rent included.

Hong Kong costs about 32% more than St. Andrews, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hong Kong and St. Andrews sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 109%, St. Andrews by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 HK$71.8

$21.67 £16.06

-57.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 HK$495

$81.2 £60.2

-22.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.43 HK$50.4

$10.00 £7.41

-35.70%

Cappuccino

$5.00 HK$39.14

$4.39 £3.25

13.90%

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

$1.34 HK$10.52

$2.12 £1.57

-36.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 HK$8.19

$1.36 £1.01

-22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 HK$52.7

$5.77 £4.28

16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 HK$50.3

$6.05 £4.48

6.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.96 HK$23.21

$1.69 £1.25

75.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 HK$17.60

$1.53 £1.14

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 HK$15.49

$1.85 £1.37

7.03%

Eggs

$3.43 HK$26.86

$4.01 £2.97

-14.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.23 HK$198

$8.15 £6.04

209.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 HK$82.0

$9.86 £7.30

6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 HK$176

$13.80 £10.22

63.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 HK$27.07

$3.24 £2.40

6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 HK$18.03

$2.32 £1.72

-0.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 HK$29.36

$2.70 £2.00

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 HK$23.87

$4.09 £3.03

-25.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 HK$17.52

$2.19 £1.62

2.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 HK$17.20

$1.95 £1.45

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 HK$13.21

$1.24 £0.92

36.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.46

$2.10 £1.56

-18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.74 HK$99.8

$19.32 £14.31

-34.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 HK$122

$11.35 £8.41

36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 HK$14.23

$2.16 £1.60

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 HK$20.60

$2.30 £1.71

14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 HK$13.82

$4.07 £3.01

-56.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 HK$490

$79.0 £58.5

-20.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 HK$29.30

$4.69 £3.48

-20.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.40 £1.04

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.62 HK$115

$34.59 £25.63

-57.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.99 HK$23.43

$1.94 £1.44

54.12%

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

$38.2K HK$299.3K

$38.5K £28.5K

-0.65%

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

$32.3K HK$252.5K

$42.1K £31.2K

-23.38%

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

$232 HK$1,814

$232 £172

-0.33%

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

$17.61 HK$138

$14.07 £10.43

25.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 HK$179

$44.77 £33.17

-48.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 HK$606

$42.32 £31.36

82.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.69 HK$68.1

$20.47 £15.17

-57.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 HK$101

$12.47 £9.24

3.77%

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

$1,003 HK$7,854

$1,628 £1,207

-38.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.8K

$15.0K £11.1K

46.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 HK$584

$84.1 £62.3

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 HK$304

$40.61 £30.10

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 HK$693

$93.3 £69.2

-5.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 HK$1,106

$121 £89.4

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 HK$17.5K

$1,239 £918

80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 HK$12.1K

$870 £645

77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 HK$36.9K

$2,727 £2,020

73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 HK$24.1K

$2,831 £2,098

8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.6K HK$200.2K

$6,258 £4,637

308.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.7K HK$123.0K

$2,754 £2,041

470.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,342 HK$26.2K

$3,351 £2,483

-0.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.9

-32.71%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: April 13, 2026

Last update for St. Andrews: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,235 in Hong Kong versus $1,239 in St. Andrews. 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 0% higher in St. Andrews, 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 $63 in Hong Kong versus $81 in St. Andrews. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Hong Kong vs $311 in St. Andrews – so St. Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 St. Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,809 in Hong Kong, $2,131 in St. Andrews – roughly 32% apart. Hong Kong costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,214 per month in Hong Kong and $3,196 in St. Andrews. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Andrews, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong and $81.0 in St. Andrews. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,809 in Hong Kong and $2,131 in St. Andrews. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in St. Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,131, than in Hong Kong at $2,809. In St. Andrews 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 $2,131 in St. Andrews to $2,809 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 St. Andrews. 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.