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 $2,887 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,353 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,496 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,993 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,105 per month in Hong Kong vs $5,633 in St. Andrews, rent included.

Hong Kong costs about 23% more than St. Andrews, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Hong Kong and St. Andrews sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 110%, St. Andrews by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.86 HK$61.6

$21.49 £15.90

-63.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 HK$506

$87.9 £65.0

-26.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 HK$49.12

$10.63 £7.87

-41.11%

Cappuccino

$4.89 HK$38.30

$4.68 £3.46

4.49%

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

$1.32 HK$10.38

$2.60 £1.92

-49.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HK$8.70

$2.03 £1.50

-45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 HK$61.5

$6.66 £4.93

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 HK$42.64

$6.59 £4.87

-17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 HK$23.43

$1.60 £1.19

86.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 HK$17.84

$1.83 £1.35

24.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 HK$17.33

$1.93 £1.43

14.51%

Eggs

$3.46 HK$27.13

$4.61 £3.41

-24.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.62 HK$209

$7.57 £5.60

251.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 HK$66.6

$9.78 £7.23

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 HK$152

$15.77 £11.67

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 HK$33.31

$2.53 £1.87

67.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 HK$18.92

$1.37 £1.02

75.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 HK$35.04

$2.81 £2.08

59.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 HK$26.60

$2.82 £2.08

20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.67

$1.83 £1.35

72.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 HK$25.38

$1.55 £1.15

109.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 HK$11.74

$1.24 £0.92

20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 HK$14.25

$2.51 £1.85

-27.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.53 HK$106

$22.68 £16.78

-40.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 HK$123

$11.43 £8.46

37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 HK$14.97

$2.72 £2.01

-29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 HK$17.46

$3.19 £2.36

-30.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 HK$10.17

$4.82 £3.57

-73.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 HK$693

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 HK$28.65

$4.17 £3.09

-12.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.26

$2.37 £1.75

-44.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.23 HK$127

$24.58 £18.19

-33.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.82

$2.06 £1.52

97.09%

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

$45.5K HK$356.8K

$38.9K £28.8K

17.03%

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

$36.8K HK$288.5K

$40.8K £30.2K

-9.86%

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

$229 HK$1,792

$249 £184

-8.03%

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

$14.84 HK$116

$13.41 £9.92

10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.48 HK$168

$42.84 £31.70

-49.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$716

$96.0 £71.0

-4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.00 HK$78.4

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 HK$106

$13.66 £10.10

-0.66%

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

$1,043 HK$8,181

$1,809 £1,338

-42.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K HK$175.4K

$23.6K £17.5K

-5.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 HK$503

$100 £74.0

-35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 HK$318

$49.36 £36.52

-17.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 HK$618

$107 £79.4

-26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$948

$91.3 £67.5

32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 HK$17.3K

$1,384 £1,024

59.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 HK$13.2K

$1,065 £788

58.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,004 HK$39.2K

$3,126 £2,312

60.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,371 HK$26.4K

$2,718 £2,011

23.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K HK$230.7K

$6,205 £4,590

374.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.2K HK$134.6K

$2,743 £2,029

525.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,125 HK$24.5K

$3,424 £2,533

-8.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.41

-28.84%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: August 31, 2026

Last update for St. Andrews: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,211 in Hong Kong versus $1,384 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 10% 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 $64.0 in Hong Kong versus $88.0 in St. Andrews. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Hong Kong vs $312 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: $2,887 in Hong Kong, $2,353 in St. Andrews – roughly 23% apart. Hong Kong costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,331 per month in Hong Kong and $3,529 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 $64.0 in Hong Kong and $88.0 in St. Andrews. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in St. Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,353, than in Hong Kong at $2,887. 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 $2,353 in St. Andrews to $2,887 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.