Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $509 in Surakarta, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Surakarta $509

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $817 in Surakarta, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Surakarta $817

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,124 in Surakarta, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Surakarta $1,124

Hong Kong costs about 486% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Surakarta is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

375.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

458.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

93.12%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

227.74%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$0.54 Rp 9,772

142.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.25 Rp 4,534

336.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

429.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

135.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

232.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

216.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

176.62%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

266.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

224.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

398.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

233.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

107.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

111.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

148.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

194.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

127.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

86.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

179.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.43 Rp 7,732

304.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

585.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

95.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-24.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$0.40 Rp 7,244

252.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

305.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$0.50 Rp 9,071

638.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.43 Rp 7,709

206.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

486.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

430.26%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

82.43%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

16.86%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

221.93%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

642.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

498.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

620.73%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

3378.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

1085.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

14.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

13.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

88.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$168 Rp 3.0M

1237.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

2937.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$338 Rp 6.1M

1393.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$192 Rp 3.5M

1689.83%

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

$158 Rp 2.8M

1971.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

7.5

-47.87%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Surakarta

$57 11.1% 96.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Surakarta

$148 29.2% 63.9% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Surakarta

$98 19.2% 65.9% $189

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Surakarta

$57 11.2% 71.7% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Surakarta

$103 20.3% 26.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Surakarta

$20 3.9% 83.9% $102

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Surakarta

$26 5.1% 75% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $168 in Surakarta. 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 1972% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $12.00 in Surakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $148 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

1 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

503,421

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Surakarta 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Surakarta

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $509 in Surakarta – roughly 486% 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 $763 in Surakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, 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 $12.00 in Surakarta. 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 $509 in Surakarta. That's a gap of about 486%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Surakarta 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 $509 in Surakarta 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 Surakarta. 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.