Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $808 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $808 in Surat, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,050
Surat $808

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $861 in Surat, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,786
Surat $861

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $914 in Surat, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,522
Surat $914

Hong Kong costs about 277% more than Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Surat is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$3.10 ₹293

170.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$10.72 ₹1,012

491.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$3.25 ₹307

100.92%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.33

$1.87 ₹176

175.40%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.32 ₹29.99

331.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.15 ₹14.05

653.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$3.13 ₹296

146.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.62

$3.45 ₹326

61.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.01

$0.71 ₹66.8

314.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.91

$0.48 ₹45.21

402.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$0.72 ₹67.6

208.33%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.73

$0.96 ₹90.6

255.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$4.45 ₹421

420.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$2.86 ₹270

203.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.02

$1.68 ₹159

150.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.63 ₹59.3

309.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.68

$0.78 ₹74.1

500.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.33

$0.57 ₹54.1

601.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$0.38 ₹36.08

739.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.44 ₹41.49

643.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.29

$0.50 ₹47.17

214.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.44

$0.30 ₹28.05

470.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$5.11 ₹483

160.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$7.47 ₹706

108.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.87

$1.88 ₹177

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$3.00 ₹283

-24.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.28 ₹593

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 HK$9.67

$0.22 ₹20.82

459.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 HK$686

$3.14 ₹297

2689.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.46

$0.65 ₹61.0

478.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.20 ₹18.89

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$1.08 ₹102

1375.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.15 ₹109

271.30%

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

$45.0K HK$352.7K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

293.79%

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

$37.6K HK$294.8K

$18.8K ₹1.8M

99.62%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$37.48 ₹3,540

532.82%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$3.69 ₹349

318.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$7.46 ₹704

201.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$764

$18.93 ₹1,789

414.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

$5.23 ₹494

72.47%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$2.99 ₹283

334.11%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$33.96 ₹3,208

3733.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$1,265 ₹119.5K

2292.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$22.77 ₹2,151

198.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$25.28 ₹2,388

69.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$41.77 ₹3,946

94.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$32.83 ₹3,101

268.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 HK$18.7K

$207 ₹19.6K

1051.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 HK$14.1K

$490 ₹46.3K

265.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,695 HK$44.6K

$392 ₹37.0K

1352.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,786 HK$29.7K

$242 ₹22.8K

1466.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.8K HK$226.0K

$664 ₹62.8K

4240.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.9K HK$147.9K

$370 ₹34.9K

5003.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

$283 ₹26.7K

1029.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

9.17

-57.58%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Surat

$490 60.7% 72.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Surat

$102 12.7% 74.8% $304

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Surat

$49 6% 82.3% $226

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Surat

$81 10.1% 60.9% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Surat

$55 6.8% 60.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Surat

$25 3.1% 79.8% $98

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Surat

$5.7 0.7% 94.5% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,385 in Hong Kong versus $207 in Surat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hong Kong are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $11 in Surat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $102 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.128 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.128 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Surat 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Surat

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $808 in Surat – Surat comes out roughly 74% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $1,213 in Surat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $2,385 in Hong Kong.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $11 in Surat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,050 in Hong Kong and $808 in Surat. That makes Surat about 74% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Surat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Surat. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.