Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Surin

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,005
/mo nomad
Surin
🇹🇭 Thailand
$869
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Hong Kong vs $869 in Surin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $3,005
  • Surin $869

A couple spends around $4,643 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,444 in Surin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,643
  • Surin $1,444

A family of three spends $6,281 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,018 in Surin, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,281
  • Surin $2,018

Hong Kong costs about 246% more than Surin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 122% above the global median, while Surin is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.80 HK$61.2
$3.03 ฿101
157.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$24.70 ฿826
162.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.24 HK$48.97
$7.23 ฿242
-13.69%
Cappuccino
$5.01 HK$39.34
$1.74 ฿58.3
187.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 HK$10.12
$0.61 ฿20.30
111.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 HK$8.74
$0.33 ฿10.89
236.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.77 HK$61.0
$2.20 ฿73.5
253.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.41 HK$50.3
$3.42 ฿114
87.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.90 HK$22.79
$1.57 ฿52.4
84.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 HK$18.29
$1.31 ฿43.79
77.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 HK$17.51
$1.47 ฿48.98
51.70%
Eggs
$3.45 HK$27.04
$1.90 ฿63.5
81.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.96 HK$196
$17.41 ฿582
43.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.79 HK$69.0
$2.48 ฿83.0
254.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.71 HK$139
$8.89 ฿297
99.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 HK$32.59
$2.57 ฿86.0
61.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 HK$20.62
$1.02 ฿34.23
157.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 HK$35.65
$2.48 ฿82.9
83.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 HK$32.08
$2.05 ฿68.5
99.51%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 HK$25.25
$1.44 ฿48.20
123.61%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 HK$25.56
$0.95 ฿31.77
243.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 HK$12.94
$0.94 ฿31.37
75.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.62
$0.44 ฿14.59
295.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.45 HK$106
$4.27 ฿143
214.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.16 HK$119
$16.36 ฿547
-7.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 HK$15.44
$1.57 ฿52.4
25.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 HK$17.42
$3.01 ฿100
-26.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 HK$10.04
$0.92 ฿30.79
39.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.1 HK$707
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 HK$28.84
$1.37 ฿45.65
167.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 HK$10.60
$1.01 ฿33.73
33.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.21 HK$127
$6.04 ฿202
168.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.20 HK$32.94
$1.35 ฿45.06
211.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.9K HK$352.2K
$22.7K ฿758.4K
97.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K HK$288.9K
$27.1K ฿904.4K
36.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$238 HK$1,865
$77.8 ฿2,601
205.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.70 HK$123
$11.53 ฿385
36.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.91 HK$172
$18.68 ฿624
17.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.1 HK$715
$41.58 ฿1,390
119.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.14 HK$71.8
$11.45 ฿383
-20.17%
Cinema Ticket
$12.96 HK$102
$6.51 ฿218
99.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,172 HK$9,201
$628 ฿21.0K
86.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.2K HK$174.2K
$12.1K ฿405.0K
83.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.9 HK$533
$53.1 ฿1,773
28.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.57 HK$342
$27.95 ฿934
55.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.1 HK$652
$73.3 ฿2,451
13.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 HK$963
$68.0 ฿2,274
80.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,255 HK$17.7K
$440 ฿14.7K
412.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,752 HK$13.7K
$273 ฿9,126
541.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,173 HK$40.6K
$1,185 ฿39.6K
336.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,543 HK$27.8K
$714 ฿23.9K
396.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.3K HK$229.7K
$1,730 ฿57.8K
1591.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.5K HK$137.1K
$1,518 ฿50.7K
1051.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Surin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,285 HK$25.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
5.57
-31.96%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 2026

Last update for Surin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.8K
Surin
$273 84.4% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$410
Surin
$235 42.9% $176
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$275
Surin
$108 60.7% $167
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$203
Surin
$88 56.3% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$143
Surin
$100 29.9% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$117
Surin
$55 53.4% $62
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$106
Surin
$10 * 90.4% $96

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,255 in Hong Kong versus $440 in Surin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $25.00 in Surin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $235 – making Surin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇹🇭 Surin
🕒 Local time
05:51 5:51 AM
04:51 4:51 AM
1 h behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
40,104
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Surin 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Surin

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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Surin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong, $869 in Surin – roughly 246% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Surin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Hong Kong and $1,303 in Surin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Surin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $25.00 in Surin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 75% 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.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surin, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Surin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Hong Kong and Surin?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $869 in Surin to $3,005 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Surin safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Hong Kong and Surin?
If budget matters most, go with Surin. 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.

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