Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Tak

For one person, living is cheaper in Tak: $938 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,005
/mo nomad
Tak
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Hong Kong vs $938 in Tak, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $3,005
  • Tak $938

A couple spends around $4,643 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,488 in Tak, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,643
  • Tak $1,488

A family of three spends $6,281 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,039 in Tak, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,281
  • Tak $2,039

Hong Kong costs about 221% more than Tak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 122% above the global median, while Tak is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.80 HK$61.2
$3.38 ฿113
130.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$21.54 ฿720
200.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.24 HK$48.97
$7.23 ฿242
-13.69%
Cappuccino
$5.01 HK$39.34
$1.74 ฿58.1
187.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 HK$10.12
$0.60 ฿20.07
115.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 HK$8.74
$0.33 ฿10.93
236.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.77 HK$61.0
$1.91 ฿63.8
306.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.41 HK$50.3
$3.08 ฿103
108.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.90 HK$22.79
$1.57 ฿52.6
84.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 HK$18.29
$1.34 ฿44.76
73.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 HK$17.51
$1.33 ฿44.41
67.67%
Eggs
$3.45 HK$27.04
$2.16 ฿72.3
59.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.96 HK$196
$16.40 ฿548
52.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.79 HK$69.0
$2.90 ฿96.8
203.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.71 HK$139
$11.41 ฿381
55.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 HK$32.59
$2.91 ฿97.4
42.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 HK$20.62
$1.03 ฿34.47
155.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 HK$35.65
$2.26 ฿75.6
100.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 HK$32.08
$2.21 ฿73.9
85.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 HK$25.25
$1.49 ฿49.69
116.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 HK$25.56
$1.06 ฿35.59
207.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 HK$12.94
$1.15 ฿38.47
43.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 HK$13.62
$0.53 ฿17.70
228.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.45 HK$106
$4.47 ฿149
200.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.16 HK$119
$16.78 ฿561
-9.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 HK$15.44
$1.62 ฿54.3
21.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 HK$17.42
$2.99 ฿100
-25.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 HK$10.04
$0.81 ฿27.11
58.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.1 HK$707
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 HK$28.84
$1.35 ฿45.00
171.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 HK$10.60
$1.18 ฿39.33
14.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.21 HK$127
$5.56 ฿186
191.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.20 HK$32.94
$1.51 ฿50.4
178.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.9K HK$352.2K
$26.3K ฿877.5K
70.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K HK$288.9K
$26.0K ฿870.1K
41.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$238 HK$1,865
$85.9 ฿2,869
176.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.70 HK$123
$12.38 ฿414
26.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.91 HK$172
$20.05 ฿670
9.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.1 HK$715
$41.87 ฿1,399
117.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.14 HK$71.8
$14.06 ฿470
-34.99%
Cinema Ticket
$12.96 HK$102
$5.92 ฿198
118.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,172 HK$9,201
$595 ฿19.9K
96.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.2K HK$174.2K
$11.2K ฿373.1K
98.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.9 HK$533
$43.91 ฿1,467
54.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.57 HK$342
$30.26 ฿1,011
43.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.1 HK$652
$80.4 ฿2,686
3.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 HK$963
$79.2 ฿2,647
54.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Tak
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,255 HK$17.7K
$416 ฿13.9K
441.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,752 HK$13.7K
$314 ฿10.5K
458.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,173 HK$40.6K
$1,208 ฿40.4K
328.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,543 HK$27.8K
$692 ฿23.1K
411.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.3K HK$229.7K
$2,060 ฿68.8K
1320.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.5K HK$137.1K
$1,359 ฿45.4K
1185.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Tak
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 Tak: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.8K
Tak
$314 82.1% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$410
Tak
$247 39.8% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$275
Tak
$118 57% $157
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$203
Tak
$89 56% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$143
Tak
$105 26.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$117
Tak
$54 54.1% $63
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$106
Tak
$10 * 90.1% $95

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 $416 in Tak. 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 $22.00 in Tak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $247 – making Tak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇹🇭 Tak
🕒 Local time
00:20 12:20 AM
23:20 11:20 PM
1 h behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
19,900
💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Tak 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Tak

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 Tak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Tak compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong, $938 in Tak – roughly 221% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Tak?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Hong Kong and $1,407 in Tak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hong Kong and Tak?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tak, 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 $22.00 in Tak. 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 66% 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 $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tak, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Tak 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 Tak?
It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $938 in Tak to $3,005 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hong Kong or Tak 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 Tak?
If budget matters most, go with Tak. 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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