Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,104 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
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Tsukuba Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,104 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Tsukuba $1,104

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,754 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Tsukuba $1,754

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,404 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Tsukuba $2,404

Hong Kong costs about 170% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Tsukuba is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$6.48 ¥1,024

19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$33.35 ¥5,269

93.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.01 ¥791

23.35%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$2.74 ¥433

85.40%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.03 ¥162

27.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.74 ¥118

47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$2.19 ¥347

241.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.21 ¥506

102.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.45 ¥229

99.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.67 ¥264

38.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$3.09 ¥488

-31.07%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.09 ¥330

68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.21 ¥1,614

142.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$6.03 ¥952

41.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$14.35 ¥2,267

25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$5.83 ¥921

-28.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.82 ¥445

-4.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$2.80 ¥443

60.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.12 ¥650

-2.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.63 ¥416

18.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.56 ¥405

23.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.85 ¥134

90.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.81 ¥128

114.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.76 ¥594

259.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$6.16 ¥973

168.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.80 ¥284

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.11 ¥333

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.45 ¥230

-2.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$52.8 ¥8,337

67.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.18 ¥502

16.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$2.70 ¥426

-51.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$20.78 ¥3,282

-24.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.05 ¥166

283.81%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

106.42%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

104.45%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$129 ¥20.4K

92.82%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$24.48 ¥3,868

-36.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$32.65 ¥5,158

-33.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$53.6 ¥8,472

75.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.38 ¥1,955

12.36%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$94.2 ¥14.9K

1134.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$46.72 ¥7,382

45.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$37.27 ¥5,888

12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$38.06 ¥6,013

109.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$41.11 ¥6,495

196.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$466 ¥73.6K

381.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$281 ¥44.4K

511.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,081 ¥170.7K

366.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$629 ¥99.4K

445.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$4,648 ¥734.4K

527.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$1,980 ¥312.8K

787.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,449 ¥228.8K

125.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

95.50%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Tsukuba

$281 25.4% 83.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Tsukuba

$285 25.8% 30.5% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Tsukuba

$187 16.9% 35% $100

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Tsukuba

$124 11.3% 38.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Tsukuba

$73 6.7% 47.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Tsukuba

$78 7.1% 35.7% $44

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Tsukuba

$75 6.8% 28% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $466 in Tsukuba. 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 126% 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 $33.00 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $285 – making Tsukuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

00:00 12:00 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

230,398

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Tsukuba 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Tsukuba

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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,104 in Tsukuba – roughly 170% 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 $1,656 in Tsukuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsukuba, 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 $33.00 in Tsukuba. 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 $1,104 in Tsukuba. That's a gap of about 170%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsukuba, where all-in costs run around $1,104, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Tsukuba 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 $1,104 in Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba. 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.