Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Waco, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Waco, TX: $2,147 a month against $3,028 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,028

/mo nomad

Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Waco, TX

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

A single person spends $3,028 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,147 in Waco, TX, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,028
Waco, TX $2,147

A couple spends around $4,727 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,955 in Waco, TX, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,727
Waco, TX $2,955

A family of three spends $6,426 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,763 in Waco, TX, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,426
Waco, TX $3,763

Hong Kong costs about 41% more than Waco, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hong Kong and Waco, TX sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Waco, TX by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.11 HK$63.6

$15.17 $15.17

-46.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 HK$493

$59.4 $59.4

5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 HK$49.65

$12.10 $12.10

-47.69%

Cappuccino

$5.03 HK$39.44

$5.62 $5.62

-10.50%

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

$1.27 HK$9.98

$1.80 $1.80

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 HK$8.47

$1.49 $1.49

-27.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 HK$60.7

$4.90 $4.90

57.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 HK$51.4

$5.42 $5.42

20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 HK$22.51

$0.77 $0.77

272.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 HK$19.11

$3.34 $3.34

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.69

$2.06 $2.06

3.40%

Eggs

$3.43 HK$26.88

$2.87 $2.87

19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.73 HK$194

$12.05 $12.05

105.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 HK$69.5

$9.72 $9.72

-8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 HK$140

$11.86 $11.86

50.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$32.99

$3.78 $3.78

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 HK$20.36

$1.16 $1.16

124.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 HK$36.51

$3.82 $3.82

21.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 HK$31.80

$3.71 $3.71

9.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 HK$24.97

$2.38 $2.38

33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.46

$2.96 $2.96

9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 HK$12.47

$1.78 $1.78

-10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 HK$13.50

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 HK$104

$10.11 $10.11

31.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 HK$119

$13.70 $13.70

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 HK$15.17

$1.75 $1.75

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.91

$3.88 $3.88

-41.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.05

$1.47 $1.47

-12.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 HK$691

$39.46 $39.46

123.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 HK$29.38

$10.06 $10.06

-62.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.23

$1.83 $1.83

-28.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 HK$125

$60.7 $60.7

-73.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.05 HK$31.80

$0.84 $0.84

382.14%

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

$44.6K HK$349.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

63.72%

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

$37.5K HK$294.3K

$25.6K $25.6K

46.63%

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

$242 HK$1,895

$180 $180

34.12%

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

$15.72 HK$123

$40.07 $40.07

-60.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 HK$166

$54.3 $54.3

-61.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.8 HK$783

$23.65 $23.65

321.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 HK$74.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 HK$100

$8.86 $8.86

44.47%

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

$1,287 HK$10.1K

$760 $760

69.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K HK$172.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

24.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 HK$523

$48.06 $48.06

38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 HK$333

$38.56 $38.56

10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 HK$655

$82.8 $82.8

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$94.6 $94.6

28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 HK$19.1K

$1,227 $1,227

98.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 HK$13.8K

$1,057 $1,057

66.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,347 HK$41.9K

$1,388 $1,388

285.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,677 HK$28.8K

$1,396 $1,396

163.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K HK$223.0K

$2,583 $2,583

1000.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.1K HK$141.8K

$1,753 $1,753

931.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 HK$25.6K

$3,230 $3,230

1.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.49

-41.60%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 27, 2026

Last update for Waco, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.2%

Waco, TX

$1.1K 49.2% 40.1% $707

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.6%

Waco, TX

$317 14.8% 22.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$278 9.2%

Waco, TX

$274 12.8% 1.4% $3.9

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.8%

Waco, TX

$274 12.7% 33.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$142 4.7%

Waco, TX

$119 5.5% 16.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$125 4.1%

Waco, TX

$41 1.9% 67% $84

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Waco, TX

$65 3% 37.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,432 in Hong Kong versus $1,227 in Waco, TX. 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 $63 in Hong Kong versus $59 in Waco, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $317 – making Waco, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

13 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

138,486

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.115 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Waco, TX 13,160 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Waco, TX

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 Waco, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,028 in Hong Kong, $2,147 in Waco, TX – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,543 per month in Hong Kong and $3,220 in Waco, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waco, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,227 there versus $2,432 in Hong Kong.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $59 in Waco, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,028 in Hong Kong and $2,147 in Waco, TX. That’s a gap of about 41%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Waco, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,147, than in Hong Kong at $3,028. In Waco, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Waco, TX is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 41% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.