Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,251 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,251 in Wollongong, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Wollongong $2,251

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,295 in Wollongong, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Wollongong $3,295

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,339 in Wollongong, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Wollongong $4,339

Hong Kong costs about 33% more than Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Wollongong sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Wollongong by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$16.72 A$24.06

-53.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$83.9 A$121

-22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$10.27 A$14.78

-39.82%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.49 A$5.03

45.56%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$3.16 A$4.54

-58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$2.17 A$3.12

-49.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$7.09 A$10.20

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$6.93 A$9.97

-6.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.19 A$1.72

142.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$2.92 A$4.20

-20.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.11 A$3.04

0.95%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.93 A$5.65

-10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.40 A$14.96

137.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$9.47 A$13.62

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$15.48 A$22.27

16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.90 A$4.17

44.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.54 A$3.65

5.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$3.30 A$4.74

36.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$4.53 A$6.51

-11.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$2.31 A$3.33

35.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.58 A$3.71

22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.56 A$3.68

-36.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.33 A$1.91

30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$44.92 A$64.6

-69.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$13.90 A$20.00

18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$4.38 A$6.31

-55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$4.67 A$6.72

-53.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.97 A$2.84

-28.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$4.11 A$5.92

-10.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.55 A$2.23

-14.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$42.79 A$61.6

-63.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.32 A$1.90

205.30%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$26.6K A$38.2K

68.18%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$24.8K A$35.6K

52.53%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$185 A$267

34.62%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$27.08 A$38.97

-42.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$51.1 A$73.5

-57.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$81.8 A$118

15.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$14.07 A$20.24

-33.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$13.02 A$18.73

6.84%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$2,148 A$3,091

-45.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$20.5K A$29.5K

6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$68.2 A$98.1

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$55.0 A$79.2

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$105 A$152

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$108 A$155

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$1,246 A$1,793

79.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,079 A$1,552

59.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,947 A$2,802

158.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,666 A$2,398

106.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$4,438 A$6,386

557.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$3,676 A$5,290

378.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$5,130 A$7,382

-36.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

5.23

-25.24%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9% 37.2% $640

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Wollongong

$353 15.7% 14% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Wollongong

$264 11.7% 8.2% $23

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Wollongong

$277 12.3% 37.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Wollongong

$151 6.7% 8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Wollongong

$108 4.8% 11.6% $14

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9% 81.1% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $1,246 in Wollongong. 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 57% higher in Wollongong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $84.0 in Wollongong. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $353 in Wollongong – so Wollongong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

280,153

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Wollongong 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Wollongong

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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $2,251 in Wollongong – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $3,377 in Wollongong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wollongong, 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 $84.0 in Wollongong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wollongong, where all-in costs run around $2,251, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Wollongong 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 $2,251 in Wollongong 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 Wollongong. 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.