Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,595 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Icheon and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Icheon vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Icheon $1,595
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Icheon vs $4,584 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Icheon $2,043
Hong Kong $4,584

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Icheon vs $6,183 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Icheon $2,491
Hong Kong $6,183

Icheon is about 47% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Icheon and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Icheon by 18%, Hong Kong by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ₩8,238

$7.75 HK$60.8

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₩64.3K

$64.7 HK$508

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₩8,804

$6.18 HK$48.51

7.12%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,924

$5.08 HK$39.85

-27.17%

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

$1.33 ₩1,774

$1.31 HK$10.31

1.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,553

$1.09 HK$8.56

7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,052

$7.47 HK$58.6

-49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₩5,607

$6.50 HK$51.0

-35.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩2,970

$2.89 HK$22.71

-22.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₩4,346

$2.31 HK$18.14

41.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,263

$2.13 HK$16.71

50.70%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,650

$3.52 HK$27.65

-22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.6K

$24.72 HK$194

-55.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₩14.0K

$8.52 HK$66.9

23.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.36 ₩33.7K

$18.00 HK$141

40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$4.18 HK$32.79

171.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,731

$2.68 HK$21.07

32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.13 ₩10.8K

$4.49 HK$35.22

81.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ₩7,849

$4.03 HK$31.66

46.40%

Potato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,043

$3.12 HK$24.51

93.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,489

$3.15 HK$24.72

7.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,647

$1.62 HK$12.75

69.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,701

$1.74 HK$13.66

-26.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,378

$13.50 HK$106

-75.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩24.8K

$16.54 HK$130

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₩3,245

$1.94 HK$15.19

25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ₩4,546

$2.18 HK$17.11

56.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,466

$1.41 HK$11.04

-21.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.69 HK$28.94

-1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,028

$1.32 HK$10.36

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.77 ₩22.3K

$15.77 HK$124

6.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,821

$4.03 HK$31.65

-66.00%

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

$29.9K ₩39.8M

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-32.99%

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

$33.4K ₩44.4M

$37.8K HK$296.6K

-11.62%

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

$200 ₩265.3K

$250 HK$1,959

-20.06%

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

$36.02 ₩47.9K

$15.60 HK$122

130.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.2K

$21.77 HK$171

24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 ₩29.8K

$94.2 HK$739

-76.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ₩15.0K

$13.91 HK$109

-18.91%

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

$642 ₩853.2K

$1,162 HK$9,122

-44.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.4M

$21.9K HK$171.6K

1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.3K

$68.0 HK$534

56.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩87.1K

$41.91 HK$329

56.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩124.8K

$79.7 HK$626

17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.6K

$122 HK$956

5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₩994.5K

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₩609.7K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-73.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,317 ₩3.1M

$3,271 HK$25.7K

-29.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.91

-0.26%

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

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$488 30.6%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 15.9% $77

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$459 28.8%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 275% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$263 16.5%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 9.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$178 11.1%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 21.1% $37

Eating Out

Icheon

$151 9.5%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 33.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$45 2.8%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 171% $77

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.8%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 778% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Icheon versus $2,241 in Hong Kong. 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 41% 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 $48.00 in Icheon versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $488 in Icheon vs $411 in Hong Kong – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

01:32 1:32 AM

1 h behind Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Icheon Hong Kong 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Icheon
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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

Icheon vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,595 in Icheon, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,393 per month in Icheon and $4,476 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Icheon, 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 $48.00 in Icheon and $65.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Hong Kong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Icheon 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 $1,595 in Icheon 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 Icheon. 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.