Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hong Kong

For one person, living costs are similar in Melbourne and in Hong Kong: $2,852 and $2,984 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne 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 Melbourne and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,852 per month in Melbourne vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Melbourne $2,852
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Melbourne vs $4,558 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Melbourne $4,297
Hong Kong $4,558

A family of three spends $5,742 per month in Melbourne vs $6,132 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Melbourne $5,742
Hong Kong $6,132

Melbourne is about 4% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Melbourne and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Melbourne by 113%, Hong Kong by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.49

$8.46 HK$66.4

109.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$63.2 HK$496

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.46

$6.20 HK$48.66

96.13%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$4.90 HK$38.42

-19.80%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$1.27 HK$10.01

147.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$1.06 HK$8.31

129.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.22

$7.68 HK$60.3

28.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$6.28 HK$49.24

32.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$2.86 HK$22.45

-45.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$2.43 HK$19.10

23.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$2.18 HK$17.09

32.11%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$3.54 HK$27.80

53.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.22

$25.12 HK$197

-57.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$8.89 HK$69.8

8.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.54

$17.63 HK$138

-14.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.96

$4.11 HK$32.23

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$2.72 HK$21.32

12.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$4.59 HK$36.05

-28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.83

$4.02 HK$31.52

18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$3.25 HK$25.50

-6.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.66

$3.27 HK$25.70

-22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$1.60 HK$12.54

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.73 HK$13.56

-5.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$13.14 HK$103

235.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.85

$16.59 HK$130

-25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$2.01 HK$15.80

165.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$2.18 HK$17.13

136.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$1.44 HK$11.31

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$89.1 HK$699

58.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$3.64 HK$28.54

20.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.31 HK$10.29

6.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.84

$15.82 HK$124

88.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$4.06 HK$31.89

-64.04%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-36.56%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-30.56%

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

$233 A$334

$247 HK$1,942

-5.98%

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

$27.28 A$39.19

$15.89 HK$125

71.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.9

$21.46 HK$168

165.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$91.4 HK$717

-42.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.49

$9.08 HK$71.3

149.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.57

$13.96 HK$110

22.49%

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

$2,373 A$3,409

$1,155 HK$9,068

105.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$22.3K HK$174.6K

36.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$68.9 HK$541

13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$40.44 HK$317

24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$79.9 HK$627

50.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$118 HK$923

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,460

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,014

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,796

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,632

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-28.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-75.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,721

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-61.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,074

$3,228 HK$25.3K

30.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.91

50.90%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 22.6% $316

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 7.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 10.1% $32

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 34.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 19.8% $34

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 37.6% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 37.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Melbourne versus $2,180 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 31% higher in Melbourne, 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $63.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Melbourne vs $415 in Hong Kong – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

10:52 10:52 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Hong Kong 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Hong Kong

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,277 per month in Melbourne 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 Melbourne, 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 $85.0 in Melbourne and $63.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,852 in Melbourne and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 5%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,852 in Melbourne and $2,984 in Hong Kong. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,852 in Melbourne 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 Melbourne. 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.