Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $3,028 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $3,028 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Hong Kong $3,028

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $4,727 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Hong Kong $4,727

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $6,426 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Hong Kong $6,426

Seoul is about 39% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seoul and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Hong Kong by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$8.11 HK$63.6

11.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$62.9 HK$493

8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$6.33 HK$49.65

16.11%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$5.03 HK$39.44

-18.09%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.27 HK$9.98

29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$1.08 HK$8.47

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$7.74 HK$60.7

-52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$6.55 HK$51.4

-6.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$2.87 HK$22.51

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$2.44 HK$19.11

31.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$2.13 HK$16.69

106.10%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.43 HK$26.88

4.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$24.73 HK$194

-26.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$8.86 HK$69.5

18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$17.81 HK$140

50.98%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$4.21 HK$33.00

86.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$2.60 HK$20.36

35.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$4.65 HK$36.51

22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$4.05 HK$31.80

52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$3.18 HK$24.97

18.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$3.25 HK$25.46

-22.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$1.59 HK$12.47

77.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$1.72 HK$13.50

-35.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$13.27 HK$104

-75.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$15.22 HK$119

22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$1.93 HK$15.18

25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$2.28 HK$17.91

47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$1.28 HK$10.05

-7.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

$88.0 HK$691

-47.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$3.75 HK$29.38

-5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$1.30 HK$10.23

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$15.92 HK$125

-42.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$4.05 HK$31.80

-64.44%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$44.6K HK$349.5K

-32.07%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$37.5K HK$294.3K

-22.99%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$242 HK$1,895

-12.00%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$15.72 HK$123

127.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$21.12 HK$166

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

$99.8 HK$783

-38.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$9.52 HK$74.7

72.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$12.80 HK$100

-10.78%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,287 HK$10.1K

51.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$22.0K HK$172.7K

3.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$66.7 HK$523

-10.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$42.46 HK$333

-19.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$83.6 HK$655

-21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$122 HK$957

-32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$2,432 HK$19.1K

-62.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$1,764 HK$13.8K

-62.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$5,347 HK$41.9K

-43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$3,677 HK$28.8K

-60.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$28.4K HK$223.0K

-4.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$18.1K HK$141.8K

-37.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$3,264 HK$25.6K

9.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.79

7.65%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.2% 168% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Hong Kong

$410 13.6% 15.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Hong Kong

$278 9.2% 3.2% $8.6

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Hong Kong

$205 6.8% 11.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Hong Kong

$142 4.7% 30.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Hong Kong

$125 4.1% 48.4% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Hong Kong

$103 3.4% 80% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $2,432 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 9% higher in Seoul, 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 $68 in Seoul versus $63 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $410 – making Hong Kong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.115 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Seoul
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,848 in Seoul, $3,028 in Hong Kong – Seoul comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $4,543 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $2,432 in Hong Kong.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $63 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 $1,848 in Seoul and $3,028 in Hong Kong. That makes Seoul about 39% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,848 in Seoul to $3,028 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.