Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/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 $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $4,584 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Hong Kong $4,584

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $6,183 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Hong Kong $6,183

Seoul is about 40% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Hong Kong by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$7.75 HK$60.8

13.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$64.7 HK$508

5.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$6.18 HK$48.51

22.01%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$5.08 HK$39.85

-16.73%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$1.31 HK$10.31

24.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$1.09 HK$8.56

-32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$7.47 HK$58.6

-51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$6.50 HK$51.0

-5.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$2.89 HK$22.71

-30.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$2.31 HK$18.14

35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.13 HK$16.71

102.82%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$3.52 HK$27.64

2.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$24.72 HK$194

-27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$8.52 HK$66.9

22.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$18.00 HK$141

43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$4.18 HK$32.79

83.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$2.68 HK$21.07

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$4.49 HK$35.22

29.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$4.03 HK$31.66

59.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$3.12 HK$24.51

20.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$3.15 HK$24.72

-19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$1.62 HK$12.74

75.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.74 HK$13.66

-36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$13.50 HK$106

-75.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$16.54 HK$130

11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$1.94 HK$15.19

23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$2.18 HK$17.11

54.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$1.41 HK$11.04

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$88.6 HK$696

-47.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$3.69 HK$28.94

-5.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.32 HK$10.36

-52.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$15.77 HK$124

-43.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$4.03 HK$31.65

-62.53%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-34.46%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$37.8K HK$296.5K

-25.35%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$250 HK$1,959

-12.85%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$15.60 HK$122

125.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$21.77 HK$171

-2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$94.2 HK$739

-38.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$9.29 HK$72.9

73.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$13.91 HK$109

-18.69%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,162 HK$9,122

67.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$21.9K HK$171.6K

4.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$68.0 HK$534

-16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$41.91 HK$329

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$79.7 HK$626

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$122 HK$956

-32.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-59.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$5,041 HK$39.6K

-49.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$3,435 HK$27.0K

-63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$29.2K HK$229.0K

0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$3,271 HK$25.7K

11.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.91

4.35%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 181% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 13.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 4.7% $13

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 9.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 27.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 51.2% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 82.3% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul 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 12% 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $411 – making Hong Kong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

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 = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,501 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.78 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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

From you

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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: $1,794 in Seoul, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul 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 Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $65.0 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 $1,794 in Seoul and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Seoul 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 $1,794 in Seoul 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 Seoul. 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.