Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $775 per month in Surat Thani vs $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Surat Thani $775
Hong Kong $3,005

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Surat Thani vs $4,643 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Surat Thani $1,414
Hong Kong $4,643

A family of three spends $2,053 per month in Surat Thani vs $6,281 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Surat Thani $2,053
Hong Kong $6,281

Surat Thani is about 74% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surat Thani sits 43% below the global median, while Hong Kong is 122% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ฿63.0

$7.80 HK$61.2

-75.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 ฿597

$64.7 HK$508

-72.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ฿151

$6.24 HK$48.97

-27.72%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$5.01 HK$39.34

-70.06%

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

$0.50 ฿16.68

$1.29 HK$10.12

-61.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.66

$1.11 HK$8.74

-73.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿85.4

$7.77 HK$61.0

-67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ฿123

$6.41 HK$50.3

-42.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$2.90 HK$22.79

-42.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ฿39.89

$2.33 HK$18.29

-48.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.13

$2.23 HK$17.51

-47.53%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.4

$3.45 HK$27.04

-45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 ฿641

$24.96 HK$196

-23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ฿111

$8.79 HK$69.0

-62.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 ฿249

$17.71 HK$139

-57.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.2

$4.15 HK$32.59

-29.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$2.63 HK$20.62

-36.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$4.54 HK$35.65

-61.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.09 HK$32.08

-49.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.57

$3.22 HK$25.25

-59.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.90

$3.26 HK$25.56

-57.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.24

$1.65 HK$12.94

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.66

$1.74 HK$13.62

-76.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ฿103

$13.45 HK$106

-77.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿630

$15.16 HK$119

24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ฿51.6

$1.97 HK$15.44

-21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.22 HK$17.42

-18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.00

$1.28 HK$10.04

-20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 ฿700

$90.1 HK$707

-76.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.50

$3.67 HK$28.84

-67.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿21.05

$1.35 HK$10.60

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ฿117

$16.21 HK$127

-78.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.93

$4.20 HK$32.94

-72.38%

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

$26.6K ฿890.1K

$44.9K HK$352.2K

-40.65%

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

$27.3K ฿911.7K

$36.8K HK$288.9K

-25.90%

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

$72.9 ฿2,437

$238 HK$1,865

-69.31%

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

$11.12 ฿372

$15.70 HK$123

-29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 ฿579

$21.91 HK$172

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 ฿1,612

$91.1 HK$715

-47.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿385

$9.14 HK$71.8

26.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$12.96 HK$102

-65.05%

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

$549 ฿18.3K

$1,172 HK$9,201

-53.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿386.5K

$22.2K HK$174.2K

-47.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,070

$67.9 HK$533

-8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 ฿974

$43.57 HK$342

-33.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ฿3,252

$83.1 HK$652

17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,892

$123 HK$963

-29.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,910

$2,255 HK$17.7K

-89.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ฿4,985

$1,752 HK$13.7K

-91.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ฿38.4K

$5,173 HK$40.6K

-77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ฿23.7K

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-79.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ฿74.4K

$29.3K HK$229.7K

-92.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$17.5K HK$137.1K

-91.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 HK$25.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.79

46.97%

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

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$244 31.5%

Hong Kong

$410 13.7% 68.1% $166

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$149 19.3%

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.3% 1074% $1.6K

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$124 16%

Hong Kong

$143 4.8% 15.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$101 13.1%

Hong Kong

$275 9.2% 172% $174

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$70 9%

Hong Kong

$203 6.7% 190% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.4%

Hong Kong

$117 3.9% 104% $60

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$29 3.8%

Hong Kong

$106 3.5% 260% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Surat Thani versus $2,255 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $410 – making Surat Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

1 h ahead of Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surat Thani Hong Kong 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Surat Thani
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

Surat Thani vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $775 in Surat Thani, $3,005 in Hong Kong – roughly 288% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,163 per month in Surat Thani and $4,508 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, 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 $18.00 in Surat Thani 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 $775 in Surat Thani and $3,005 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 288%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Surat Thani 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 $775 in Surat Thani to $3,005 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 Surat Thani. 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.