Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Townsville: $2,740 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
Learn more

Townsville Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index

Jump to prices

Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,740

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,740 per month in Townsville vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Townsville $2,740
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $4,002 per month in Townsville vs $4,584 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Townsville $4,002
Hong Kong $4,584

A family of three spends $5,265 per month in Townsville vs $6,183 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Townsville $5,265
Hong Kong $6,183

Townsville is about 8% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Townsville and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Townsville by 103%, Hong Kong by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 A$30.13

$7.75 HK$60.8

170.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 A$97.3

$64.7 HK$508

4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 A$16.82

$6.18 HK$48.51

89.16%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.18

$5.08 HK$39.85

-29.13%

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

$2.49 A$3.59

$1.31 HK$10.31

90.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.43

$1.09 HK$8.56

118.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.47 HK$58.6

8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.98

$6.50 HK$51.0

6.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.66

$2.89 HK$22.71

-35.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.31 HK$18.14

-5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 A$2.06

$2.13 HK$16.71

-32.86%

Eggs

$5.30 A$7.63

$3.52 HK$27.65

50.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 A$11.29

$24.72 HK$194

-68.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 A$14.29

$8.52 HK$66.9

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 A$19.05

$18.00 HK$141

-26.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.69

$4.18 HK$32.79

-5.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.80

$2.68 HK$21.07

-1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.13

$4.49 HK$35.22

-20.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$6.05

$4.03 HK$31.66

4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$3.12 HK$24.51

-17.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$3.15 HK$24.72

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.30

$1.62 HK$12.75

41.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$1.74 HK$13.66

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$43.66

$13.50 HK$106

124.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 A$14.92

$16.54 HK$130

-37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.70 A$9.65

$1.94 HK$15.19

245.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$12.15

$2.18 HK$17.11

287.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.41 HK$11.04

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 A$111

$88.6 HK$696

-13.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.69 HK$28.94

5.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 A$3.42

$1.32 HK$10.36

79.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 A$75.6

$15.77 HK$124

233.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$4.03 HK$31.65

-67.74%

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

$28.0K A$40.4K

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-37.20%

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

$34.0K A$48.9K

$37.8K HK$296.6K

-10.03%

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

$379 A$546

$250 HK$1,959

51.89%

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

$35.76 A$51.5

$15.60 HK$122

129.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$97.2

$21.77 HK$171

210.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$94.2 HK$739

-41.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 A$28.40

$9.29 HK$72.9

112.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 A$21.96

$13.91 HK$109

9.71%

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

$2,105 A$3,029

$1,162 HK$9,122

81.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$30.4K

$21.9K HK$171.6K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 A$132

$68.0 HK$534

35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 A$101

$41.91 HK$329

66.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 A$234

$79.7 HK$626

104.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$122 HK$956

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,892

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 A$1,694

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-31.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 A$3,551

$5,041 HK$39.6K

-51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 A$2,995

$3,435 HK$27.0K

-39.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,850 A$6,979

$29.2K HK$229.0K

-83.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 A$5,699

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-77.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 A$5,921

$3,271 HK$25.7K

25.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.91

41.69%

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

Last update for Townsville: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1.2K 43%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 46% $541

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$482 17.6%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 40.5% $195

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$370 13.5%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 11.1% $41

Eating Out

Townsville

$320 11.7%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 37% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$204 7.5%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 31.4% $64

Getting Around

Townsville

$101 3.7%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 3.3% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.1%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 42.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,315 in Townsville 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 26% higher in Townsville, 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 Townsville versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Townsville vs $411 in Hong Kong – so Townsville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

2 h behind Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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 AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Townsville Hong Kong 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,740 in Townsville, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,110 per month in Townsville 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 Townsville, 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 Townsville 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 $2,740 in Townsville and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Townsville, where all-in costs run around $2,740, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Townsville 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 $2,740 in Townsville 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 Townsville. 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.