Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Hong Kong (China) Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Hong Kong (China)

Name: Hong Kong (China)
Address: HK

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,405 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,990 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A couple spends around $3,520 per month in United Kingdom vs $4,601 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in United Kingdom vs $6,212 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is roughly 20% lower than in Hong Kong (China) on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both United Kingdom and Hong Kong (China) are pricier than the global median – United Kingdom by 74%, Hong Kong (China) by 117%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,100–$4,235) than in Hong Kong (China) ($2,990–$2,990), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$8.09 HK$63.5

166.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$64.3 HK$504

36.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$6.21 HK$48.68

75.36%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$5.13 HK$40.26

-4.09%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$1.29 HK$10.09

100.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.10 HK$8.59

67.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$7.26 HK$56.9

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$5.62 HK$44.04

22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.03 HK$23.74

-44.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$2.25 HK$17.66

-25.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.25 HK$17.64

-2.22%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$3.44 HK$26.98

21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$26.35 HK$207

-62.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$8.39 HK$65.8

12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$18.94 HK$149

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$4.18 HK$32.75

-27.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$2.44 HK$19.10

-30.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$4.73 HK$37.08

-38.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$3.31 HK$25.99

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$3.10 HK$24.30

-40.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$3.25 HK$25.47

-51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.51 HK$11.82

-16.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.74 HK$13.63

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$13.43 HK$105

80.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$16.29 HK$128

-32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.93 HK$15.12

54.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$2.15 HK$16.88

57.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$1.30 HK$10.23

163.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$89.0 HK$698

18.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$3.73 HK$29.22

43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.38 HK$10.80

71.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$16.05 HK$126

71.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$3.90 HK$30.56

-50.51%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$44.7K HK$350.3K

-11.15%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$37.2K HK$291.9K

9.25%

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

$321 £238

$241 HK$1,891

33.29%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$15.01 HK$118

24.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$21.99 HK$172

99.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$93.7 HK$735

-50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$9.94 HK$77.9

88.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$13.59 HK$107

-0.44%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$1,071 HK$8,401

62.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$21.9K HK$171.6K

3.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$67.1 HK$526

35.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$41.64 HK$327

13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$81.7 HK$640

28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$119 HK$930

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$2,284 HK$17.9K

-39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$1,699 HK$13.3K

-35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$5,204 HK$40.8K

-57.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$3,359 HK$26.3K

-46.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$29.8K HK$233.8K

-80.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$18.0K HK$141.4K

-74.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$3,115 HK$24.4K

6.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.8

40.00%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,285 in United Kingdom vs $2,265 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $2,926 in London and $2,265 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $3,292 in United Kingdom vs $3,137 in Hong Kong (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 33% more in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs Hong Kong (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

United Kingdom is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 12% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China), and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Hong Kong (China) consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in United Kingdom, contributing to the overall 12% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$4,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in United Kingdom, but in Hong Kong (China) it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

United Kingdom is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.