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 $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,848 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $4,336 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A family of three spends $4,579 per month in United Kingdom vs $5,823 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is roughly 17% 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 77%, Hong Kong (China) by 113%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916) than in Hong Kong (China) ($2,848–$2,848), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.05

$9.01 HK$70.6

124.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$64.9 HK$509

35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$6.24 HK$48.93

65.87%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$5.16 HK$40.46

-7.56%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$1.29 HK$10.08

89.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.08 HK$8.48

60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$6.55 HK$51.4

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$6.19 HK$48.50

5.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.99 HK$23.43

-44.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.31 HK$18.12

-25.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.02 HK$15.83

9.41%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.04

$3.45 HK$27.07

18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$25.07 HK$197

-62.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.71

$10.18 HK$79.8

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.54

$22.12 HK$173

-35.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$3.51 HK$27.48

-15.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.35 HK$18.39

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$3.95 HK$30.97

-28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$2.94 HK$23.02

15.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.32 HK$18.19

-27.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.23 HK$17.46

-29.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.74 HK$13.65

-35.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.70 HK$13.32

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.00

$13.03 HK$102

54.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.79

$16.89 HK$132

-38.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.84 HK$14.45

55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$2.65 HK$20.74

24.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.68 HK$13.15

98.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.6

$63.3 HK$496

52.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.11

$3.76 HK$29.48

47.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.32 HK$10.33

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.47

$14.94 HK$117

84.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$3.05 HK$23.94

-37.70%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$38.7K HK$303.5K

-1.63%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$33.2K HK$260.6K

23.31%

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

$326 £243

$232 HK$1,819

40.56%

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

$17.18 £12.78

$17.87 HK$140

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.96

$22.38 HK$175

91.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.17

$76.2 HK$598

-39.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.81

$8.63 HK$67.6

83.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.26

$12.53 HK$98.2

10.14%

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

$1,723 £1,281

$1,004 HK$7,872

71.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$21.8K HK$170.5K

-4.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$74.0 HK$580

21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.02

$38.96 HK$305

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$90.0 HK$706

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.3

$140 HK$1,101

-26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,055

$2,236 HK$17.5K

-36.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £850

$1,584 HK$12.4K

-27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,709

$4,811 HK$37.7K

-52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,393

$3,083 HK$24.2K

-39.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,260

$27.5K HK$215.3K

-79.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,228

$17.0K HK$133.3K

-74.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,428

$3,220 HK$25.2K

1.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

3.97

44.84%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $2,160 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $2,937 in London and $2,160 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $3,230 in Hong Kong (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 31% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 46% more expensive 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 2% 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 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 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.