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 $2,752 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $4,270 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

A family of three spends $4,585 per month in United Kingdom vs $5,787 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

United Kingdom is roughly 14% cheaper than 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 76%, Hong Kong (China) by 105%.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,678–$3,892) than Hong Kong (China) ($2,752–$2,752), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.17

$8.99 HK$70.4

127.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$63.0 HK$494

38.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.53

$6.56 HK$51.4

54.42%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$4.98 HK$39.04

-5.62%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$1.30 HK$10.15

81.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.09 HK$8.55

61.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.95

$6.85 HK$53.7

-2.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.78

$6.54 HK$51.3

-1.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$3.07 HK$24.02

-44.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.22 HK$17.43

-26.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.96 HK$15.35

16.84%

Eggs

$4.03 £2.99

$3.52 HK$27.56

14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.26

$25.75 HK$202

-62.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.63

$10.51 HK$82.3

-15.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.64

$21.77 HK$171

-34.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$3.62 HK$28.35

-15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.31 HK$18.12

-30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$3.88 HK$30.38

-26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$3.08 HK$24.16

14.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.34 HK$18.31

-31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.22 HK$17.41

-29.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.68 HK$13.15

-30.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.72 HK$13.51

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.89

$13.10 HK$103

52.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.10

$18.91 HK$148

-42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$1.83 HK$14.36

58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

$2.66 HK$20.81

27.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.35

$1.68 HK$13.13

88.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £70.8

$62.5 HK$490

52.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.05

$3.59 HK$28.16

51.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.31 HK$10.27

21.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.30

$14.66 HK$115

86.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$3.11 HK$24.35

-36.01%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.2K HK$299.7K

-1.25%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$32.9K HK$257.5K

22.20%

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

$323 £240

$235 HK$1,839

37.45%

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

$17.22 £12.80

$17.94 HK$141

-4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$22.44 HK$176

88.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.21

$76.2 HK$597

-39.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.65

$8.51 HK$66.7

84.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$12.82 HK$100

5.15%

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

$1,713 £1,274

$986 HK$7,725

73.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$21.4K HK$167.5K

-2.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.8

$72.9 HK$571

25.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.36

$39.60 HK$310

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$90.8 HK$711

12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.3

$143 HK$1,123

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,053

$2,224 HK$17.4K

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £841

$1,571 HK$12.3K

-27.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,715

$4,893 HK$38.3K

-52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,367

$3,105 HK$24.3K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,257

$27.4K HK$214.6K

-79.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,362

$17.0K HK$133.6K

-73.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,477

$3,187 HK$25.0K

4.59%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $2,235 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $3,019 in London and $2,235 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $3,219 in United Kingdom vs $3,166 in Hong Kong (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 77% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 29% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 45% 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

Hong Kong (China) is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 1% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Hong Kong (China), contributing to the overall 1% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong (China), but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Hong Kong (China) 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.