Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Hong Kong (China)
Address: HK

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong (China) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong (China)
Learn more

Hong Kong (China) Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,046

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Hong Kong (China)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Hong Kong (China) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

United States $2,734
Hong Kong (China) $3,046

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $4,715 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

United States $3,985
Hong Kong (China) $4,715

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $6,384 in Hong Kong (China), rent included.

United States $5,235
Hong Kong (China) $6,384

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Hong Kong (China) ($3,028–$3,028), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is roughly 10% lower than in Hong Kong (China) on average.

Both the United States and Hong Kong (China) are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Hong Kong (China) by 124%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$8.47 HK$66.5

136.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$64.7 HK$508

23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.25 HK$49.02

88.80%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.17 HK$40.58

7.35%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.31 HK$10.28

103.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.13 HK$8.88

92.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.44 HK$58.4

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$6.54 HK$51.3

21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.90 HK$22.76

-64.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.35 HK$18.47

52.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.25 HK$17.68

100.89%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.45 HK$27.10

24.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$24.79 HK$194

-46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.85 HK$69.4

42.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$18.08 HK$142

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.05 HK$31.77

30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.62 HK$20.55

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.71 HK$36.93

-5.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.95 HK$30.95

20.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.21 HK$25.15

-7.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.22 HK$25.24

-2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.66 HK$13.00

32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.77 HK$13.92

32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$13.43 HK$105

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.22 HK$119

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.98 HK$15.50

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.29 HK$17.95

65.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.34 HK$10.50

44.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$89.5 HK$702

-33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.73 HK$29.22

-4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.36 HK$10.66

38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$16.00 HK$126

86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.98 HK$31.21

-74.37%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$44.5K HK$348.9K

-35.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$37.6K HK$295.3K

-30.39%

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

$218 $218

$239 HK$1,878

-8.96%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$15.99 HK$125

290.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$21.59 HK$169

244.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$98.3 HK$771

-57.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$9.38 HK$73.6

143.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$12.59 HK$98.8

16.76%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$1,280 HK$10.0K

16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$22.6K HK$177.3K

11.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$67.8 HK$531

-19.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$43.21 HK$339

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$82.9 HK$650

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$124 HK$973

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$2,373 HK$18.6K

-30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$1,777 HK$13.9K

-24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$5,399 HK$42.4K

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$3,614 HK$28.4K

-40.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$29.5K HK$231.1K

-88.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$17.9K HK$140.2K

-86.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$3,297 HK$25.9K

30.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.79

72.82%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong (China): October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Hong Kong (China)

$1.8K 58.3% 31.9% $429

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Hong Kong (China)

$412 13.5% 0.9% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Hong Kong (China)

$277 9.1% 22% $78

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Hong Kong (China)

$209 6.9% 36.4% $119

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Hong Kong (China)

$143 4.7% 4.3% $6

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Hong Kong (China)

$105 3.5% 31.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Hong Kong (China)

$124 4.1% 73.3% $52

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $2,432 in Hong Kong (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $2,432 in Hong Kong.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $3,264 in Hong Kong (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 19% more in the United States.

Public transport is 40% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are 39% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

16:52 4:52 PM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

7,413,070

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.115 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

HKD to USD in detail →

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United States Hong Kong (China) 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Hong Kong (China)

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

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

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China): a central one-bedroom averages $2,432 versus $1,620 in the United States.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.