Cost of Living in Hong Kong

Being a city with a high rate of population and barely covering 1,100 km2 of housing, the government has made it expensive for the prices of housing.

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world yet attracts students from across the globe for reasons like being a safe city for students, inclusiveness, diversity, wide use of English both within higher education and in daily interactions, cultures, hospitality, vibrant and most of all a welcoming environment.   

Is Hong Kong a student city? 

Hong Kong is ranked as the 12th QS Best Student city and performs well on the university ranking indicators and 30th on desirability worldwide. It is home to many top universities with over 20 degrees awarding degrees in higher education which are publicly funded. All the 8 institutions in Hong Kong use English.

Is Hong Kong expensive for international students? 

Hong Kong is an expensive city with the cost of living costing between 1,000 and 2,000 HKD (130 and 260 USD) per month including student rent in Hong Kong, travel, food, and other Hong Kong living expense. This will not include your tuition fee in Hong Kong.

For more personalized information, use our cost of living calculator to estimate your desired area’s average cost of living. 

Please remember that Hong Kong living cost will depend on your lifestyle.  

Before we list the details of the monthly expenses in Hong Kong, let’s summarize its cost. 

Is it expensive to study in Hong Kong?  

It is the 5th costliest place to study abroad. There are many public and private universities in Hong Kong to choose from, offering UG and PG programs. They teach in English.  The cost of tuition fees in public universities will differ from those of private ones. Therefore, the fee will depend on the program, course, and university you choose to study. Below is only an average amount given for UG and PG program fees; please check in with your university for the same.   

How much is student rent in Hong Kong? 

The cost of student accommodation in Hong Kong will depend upon the type of student apartment. There are private and multi-occupancy shared student apartments in Hong Kong.   

Student Apartment

Student apartment in Hong Kong is a great way of living for students. It is off-campus accommodation located close to the university campus, offers furnished apartments equipped with modern amenities and inclusive of utility bills.   

Most of the accommodation is under 3 miles. While the ones outside of the city center are up to 20 miles. 

What is the average food cost in Hong Kong?  

The cost of food in Hong Kong will depend on your lifestyle, eating, and spending habits. Eating and drinking in Hong Kong is a lot cheaper than you can imagine! So, if you want to eat three times meals outside, it will cost you around $50 /per person. There’s also a cheaper way of saving money on food. With the student apartments in Hong Kong having furnished kitchens, you can cook meals at home.     

What is the cost of electricity in Hong Kong?  

Student accommodation in Hong Kong comes with an inclusive bill for electricity including Wi-Fi, Water, Electricity, Air Conditioner, Gas etc. The average cost of electricity in Hong Kong will come to about HKD $106.0 cents per unit.   

How to get around Hong Kong? 

The best and cheapest way to get around Hong Kong is using The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) with 155 stations, 10 rapid lines and 12 light lines. A single ticket will cost around HK$150, and if you have the Octopus Card, you can get huge discount on the fares.