With offices in both the UK and Hong Kong, we clearly have a “foot in both camps” when it comes to financial issues affecting the two.
Given this, we thought it would be quite fun – and hopefully informative – to compare the cost of various goods and services between the two.
We started with everyday items that would be on your food shopping list, such as milk, eggs, apples, and so on.
Additionally, you can also take a look at other regular outgoings you’ll come across in your day-to-day living.
You can then see how much more expensive, or cheaper, it is to buy in London rather than Hong Kong.
There are three points you should bear in mind:
- As our UK offices are in London, we’re using London prices for comparison purposes. So, these prices may often be higher than in many other parts of the UK.
- All the figures shown are average prices.
- According to com, £1 sterling will currently buy you HKD $9.89 (as at 21 December) so for comparison purposes, we have rounded this up to $10 converting to show an equivalent Hong Kong figure.
All figures and information taken from Numbeo and Expatistan, correct as at December 2023.
Food essentials
With the exception of items produced locally, such as milk and apples, staple foodstuffs tend to be cheaper In Hong Kong than in London.
Getting around
While petrol is more expensive in Hong Kong than in the UK, both public transport and taxi services are notably cheaper than they are in London.
Living costs
While it’s more expensive to rent in the middle of London than in Hong Kong, it’s well-known that you’ll pay more to buy property in the province than almost anywhere else in the world.
Clothes
Branded clothes are cheaper to buy in Hong Kong than in London.
Personal care
London prices for personal care items are, on the whole, higher than in Hong Kong.
Eating out
At all levels of dining, from expensive restaurants to a simple café meal, it’s cheaper to eat out in Hong Kong than in central London – although you can get a cheaper cappuccino in the UK.
Get in touch
If you’d like to talk about any financial planning issues, then please get in touch.
You can contact us by email or, if you prefer to speak to us, you can reach us in the UK on +44 (0) 208 0044900 or in Hong Kong on +852 39039004.
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