Living in Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a major coastal city in Hong Kong (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 23°C over the year with about 1,944 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,423 a month to live centrally, and Hong Kong sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Hong Kong is comparatively open.
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- Est. cost
- €4,423
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 23°C
- 1,944 mm rain a year
- Size
- Major
- over 5 million people
- Safety
- 78/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~250 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Hong Kong
- Faster internet than 100% of the cities we compare
- Pricier than 99% of the cities we compare
- Safer than 92% of the cities we compare
- Stronger healthcare than 89% of the cities we compare
- Wet: about 1,944 mm of rain a year
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Hong Kong runs at about 250 Mbps, faster than 100% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,423 a month to live centrally in Hong Kong, 62% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 1% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Safety and stability
Hong Kong scores 78 out of 100 on safety, safer than 92% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 5.3 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Hong Kong. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
Hong Kong averages 23°C across the year with about 1,944 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 65% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Healthcare
Hong Kong scores 78 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 89% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Hong Kong.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Realistic long-term residency runs through Hong Kong's talent and skilled-professional routes (the Top Talent Pass and the points-based Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, neither needing an employer sponsor), employment visas, or the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme; there is no retirement or passive-income visa.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Hong Kong:
- Investment: about $3.8M (New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, HK$30 million net in permissible assets (HKD pegged to USD at ~7.8375); as of June 2026)
For short visits, 147 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 49 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 2 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: Cantonese, English. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 70 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Hong Kong sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Hong Kong in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Hong Kong
Is Hong Kong a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Hong Kong scores well on safety, healthcare and internet speed. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a warm, very wet climate (23°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Hong Kong and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Hong Kong?
We estimate about €4,423 a month for a couple living centrally, 62% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Hong Kong in their results.
Can foreigners live in Hong Kong long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Realistic long-term residency runs through Hong Kong's talent and skilled-professional routes (the Top Talent Pass and the points-based Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, neither needing an employer sponsor), employment visas, or the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme; there is no retirement or passive-income visa. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $3.8M (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong averages 23°C across the year with about 1,944 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 65% of the cities we track.
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