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Hong Kong
#79 of 124
Asia

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Hong Kong compare to Toronto?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Hong Kong is 29% worse off vs in Toronto

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Hong Kong compared to Toronto, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$73,378
-$29K (-28%) vs Toronto
Based on 188 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$63,986
-$8K (-11%) vs Toronto
Tax Rate: 13%

Community Insights

New
6.8/10

Hong Kong remains a polarizing but high-energy destination for software engineers. It acts primarily as a financial fortress rather than a general technology hub, meaning the best opportunities are heavily concentrated in Fintech, Crypto, and Banking. For those in these sectors, the combination of high gross salaries and an ultra-low tax rate can result in exceptional savings potential, provided one can tolerate the exorbitant rent for small living spaces.

Recent years have seen a "brain drain" of local talent, prompting the government to aggressively recruit foreign professionals. However, resident sentiment is mixed; while newcomers love the efficiency, safety, and nightlife, many find the high-pressure work culture and lack of personal space exhausting over time. It is often described as a city "great for working and earning, but harder for settling long-term."

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Toronto.

Rankings

Safety Index

Top 3%

#4

of 124 cities

78.3/100

Current value

Tax Rate

Top 6%

#7

of 124 cities

13%

Current value (lower is better)

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#50

of 124 cities

$63,986/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Hong Kong compared to Toronto?

Avg. Property Price
$22,524 / m²
184% more expensive than Toronto
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Hong Kong to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
27% more expensive than Toronto
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Hong Kong

Huawei logo
Huawei
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
OKX logo
OKX
Low Tax Regime: With a max tax rate around 15% (and often lower effective rates), you keep a significantly larger portion of your paycheck compared to Western tech hubs.
  • World-Class Infrastructure: The MTR public transport system is incredibly efficient, cheap, and clean, making car ownership completely unnecessary.
  • High Salaries in Niche Sectors: While general tech pays moderately, Fintech, Crypto, and High-Frequency Trading (HFT) roles offer lucrative compensation packages.
  • Safety: consistently ranked as one of the safest cities globally (#5), with very low violent crime rates.
  • Travel Gateway: acting as a perfect launchpad for exploring Asia, with short, affordable flights to Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and mainland China.
  • Nature Accessibility: Despite the urban density, incredible hiking trails and beaches are often just 20-30 minutes away from the city center.

    • The Bad

    • Extreme Housing Costs: Ranked #120 for affordability; residents often pay premium prices for "shoebox" apartments with very little square footage.
    • Work Culture: Local and mainland Chinese firms often expect long hours (sometimes approaching 996 culture), with less emphasis on work-life balance than in Europe or North America.
    • Limited "Pure Tech" Scene: The market is dominated by finance and banking support roles; it lacks the innovation-first product culture of Silicon Valley or Singapore.
    • Political Atmosphere: A shifting political climate and "brain drain" of local talent have led to uncertainty and a perceived decline in international diversity.
    • Noise and Density: The extreme population density leads to constant noise and crowdedness, which can be overwhelming for those used to space.
    • Competition with Offshore: General software engineering roles face wage pressure from cheaper talent pools in nearby Shenzhen and Southeast Asia.

    Moving Here

    Moderate

    Moving is relatively straightforward for qualified professionals. The Top Talent Pass Scheme and general employment visas are actively used to combat local talent shortages. English is the primary language of business and contract law, making the professional transition seamless. However, social integration can be challenging without Cantonese, though the expat bubble is large and welcoming.

    Who Is This City For?

    Fintech and Crypto specialists maximizing earnings, and young, single professionals who value low taxes, nightlife, and travel connectivity over apartment size. It is generally less suitable for families requiring large living spaces or engineers seeking a relaxed, innovation-focused startup culture.

    Updated 1/20/2026

    Weather2.4/10-29% vs Toronto
    Safety78+39%
    Pollution66+77%
    Events5-89%
    2.4/10TechCities weather score vs 3.4/10 in Toronto

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    26°C(vs 12°C in Toronto)
    Average Low
    22°C(vs 5°C in Toronto)
    Sunshine Hours
    1,836h/yr-231h/yr(-11%)
    Hottest Month High
    32°C(vs 25°C in Toronto)
    Coldest Month Low
    14°C(vs -8°C in Toronto)
    Rainy Days
    109/yr+33/yr(+43%)

    Community & Quality

    Hong Kong community pulse

    Hong Kong has 5 Luma events listed.

    89% fewer events than Toronto.

    Community Events

    Middle of the pack

    #69

    of 124 cities

    5 events on luma

    Current value

    Purchasing Power

    Middle of the pack

    #79

    of 124 cities

    Pollution Score

    Bottom 24%

    #95

    of 124 cities

    66.3/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Cost of Living

    Bottom 17%

    #104

    of 124 cities

    68/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Comfortable Weather

    Bottom 16%

    #106

    of 124 cities

    24/100 weather score

    Current value

    Home Affordability

    Bottom 3%

    #121

    of 124 cities

    ≈28.2 yrs to buy 80m²

    Current value

    SWE Affordability
    28.2 years
    19.3 years longer than Toronto
    Muggy Days
    211/yr+192/yr(+1016%)
    Cloud Cover
    55%(vs 48% in Toronto)