Moving to India from Hong Kong
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hong Kong to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Hong Kong to India, you would find that India is 85.9% cheaper than Hong Kong overall. A HK$590,000 salary in Hong Kong would need to be roughly ₹1,030,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Delhi averages 88°F vs 79°F in Hong Kong, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hong Kong to India.
What does your salary buy?
HK$590,000 → ₹1,030,000
To maintain the same standard of living in India
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 67.4% less
Groceries
pay 80.0% less
Transportation
pay 79.6% less
Housing
pay 93.4% less
Childcare
pay 94.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Hong Kong and India stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Hong Kong performs better than India across all safety metrics.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
India performs significantly better than Hong Kong across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Hong Kong performs better than India across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Hong Kong performs better than India across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Hong Kong generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2011–2022), Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Hong Kong | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 68°/61°F (20°/16°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/75°F (28°/24°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/80°F (31°/27°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/68°F (24°/20°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Hong Kong | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 67°/60°F (19.4°/15.3°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 71°/64°F (21.9°/17.6°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/70°F (25.6°/21.1°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 84°/76°F (28.8°/24.5°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/80°F (30.7°/26.5°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/80°F (31.6°/26.9°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 88°/80°F (31.3°/26.7°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/79°F (30.5°/26.1°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 83°/75°F (28.1°/23.9°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/69°F (24.5°/20.3°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 69°/61°F (20.4°/16.2°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Hong Kong Observatory,
India Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Hong Kong and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
Hong Kong passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holder visiting Hong Kong
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in India than Hong Kong?
Generally yes: India runs about 86% cheaper than Hong Kong on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to India?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a HK$590,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹257,500 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from India?
With 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Hong Kong and India.
Is India safe for expats?
Hong Kong performs better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.4 in Hong Kong.
What's the weather like in India compared to Hong Kong?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 79°F in Hong Kong. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Hong Kong gets 95.7 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In Hong Kong, the official languages are Chinese and English.
