Hong Kong - Asias World City, Not As Expensive As You Think! Top Budget Tips

Hong Kong prides itself on being Asia’s world city and it really is one of the best placed to visit if you’re planning a trip to asia. The city is incredibly diverse and has so many cultures and traditions, along with a super modern skyline and is a bustling hub for shopping and eating. Having visited many times I have found ways to explore the city on a budget while still enjoying it!

⭐️ Airport - Arriving at the airport and heading to the city the best way is the airport express train. It runs to Kowloon and Central Hong Kong in 26 minutes and runs every 8 minutes. Taxis from the airport can be very expensive and are known to take advantage of travelers. If you really want a taxi book via uber, the only ride sharing app you can use here.

⭐️ Hotels - Hotels in HK can be very expensive and have very small rooms, especially around HK harbour as you are paying for the view of the harbour. I advise staying further away from the area as hotels are cheper and are always close to a metro station - I would recommend Kai Tak / Sheung Wan / Causeway Bay / Jordan for budget hotels.

Also be careful booking hotels, there are multiple hotels in HK with very similar names but at very different locations. S double check the full name in English before you book!

⭐️ Transport - The MTR in Hong Kong is amazing and one of the most used public transport networks in the world, it covers around 80% of HK and everywhere a tourist would want to go. It can be more expensive than other Asian cities for the MTR but it is very efficient, if you want to save a bit of money the trams on Hong Kong island are very cheap along with the star ferry to cross the harbour!

Avoid red taxis in general, they’re very unreliable and are known to cheat tourists.

⭐️ Octopus Card - This is a prepaid card you can top up with cash or via your phone. You can use it for all public transport along with convenience stores such as 7/11 and fast food places such as McDonalds. It’s very easy to use and a good way of tracking your budget.

⭐️ Food - Hong Kong has an incredible range of food options and some can be super expensive such as sushi, dim sum and Cantonese but there are ways of saving money. There are local chains such as cafe coral, fairwood and maxim’s that offer a taste of HK at a fraction of the price. If you want street food and clay pot rice head to the markets of Mong Kok and Jordan.

Overall HK is very doable on a budget but it does take a lot of planning, my best tip is to make sure you have planned your day before you leave the hotel to make sure everyting is in order. Also book as much as possible head on trip to avoid queus to buy tickets - you can also save money and get combo deals booking ahead!

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Post by Jamie Daniel Ali | Jun 8, 2025