Exploring Hong Kong with only S$25: Travelling on a tight budget

Join LIM JING JIE as he goes on a day tour to one of the most expensive cities for tourists, while on a budget.

BY
Lim Jing Jie

Social Media Head

Hype Issue #60

Published on
January 21, 2025

Bright streetlights, massive skyscrapers, and bustling streets; all hallmarks of the most expensive city in the world: Hong Kong. Ranked 7th in the most expensive cities in the world, Hong Kong beats other places such as Paris and London when it comes to the cost of living. And so, I stood on the streets of this city, with the challenge of surviving a day with just SGD$25 in my pockets.

The task, given to me by the HYPE team, wasn’t just about scraping by; it was about crafting an entire 24-hour itinerary that would allow me to experience the city’s vibrant culture, all while staying within this impossibly tight budget. 

And so, my trip began. Coincidentally, my challenge started on Boxing Day, a Public Holiday in Hong Kong, and the first place I headed to was Tsim Sha Tsui, which offered an abundance of malls, shops, and of course, food. It was a short two-stop train ride from my accommodation at Yau Ma Tei, costing a mere HK$4.90 (S$0.86). 

Stepping onto the street level, I was immediately greeted by a wide variety of street-food options to choose from. The fragrance of egg waffles emitting from a nearby stall captured my attention, and that ended up becoming breakfast for the day for just HK$20 (S$3.50). If you fancy a more savoury and spicy dish, curry fish balls are also an option, at the same price for 10 pieces.

Egg waffles and curry fish balls from a street food stall in Hong Kong. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

Besides street food, Tsim Sha Tsui is an ideal location to do your shopping, with malls such as K11 ARTMALL, iSQUARE, and the famous Harbour City with more than 450 shops just a stone’s throw away from the train station.

A must-visit if you are looking for delicious biscuits is Glory Bakery. Claiming to make all their cookies by hand using Chinese rice flour instead of eggs, the biscuits are guaranteed to be fresh and crunchy. Bakedin many different sizes, they make the perfect gift. As they are freshly made and contain no preservatives, the biscuits have a slightly shorter shelf life when compared to other commercial products.

Glory Bakery, a famous spot for tourists to get their souvenirs. Photo from OpenRice.

While I was weaving through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui for more places to shop, the fragrance of roasted meat from a nearby store infiltrated my nostrils, and I was instantly drawn to it. This store, Ki’s Roasted Goose, was incredibly packed; I had to wait for 10 minutes just to get a seat.

Ki’s Roasted Goose, located in Tsim Sha Tsui, was fully packed at lunchtime. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

Having loved roasted treats since childhood, I was keen to try out both the roasted pork and goose, the store’s signature dishes. However, these delicacies were sadly out of my budget, and I had to settle for something cheaper. Instead, I went for their hand-shredded salted chicken rice for my lunch, which cost HK$63 ($11.06).

Shredded salted chicken rice for lunch, with its undesirable presentation. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

This photo was taken right after it was served, and clearly, its first appearance was slightly unappetising; it looked like it was hastily thrown together and sent out in a hurry.

However, don’t be quick to judge as the flavour fully compensates for its rather undesirable presentation. The hand-shredded salted chicken was packed with flavour, and incredibly well-seasoned. 

The soft and tender meat, and the slight tinge of saltiness, only increased my ferocious appetite. And if the saltiness had become slightly overwhelming, there was a hearty portion of fragrant white rice served to offset the saltiness. Overall, it was a very savoury and enjoyable dish, but alas, I still wished I had gone for their signature roasted pork and goose. Perhaps I’ll do just that when I visit Hong Kong again, with a healthier budget. 

Tsim Sha Tsui is also home to the famous Star Ferry Pier, which was the main form of transport from Kowloon Island to Hong Kong Island until the opening of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in 1972. While the majority of people today make the crossing by car or via public transport, this boat ride remains a scenic and breezy alternative. With two main boat routes to either Central Hong Kong or Wan Chai, I chose to take the latter, costing HK$6.50 (S$1.14).

The Northern Star Boat at Wan Chai Port. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

If you are lucky enough to get a window seat, stick your head out and enjoy the cool breeze caressing your face as the boat travels its short 10-minute journey across the harbour. On a less foggy day, you could enjoy a better view of the wonderful skyline of Hong Kong island, with its towering skyscrapers, as well as the International Financial Centre (IFC) located in  Central Hong Kong. The view of the skyline only gets better when darkness falls and the colourful lights of each building light up the night sky.

The iconic skyline of skyscrapers at Hong Kong Island. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

For tourists like myself, the more popular route is the one to Central Hong Kong. There, you can find a direct connection to the IFC Mall, one of the largest in Hong Kong, as well as the famous Central-Mid-Level Escalators, which is the longest covered escalator system in the world, at over 800 metres in length and about 135 metres in elevation.

Disembarking at Wan Chai, there was not much around immediately. I walked around for a bit and found nothing more than a train station, a sports complex and a rundown mall with most of its shops shuttered. Dejected, I then walked slightly further away from the pier and explored Hong Kong’s tramways system.

The non-air conditioned trams running in Hong Kong. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

Running across the centre of Hong Kong roads, you can easily hear these trams from afar: The non-air conditioned trams cost just HK$3 (S$0.53), and their iconic ding-ding bell chimes while in motion. 

With there being not much else to do here, I decided to head into Causeway Bay instead, a place with more shopping and places to visit. To say there were a lot of people would be an understatement, as it was a stark contrast to  Wan Chai — the streets were packed full of people patronising the plethora of stores available.

Large crowds at Causeway Bay at dinner time. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

For the last meal of the day, I decided to keep it light, a decision made partly due to my budget. I headed back towards IFC and saw a Japanese Onigiri store, Omusubi, with a decent queue. I opted for the salmon flake onigiri and the simmered clam in soy sauce mixed rice, totalling HK$44 (S$7.72).

The portion was hearty, bigger than what we normally see in stores like 7-11 in Singapore. Since there was a queue, most of the items were quickly snatched up, but also steadily replenished by the staff, ensuring the freshness of the onigiris.

Onigiris for dinner at IFC Mall. Photo by Lim Jing Jie.

I have to be honest, I did not think that this would be possible, especially in one of the countries with the highest cost of travel. And even if it was possible, I would have had to have the appetite of an ant. After the whole day, I was surprised to have only spent HK$141.40, converted to just S$24.83, and for most of it, I barely felt the challenge of the tight budget.

Looking back, I enjoyed the fun of scrimping and saving in a foreign land, it made my travel experience all the more meaningful. Instead of spending most of my time in shopping centres or just staying in the hotel, I was able to visit places that most travel websites and videos fail to mention, and embrace the warmth and liveliness of Hong Kong. 

Even though I have been to Hong Kong multiple times and was aware of the cost of travel here, I uncovered through this challenge that there is a whole other side to this bustling country that can be enjoyed on a budget. There are definitely a few more must-visit spots to add to Hong Kong, and if Hong Kong is on your list of countries to visit soon, do check out these cheaper, lesser-known places too!