PennyCompass

Hong Kong Monthly Budget Calculator

Build a monthly budget in Hong Kong dollars across rent, MPF, transport, savings and discretionary spending, with a 50/30/20 guide.

Published

A monthly budget after MPF, tax and your expenses.

Monthly surplus

MPF (monthly)

Salaries tax (monthly)

Net pay

Your breakdown

Updates live as you type
StepAmount (HKD)

Worked example

Take a single earner on HK$40,000 a month. The employee MPF contribution is 5 percent, which is HK$2,000 a month before the cap, but relevant income is capped at HK$30,000 so the contribution is HK$1,500 a month. Salaries tax is estimated on the annual figure of HK$480,000 less HK$18,000 of MPF, against the basic allowance, which works out to about HK$2,925 a month after the one-off Budget reduction. That leaves net pay of roughly HK$35,575 a month. Subtracting HK$15,000 of rent, rates and utilities, HK$4,000 of other fixed costs and HK$8,000 of variable spending, a total of HK$27,000, leaves a monthly surplus of about HK$8,575. The 50/30/20 guide would suggest directing around HK$7,115 of net pay to saving, so this budget is on track.

How it is calculated

The tool first turns gross pay into net pay by removing the two mandatory deductions. The MPF contribution is 5 percent of monthly relevant income, capped at HK$1,500 once income passes HK$30,000 a month, and the salaries tax is estimated on the annual income less the MPF, using the single basic allowance and the lower of the progressive and standard computations after the Budget reduction. Net pay is gross less MPF less that monthly tax. It then subtracts your rent, fixed costs and variable spending to find the monthly surplus, which is negative if you overspend. The 50/30/20 guide is offered as a reference, suggesting roughly half of net pay for needs, a third for wants and a fifth for saving, though Hong Kong rents often push the needs share higher.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 50/30/20 budget guide?
It splits take-home pay into roughly 50% needs (rent, food, transport, MPF), 30% wants (dining, leisure), and 20% savings or debt repayment. In Hong Kong, high rents often push the needs share above 50%, so treat it as a target rather than a rule. This tool deducts MPF and a single-allowance salaries tax estimate to reach net pay.
How is the MPF contribution calculated in this tool?
The tool applies the mandatory employee rate of 5 percent of monthly relevant income. Relevant income is capped at HK$30,000 per month, so the maximum employee contribution is HK$1,500 per month. Income below HK$7,100 per month is exempt from mandatory contributions, though voluntary contributions are still allowed.
Is the salaries tax estimate exact?
No, it is an approximation based on annualised gross income, minus MPF, assessed against the basic allowance using the 2025/26 progressive rates and the standard rate, with the one-off Budget reduction applied. It does not account for additional allowances such as married, dependent parent, or child allowances, so actual tax for many residents will be lower.
What counts as a fixed cost versus a variable cost in this calculator?
Fixed costs are regular monthly commitments that do not change much, such as insurance premiums, loan repayments, subscriptions, and domestic helper wages. Variable costs cover day-to-day discretionary spending such as food, dining out, entertainment, clothing, and personal care. Keeping them separate helps you identify which category to reduce if the surplus turns negative.

Related calculators

Sources

  1. Inland Revenue Department — Salaries Tax and Tax Rates, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
  2. MPFA — Mandatory Provident Fund Contributions, Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, Hong Kong
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