Comparing Airbnb Cost and Size in Asia: Hong Kong vs Seoul vs Tokyo

Airbnb Experiences: HK, Seoul, and Tokyo

I recently took a solo trip to HK, Seoul, and Tokyo, and stayed in Airbnbs at each location. Across the cities, the two main differences I noticed in regards to accommodation were size and cost. Keep in mind, this was a solo trip, making accommodation costs higher, in comparisons to splitting the cost with a group. Read more about my takeaways below!

COST:

Heres’s an overview of accommodation costs in each city, organized from least to most expensive. This should give you insight into how expensive or affordable each location is.

Seoul

In my experience when comparing Seoul, HK, and Tokyo, accommodation in Seoul was the most affordable, spacious, and centrally located.

Hong Kong

Compared to Seoul and Tokyo, accommodation costs in Hong Kong was in the middle, more expensive than Seoul but a little less expensive than Tokyo. Similar to Seoul, there were more affordable Airbnb’s in centrally located areas (Kowloon, etc), in comparisons to Tokyo. 

Tokyo

Of all the three, accommodation in Tokyo was the most expensive and most challenging to find affordable priced apartments in central areas.

SIZE AND SPACIOUSNESS:

Heres’s an overview of accommodation size and spaciousness in each city, organized from least to most spacious. Similarly, this should help provide insight into accommodation size in each location.

Hong Kong

If you’re not familiar with HK’s layout, it is divided into the island (HK Island) and Mainland, which is connected to Mainland China. The central areas of the island and mainland are heavily populated. There is limited space and as a result accommodation is very expensive. The architecture style is to build upwards, in order to maximize space and create more housing options.

There are a lot of Apartments buildings and sky scrapers but the apartments are small and lack space. It reminds me of New York City, high real estate costs and tiny apartments.

When I was searching there were a lot of Airbnb options, however it took more time to find an apartment that was a great fit due to my budget and the location I wanted to be in. I luckily found a centrally located room in an apartment on HK island (Wan Chai), at an affordable price. The Airbnb was put up by a Scottish woman who had been working as a teacher in HK for 4 years. The apartment was a two bedroom walkup, with a living room, and very small bathroom and kitchen (both the norm). It was clean, comfortable, and I felt at home. When comparing Airbnb apartment sizes across the various cities, HK apartments had the most limited space.

Tokyo

Finding an Airbnb in Tokyo was the most challenging due to cost (particularly for a solo traveler) and location. The Airbnbs were expensive, especially in more sought out and central locations, which is crucial because Tokyo is LARGE. Similar to major cities like Hk and NYC, central Tokyo has limited land, which has to satisfy a large working and visiting population.

I found an Airbnb in the Chuo Area, home to the former fish market and walking distance to Ginza. My Airbnb was a self contained studio with its own kitchen and bathroom.

The Airbnb was actually a Guest House, consisting of different apartments. During the time period I was visiting Tokyo, there were laws and restrictions against locals listing their place on Airbnb, causing cancellations in traveler bookings. The bookings that were being honored were guesthouse or hotel listings, which is how I ended up booking with the guesthouse. When comparing apartment sizes in Tokyo, to those in HK and Seoul, apartments in Tokyo were in the middle, small to mid-sized, but much more expensive.

To elaborate on how expensive Tokyo was….the cost of the Guesthouse for a week, was the cost of my accommodation in Seoul and HK combined (LOL). 

Seoul

Finding an Airbnb in Seoul was the easiest due to city size and cost. If you’re not familiar with the city, Seoul is large, spacious, made up of different vast neighborhoods, and is affordable.

My Airbnb host was a Korean woman from Busan who moved to Seoul for work. The apartment was a three bedroom two bathroom walkup, with a huge living room, dining, kitchen, and balcony area. The apartment was located in a great area close to Itaewon and in close proximity to public transportation. My total stay for 6 days costs less than my Airbnb for 3 days in Hong Kong (JUST IMAGINE THAT). When comparing apartment sizes in Seoul to those in HK and Tokyo, apartments in Seoul were most spacious.

As you plan your next trip through East Asia, hope this articles helps shed light on Airbnb costs and sizes in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Japan!