Hong Kong New Caledonia

Updated 2026-05-04

Hong Kong

Minimum Wage

HK$42.10 /hr

$5.37 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

HK$20,500 /mo

New Caledonia

Minimum Wage

₣991.73 /hr

$7.04 USD

Min wage: -24% Hong Kong vs New Caledonia

Both high-income economies, Hong Kong and New Caledonia set comparable minimum wage floors in USD terms.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Hong Kong and New Caledonia
Metric	Hong Kong	New Caledonia	Diff
Minimum wage /hr	HK$42.10 $5.37	₣991.73 $7.04	-23.7%
Minimum wage /mo	HK$7,297 $931.08	₣167,602 $1,189.76	-21.7%
Minimum wage /yr	HK$87,568 $11,173.52	₣2,011,224 $14,277.08	-21.7%
Avg. gross salary /mo	HK$20,500 /mo $2,615.76	N/A/mo	—
Avg. net salary /mo	HK$19,475 /mo $2,484.98	N/A/mo	—
Median individual income /yr	HK$246,000 /yr $31,389.16	N/A/yr	—

Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Hong Kong is higher.

Work Week

Hong Kong: hrs/wk standard

Hong Kong has NO statutory standard working hours or maximum working hours for most employees (a rare situation globally). The government has considered legislation but has not enacted a standard hours law. Working hours are determined by individual employment contracts. Average actual working hours are ~40-44 hrs/week. Overtime pay is not legally mandated except for certain specific occupations.
New Caledonia: 39 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.25x pay

Standard workweek is 39 hours in New Caledonia (differs from metropolitan France's 35 hours). Overtime: 25% premium for hours 40-43, 50% premium beyond 43 hours.

• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/hr)

Hong Kong New Caledonia Source: wage.is · USD equivalent/hr

Year	Hong Kong (USD)	New Caledonia (USD)
2011	$3.57/hr	—
2013	$3.83/hr	—
2015	$4.15/hr	—
2017	$4.40/hr	—
2019	$4.78/hr	—
2023	$4.78/hr	$6.80/hr
2024	—	$6.93/hr
2025	$5.37/hr	$7.04/hr

What This Means for Workers

A minimum wage worker in Hong Kong earns 31% less per hour in USD terms than one in New Caledonia.

See this comparison from New Caledonia's perspective: New Caledonia vs Hong Kong

Compare Hong Kong with...

Hong Kong vs United States $ 7.25 /hr

Hong Kong vs China ¥ 25 /hr

Hong Kong vs Germany € 13.9 /hr

Hong Kong vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr

Hong Kong vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo

Hong Kong vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr

Hong Kong vs France € 12.02 /hr

Hong Kong vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr

Hong Kong vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr

Hong Kong vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr

Hong Kong vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr

Hong Kong vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr

Hong Kong vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo

Hong Kong vs Indonesia Rp 33,058 /hr

Hong Kong vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr

Hong Kong vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr

Hong Kong vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr

Hong Kong vs Taiwan NT$ 190 /hr

Hong Kong vs Switzerland

Hong Kong vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr

Hong Kong vs Thailand ฿ 10,400 /mo

Hong Kong vs Sweden

Hong Kong vs Argentina ARS 1,762 /hr

Hong Kong vs Singapore

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Hong Kong or New Caledonia?

In Hong Kong, the minimum wage is HK$42.10/hr ($5.37 USD). In New Caledonia, it is ₣991.73/hr ($7.04 USD). New Caledonia has the higher rate by 31% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Hong Kong may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.