71,000 Hong Kong households are spending under HK$15 per meal, study shows

Ask a Hongkonger what the best thing to do in the city is if you’re visiting, and the answer is usually a toss-up between shopping and eating — for good reason. Hong Kong is a well-known foodie hub, with a wide variety of cuisines to enjoy and more new restaurants opening than anyone can reasonably keep up with.

But not everyone in the city can afford to enjoy the culinary delights the city has to offer. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service recently conducted a study that reveals as many as 71,000 households survive on as little as $15 per person per meal. (One should spend at least HK$15 on food to ensure adequate nutrition, according to Oxfam.) Low income households without social security or access to public housing are hit particularly hard, cutting their spending on food to keep up with rent costs.

Meanwhile, trendy cocktails cost $150 a pop. Hong Kong — a city of extremes.