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Food kiosks and inexpensive Chinese restaurants abound. Fast food chains are competitive in Hong Kong. Lunchtime, all-you-can-eat buffets are also fairly common, or head to the Indian restaurants upstairs in Chungking Mansions.

Most bars offer long happy hours or promotions before a certain time of evening. Drink is free for women on certain nights at numerous bars. On race nights, soak up the atmosphere and some cheap beer at Happy Valley horseracing track (see Happy Valley Races).

There are plenty of options for cheap days out. Walk Hong Kong’s wilderness trails (see Walking Routes and Promenades), nose around the market at Stanley (see Market), or walk the Dragon’s Back path to Shek O (see Shek O). It need only cost the return bus fare and the price of a cheap lunch, which you can sleep off on the beach.

For dizzying views atop some of the world’s tallest buildings head to the free viewing galleries on the 47th floor of the Bank of China Building in Central (see Bank of China) and the 46th floor of Wanchai’s Central Plaza. Hong Kong’s museums and galleries are incredibly cheap to visit, but all have a free day each week and some are free all week.

Hong Kong Park, which includes the excellent walk-through Edward Youde Aviary, and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens nearby are well worth a visit and are completely free.

Learn the slow, graceful, health-promoting moves of the traditional Chinese martial art Tai Chi for free under the Tsim Sha Tsui clocktower early on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (see Practise Tai Chi).

Hong Kong’s many temples are free (although some change for the collection box is appreciated). Try the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, the Tin Hau Temple off Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei (see Kowloon – Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward) or the Wong Tai Sin Temple in eastern Kowloon (see Wong Tai Sin Temple).

Local telephone calls are usually free. Some hotel lobbies have telephones for free local calls. Internet access is plentiful, fast and free at the Convention Centre’s Business Centre and at the Causeway Bay Main Library.

For free music head to the foyer of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on Thursday lunchtimes and some Saturdays. The Fringe Club hosts free live music from local and visiting bands on certain weekends. Free exhibitions of local artists’ and photographers’ work are always on at the Hong Kong Arts Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.

For central and cheap, if admittedly sometimes nasty, accommodation, try the labyrinthine Chungking Mansions or its grubby little sister Mirador Mansions, both on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Also consider the YMCA and Youth Hostel Association (see Accomodation Tips, Value-for-Money Hotels & Cheap Sleeps).