MTR vs Bus Advertising in Hong Kong - Which one is better in 2025?

05/07/2025 Katrina Leung Optimize your media budgets

In a dense city like Hong Kong, where millions of people rely on public transportation daily, out-of-home (OOH) advertising remains one of the most effective ways to reach a wide audience. According to the Transport Department, over 12 million public transport journeys are made every day, and MTR and buses account for the largest portion of this movement. In this article, we’ll compare two key players in OOH advertising—Bus Advertising and MTR Advertising—focusing on their formats, costs, and effectiveness in 2025.

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Bus Advertising Format Overview
Bus Advertising Cost
MTR Advertising Format Overview
MTR Advertising Cost in 2025
Bus vs MTR: What's the Better Option in 2025?
Unique Selling Points: MTR and Bus Advertising in 2025

2025 MTR vs. Bus Advertising: Key Summary 📝

👥 Audience Reach

MTR Advertising: Over 4.9 million daily passengers, ideal for reaching a mass market.
Bus Advertising: Buses travel through various districts, reaching passengers, pedestrians, and drivers, for a wider audience.

💰 Ad Formats & Pricing (Reference)

MTR: Various formats, including lightboxes, stickers, and digital screens. Prices have a wide range, for example, lightboxes are about HK$15,000 - $32,000+, and station stickers can be as high as HK$400,000+.\ \ \\30,000 - 56,000,andpartialwrapscanbeaslowasHK2,500.

✅ Ad Advantages

MTR Advertising: Passengers have fewer external distractions while waiting, allowing for greater focus and more effective attention-grabbing.
Bus Advertising: Bus interiors are often more spacious than MTRs, giving passengers more room and time to view ads.

Overall, MTR advertising is suitable for large-scale promotions that require high exposure, while bus advertising is suitable for brands that want to reach a wider audience, including pedestrians.

Bus Advertising Format Overview

Source: Golden Age Foundation x Adintime

Hong Kong’s bustling streets are filled with buses owned by companies like KMB & LWB and Citybus. These buses offer various ad placement opportunities such as bus body advertising, interior bus ads, and bus stop advertising. Businesses choose to advertise on bus to reach both commuters and the thousands of pedestrians who see transits in motion across different neighborhoods.

Bus Advertising Cost

Here’s a 2025 updated overview of bus advertising cost in Hong Kong:

Ad Format	4-Week Estimated Price Range Per Bus (production cost not included)
Whole Bus	HK$36,000 to $70,000 (depending on double or single deck and bus top coverage)
Partial Bus Body	HK$3,500 to $46,000+ (depending on format/placement/size)
Interior Ads	HK$2,000 to $25,000 (depending on format)

What about bus stop advertising cost?

Depending on the format and location, bus shelter ads can range anywhere from HK$3,000 to $150,000+ per 4 weeks or HK$200,000+ per 2 weeks for digital screens.

Remember, these are just estimated figures for reference. Bus advertising cost is subject to change by the media company and can vary based on season, project, and campaign duration. Adintime ad experts can help you negotiate for the best rates. Contact us here now!

See all bus ad options here

What is advertising?

Top 5 Best Advertisers in Hong Kong in 2023

Citybus Advertising

Hong Kong

KMB/LWB

Hong Kong

Bus Shelter Advertising

Hong Kong

Citybus Digital Network

Hong Kong

MTR Advertising Format Overview

The MTR network consists of 11 lines, serving as the most popular Hong Kong’s public transportation system. With over 4.9 million daily journeys (up from 4.2 million in 2024), the MTR offers substantial exposure for advertisers. MTR ads includes station ads like lightbox posters, sticker ads, and escalator crown panels, digital panels, wall posters, as well as train advertisements such as interior posters or full train wraps.

MTR Advertising Cost in 2025

There are numerous types of MTR ads. Here are the average campaign costs for a few format examples:

Ad Format	Estimated Price Range Per 4-Week Campaign (production cost included)
Lightbox/Poster	HK$15,000 to $32,000+ (depending on location, number of panels, etc.)
Station Sticker	HK$5,500 to $400,000+ (depending on format, placement, and size)
In-train Ads	HK$26,000 - HK$125,000 (depending on format and number of trains)

Again, these ranges are only for reference. How much your campaign will actually be depends on location, season, number of buys, campaign duration, and media companies' rate changes.

Want to see 2025 MTR advertising rate card? Click here!

12-Sheet Lightbox

Hong Kong

MTR Escalator Poster

Hong Kong

In-Train Stickers

Hong Kong

MTR Exit Wall Sticker

Hong Kong

Bus vs MTR: What’s the Better Option in 2025?

Advantages of Bus Advertising Over MTR

Wider Audience Scope: Bus body advertisements are visible to both passengers and the general public as buses travel through multiple districts. This allows advertisers to target a wider range of audiences, including pedestrians and motorists.
Less Crowded Environments: Compared to the crowded conditions in the MTR, bus passengers often have more space and time to engage with bus interior ads, particularly with back-of-the-seat placements.

Advantages of MTR Advertising Over Bus Advertising

More Passengers: With over 4.9 million daily trips, the MTR offers the largest public transport patronage in Hong Kong, making it ideal for mass-market campaigns.
Focused Attention: MTR advertising faces passengers directly while they wait for trains, with fewer distractions from external views, making it easier to capture attention.

Bonus read:

Transit advertising in Hong Kong

Marketing Strategy in Hong Kong

2025 Marketing Calendar

FOOH

Unique Selling Points: MTR and Bus Advertising in 2025

MTR	Bus
Highest daily patronage with over 4.9 million trips	Mobile advertising that covers multiple districts
Directly faces passengers waiting on platforms	Targets both bus passengers and pedestrians/other road users
Less external distractions, keeping focus on ads	Less crowded environment for interior ads

Source: https://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/transport_figures/monthly_traffic_and_transport_digest/2023/202301/index.html

https://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_4885/chart21.pdf