Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $811 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Hong Kong

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colombo and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $811 in Colombo versus $3,050 in Hong Kong.

Colombo $811
Hong Kong $3,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Colombo versus $4,786 in Hong Kong.

Colombo $1,298
Hong Kong $4,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,785 in Colombo versus $6,522 in Hong Kong.

Colombo $1,785
Hong Kong $6,522

Living in Colombo costs roughly 73% less than in Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colombo is 40% below, Hong Kong is 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$8.37 HK$65.6

-53.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,174

$63.4 HK$497

-61.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$6.53 HK$51.2

13.17%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$5.15 HK$40.36

-52.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LKR 222

$1.38 HK$10.81

-51.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$1.13 HK$8.87

-77.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$7.73 HK$60.7

-72.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,006

$5.56 HK$43.65

-45.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$2.94 HK$23.03

-46.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$2.41 HK$18.92

-78.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$2.22 HK$17.43

-63.51%

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$3.41 HK$26.75

-52.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,033

$23.18 HK$182

-34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$8.67 HK$68.0

-40.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,546

$17.90 HK$140

-57.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,200

$4.21 HK$33.04

57.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 292

$2.58 HK$20.21

-65.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,381

$4.68 HK$36.71

-11.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$4.00 HK$31.35

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$3.19 HK$25.00

-67.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$3.27 HK$25.62

-74.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.57 HK$12.30

-22.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$1.71 HK$13.45

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,337

$13.33 HK$105

-24.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,553

$15.56 HK$122

-12.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.02 HK$15.88

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$2.28 HK$17.85

30.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

$1.23 HK$9.68

-85.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,708

$87.6 HK$687

-90.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$3.76 HK$29.49

-90.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 111

$1.30 HK$10.20

-73.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$15.93 HK$125

-94.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 439

$4.27 HK$33.51

-69.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$45.0K HK$353.0K

-3.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$37.6K HK$295.0K

19.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$237 HK$1,861

-75.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$15.46 HK$121

-72.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

$22.46 HK$176

-8.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,773

$97.4 HK$764

-79.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,042

$9.02 HK$70.7

-31.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 LKR 1,541

$12.98 HK$102

-64.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$1,302 HK$10.2K

-96.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$30.3K HK$237.4K

-43.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,025

$68.0 HK$533

-73.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,766

$42.80 HK$336

-59.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$81.3 HK$638

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$121 HK$950

-65.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

$2,385 HK$18.7K

-76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

$1,794 HK$14.1K

-84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.2K

$5,695 HK$44.7K

-70.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.0K

$3,786 HK$29.7K

-84.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

$28.8K HK$226.2K

-87.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.1K

$18.9K HK$148.0K

-93.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

$3,194 HK$25.1K

-92.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

3.89

221.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8% 562% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Hong Kong

$407 13.3% 66.5% $162

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Hong Kong

$208 6.8% 102% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Hong Kong

$275 9% 233% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Hong Kong

$141 4.6% 103% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Hong Kong

$123 4% 316% $94

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Hong Kong

$103 3.4% 843% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Colombo and $2,385 in Hong Kong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $63 in Hong Kong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $407 per month, with Colombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.81 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Colombo Hong Kong 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Hong Kong

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Colombo vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Colombo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $565 in Colombo versus $2,385 in Hong Kong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Hong Kong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25 versus $63 in Hong Kong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value at $811 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.