Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $547 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong versus $547 in Badulla.

Hong Kong $3,050
Badulla $547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,786 in Hong Kong versus $883 in Badulla.

Hong Kong $4,786
Badulla $883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,522 in Hong Kong versus $1,219 in Badulla.

Hong Kong $6,522
Badulla $1,219

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 458% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 126% above, Badulla is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$3.84 LKR 1,275

117.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$24.93 LKR 8,288

154.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$7.54 LKR 2,506

-13.40%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.33

$2.47 LKR 823

108.50%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.68 LKR 227

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.27 LKR 90.5

318.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$2.26 LKR 752

242.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.62

$3.02 LKR 1,005

84.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.01

$1.62 LKR 539

81.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.91

$0.57 LKR 190

322.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$0.61 LKR 203

263.93%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.73

$1.65 LKR 548

106.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$15.15 LKR 5,036

53.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$3.70 LKR 1,230

134.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

$7.60 LKR 2,528

135.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.02

$6.61 LKR 2,198

-36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.89 LKR 296

189.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.68

$4.27 LKR 1,420

9.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.33

$1.26 LKR 420

217.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$1.09 LKR 362

192.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.79 LKR 261

313.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.29

$1.22 LKR 405

28.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.44

$0.46 LKR 152

271.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$10.15 LKR 3,374

31.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$13.31 LKR 4,426

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.87

$1.91 LKR 634

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$2.85 LKR 947

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 HK$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 HK$686

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.46

$0.41 LKR 136

817.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.33 LKR 111

293.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$0.87 LKR 288

1731.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.37 LKR 454

211.68%

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

$45.0K HK$352.7K

$42.8K LKR 14.2M

5.10%

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

$37.6K HK$294.8K

$46.1K LKR 15.3M

-18.43%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$56.2 LKR 18.7K

321.73%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$4.32 LKR 1,437

257.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$20.66 LKR 6,870

8.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$764

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$4.39 LKR 1,460

195.67%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$40.51 LKR 13.5K

3113.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$18.24 LKR 6,066

272.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$17.37 LKR 5,777

146.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$41.18 LKR 13.7K

194.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 HK$18.7K

$76.3 LKR 25.4K

3023.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 HK$14.1K

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

3941.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,695 HK$44.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,786 HK$29.7K

$89.8 LKR 29.9K

4114.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.8K HK$226.0K

$4,570 LKR 1.5M

530.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.9K HK$147.9K

$747 LKR 248.3K

2426.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

$222 LKR 73.6K

1342.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

12.5

-68.88%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Last update for Badulla: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Badulla

$44 8.1% 97.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Badulla

$237 43.3% 41.8% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Badulla

$81 14.9% 70.5% $194

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Badulla

$104 19.1% 49.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Badulla

$69 12.7% 50.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Badulla

$8.8 * 1.6% 92.9% $115

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Badulla

$2.1 * 0.4% 98% $101

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,385 in Hong Kong and $76 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Hong Kong vs $25 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $237 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

110,000

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.128 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.128 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Badulla 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Badulla

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

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

Badulla is about 82% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Hong Kong is about 14 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,385 in Hong Kong versus $76 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,302 in Hong Kong versus $41 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – 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.

At $547 in Badulla versus $3,050 in Hong Kong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hong Kong and Badulla are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Badulla wins on affordability, Hong Kong on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.