Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $777 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
Learn more

Bentota Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bentota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong versus $777 in Bentota.

Hong Kong $3,050
Bentota $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,786 in Hong Kong versus $896 in Bentota.

Hong Kong $4,786
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,522 in Hong Kong versus $1,014 in Bentota.

Hong Kong $6,522
Bentota $1,014

Living in Hong Kong is roughly 292% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hong Kong is 126% above, Bentota is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$3.78 LKR 1,257

121.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$12.00 LKR 3,991

428.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$7.36 LKR 2,446

-11.28%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.33

$2.47 LKR 822

108.50%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.71 LKR 236

94.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.25 LKR 83.0

352.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$2.19 LKR 728

252.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.62

$3.10 LKR 1,030

79.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.01

$1.57 LKR 523

87.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.91

$0.52 LKR 174

363.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$0.80 LKR 267

177.50%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.73

$1.65 LKR 549

106.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$15.18 LKR 5,047

52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$3.36 LKR 1,118

158.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

$4.47 LKR 1,487

300.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.02

$6.76 LKR 2,246

-37.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.76 LKR 254

239.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.68

$4.08 LKR 1,355

14.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.33

$0.86 LKR 287

365.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$1.07 LKR 357

198.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.82 LKR 274

298.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.29

$1.21 LKR 402

29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.44

$0.42 LKR 139

307.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$10.06 LKR 3,346

32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$13.69 LKR 4,552

13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.87

$1.90 LKR 630

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$2.87 LKR 956

-20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 HK$9.67

$0.19 LKR 62.4

547.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 HK$686

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.46

$0.38 LKR 126

889.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.29 LKR 96.3

348.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$0.93 LKR 308

1612.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.39 LKR 461

207.19%

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

$45.0K HK$352.7K

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

2.15%

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

$37.6K HK$294.8K

$45.0K LKR 15.0M

-16.41%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$57.4 LKR 19.1K

313.57%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$2.32 LKR 770

566.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$8.88 LKR 2,951

152.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$764

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$4.59 LKR 1,525

182.79%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$40.65 LKR 13.5K

3102.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

73.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$18.34 LKR 6,099

270.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$17.33 LKR 5,761

146.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

191.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 HK$18.7K

$546 LKR 181.6K

336.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 HK$14.1K

$302 LKR 100.3K

494.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,695 HK$44.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,786 HK$29.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.8K HK$226.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$18.9K HK$147.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

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 Bentota: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Bentota

$302 38.8% 83.2% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Bentota

$223 28.7% 45.2% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Bentota

$69 8.8% 75.1% $207

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Bentota

$103 13.2% 50.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Bentota

$70 9% 50.6% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Bentota

$9.2 * 1.2% 92.6% $114

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Bentota

$2.6 * 0.3% 97.5% $100

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 $546 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Hong Kong vs $12 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $223 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

09:55 9:55 AM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

37,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Bentota 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Bentota

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,576 in Hong Kong and $1,166 in Bentota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,385 in Hong Kong versus $546 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Hong Kong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,050 per month in Hong Kong versus $777 in Bentota – Bentota is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $777 in Bentota versus $3,050 in Hong Kong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota 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.