Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $612 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)
Kalutara, Sri Lanka
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,050
/mo nomad
Kalutara
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$612
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $612 in Kalutara, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $3,050
  • Kalutara $612

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $896 in Kalutara, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,786
  • Kalutara $896

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,179 in Kalutara, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,522
  • Kalutara $1,179

Hong Kong costs about 398% more than Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Kalutara is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.37 HK$65.6
$3.86 LKR 1,285
116.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.4 HK$497
$24.82 LKR 8,252
155.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.53 HK$51.2
$7.38 LKR 2,453
-11.52%
Cappuccino
$5.15 HK$40.32
$2.43 LKR 807
111.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 HK$10.80
$0.68 LKR 228
102.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 HK$8.86
$0.25 LKR 82.5
352.00%
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$43.61
$2.98 LKR 991
86.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.94 HK$23.00
$1.62 LKR 537
81.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 HK$18.90
$0.54 LKR 179
346.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 HK$17.41
$0.75 LKR 249
196.00%
Eggs
$3.41 HK$26.72
$1.68 LKR 560
102.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.18 HK$182
$15.02 LKR 4,994
54.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.67 HK$68.0
$4.98 LKR 1,655
74.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 HK$140
$7.47 LKR 2,485
139.63%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 HK$33.01
$6.67 LKR 2,217
-36.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.58 HK$20.19
$0.87 LKR 290
196.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.68 HK$36.67
$4.10 LKR 1,363
14.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.00 HK$31.32
$1.33 LKR 441
200.75%
Potato (1kg)
$3.19 HK$24.98
$1.08 LKR 358
195.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.27 HK$25.60
$0.84 LKR 279
289.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 HK$12.28
$1.21 LKR 402
29.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 HK$13.43
$0.46 LKR 152
271.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.33 HK$105
$10.41 LKR 3,460
28.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.56 HK$122
$13.48 LKR 4,484
15.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 HK$15.86
$1.95 LKR 649
3.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 HK$17.83
$2.95 LKR 980
-22.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.23 HK$9.67
$0.13 LKR 44.22
846.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.6 HK$686
$9.00 LKR 2,993
873.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 HK$29.45
$0.37 LKR 123
916.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 HK$10.19
$0.18 LKR 58.6
622.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.93 HK$125
$0.94 LKR 313
1594.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.27 HK$33.48
$1.38 LKR 459
209.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.0K HK$352.6K
$44.4K LKR 14.8M
1.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K HK$294.7K
$44.8K LKR 14.9M
-16.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 HK$1,859
$56.8 LKR 18.9K
317.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.46 HK$121
$4.19 LKR 1,393
268.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.46 HK$176
$21.12 LKR 7,024
6.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$97.4 HK$763
$9.19 LKR 3,056
960.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.02 HK$70.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.98 HK$102
$4.61 LKR 1,534
181.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,302 HK$10.2K
$40.52 LKR 13.5K
3113.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.3K HK$237.2K
$17.1K LKR 5.7M
77.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$533
$17.99 LKR 5,981
277.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.80 HK$335
$17.26 LKR 5,740
147.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.3 HK$637
$77.9 LKR 25.9K
4.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 HK$949
$40.87 LKR 13.6K
196.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,385 HK$18.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,794 HK$14.1K
$85.5 LKR 28.4K
1997.59%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong
Kalutara
Difference
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 Kalutara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.8K
Kalutara
$86 95.2% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$407
Kalutara
$243 40.2% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$275
Kalutara
$82 70.2% $193
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$208
Kalutara
$103 50.4% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$141
Kalutara
$69 50.8% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$123
Kalutara
$18 85.1% $105
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$103
Kalutara
$11 89.5% $92

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $25 in Kalutara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $243 – making Kalutara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇱🇰 Kalutara
🕒 Local time
23:28 11:28 PM
20:58 8:58 PM
2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
39,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Kalutara 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Kalutara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $612 in Kalutara – Kalutara comes out roughly 80% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Kalutara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $919 in Kalutara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $25 in Kalutara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hong Kong or Kalutara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,050 in Hong Kong and $612 in Kalutara. That makes Kalutara about 80% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kalutara, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Kalutara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should digital nomads live: Hong Kong or Kalutara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalutara costs $612 versus $3,050 in Hong Kong. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Hong Kong or Kalutara safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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