Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kandana

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandana: $509 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)
Kandana, Sri Lanka
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,050
/mo nomad
Kandana
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$509
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $509 in Kandana, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $3,050
  • Kandana $509

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $827 in Kandana, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $4,786
  • Kandana $827

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,145 in Kandana, rent included.

  • Hong Kong $6,522
  • Kandana $1,145

Hong Kong costs about 499% more than Kandana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Kandana is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.37 HK$65.6
$3.76 LKR 1,251
122.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.4 HK$497
$25.18 LKR 8,375
151.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.53 HK$51.2
$7.45 LKR 2,476
-12.35%
Cappuccino
$5.15 HK$40.32
$2.43 LKR 808
111.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 HK$10.80
$0.72 LKR 238
91.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 HK$8.86
$0.27 LKR 90.6
318.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.73 HK$60.6
$2.18 LKR 725
254.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 HK$43.61
$3.08 LKR 1,024
80.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.94 HK$23.00
$1.58 LKR 526
86.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 HK$18.90
$0.54 LKR 178
346.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 HK$17.41
$0.75 LKR 248
196.00%
Eggs
$3.41 HK$26.72
$1.65 LKR 548
106.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.18 HK$182
$15.19 LKR 5,050
52.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.67 HK$68.0
$4.88 LKR 1,622
77.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 HK$140
$7.76 LKR 2,580
130.67%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 HK$33.01
$6.73 LKR 2,238
-37.44%
Banana (1kg)
$2.58 HK$20.19
$0.82 LKR 273
214.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.68 HK$36.67
$4.11 LKR 1,368
13.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.00 HK$31.32
$1.28 LKR 426
212.50%
Potato (1kg)
$3.19 HK$24.98
$1.03 LKR 343
209.71%
Onion (1kg)
$3.27 HK$25.60
$0.82 LKR 271
298.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 HK$12.28
$1.24 LKR 413
26.61%
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
$10.16 LKR 3,377
31.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.56 HK$122
$13.42 LKR 4,463
15.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 HK$15.86
$1.87 LKR 623
8.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 HK$17.83
$2.97 LKR 988
-23.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
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$29.45
$0.38 LKR 126
889.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 HK$10.19
$0.33 LKR 111
293.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.93 HK$125
$0.86 LKR 287
1752.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$4.27 HK$33.48
$1.37 LKR 457
211.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.0K HK$352.6K
$44.2K LKR 14.7M
1.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K HK$294.7K
$45.5K LKR 15.1M
-17.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 HK$1,859
$57.5 LKR 19.1K
312.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.46 HK$121
$4.30 LKR 1,430
259.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.46 HK$176
$20.55 LKR 6,834
9.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$97.4 HK$763
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.02 HK$70.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.98 HK$102
$4.45 LKR 1,480
191.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,302 HK$10.2K
$40.32 LKR 13.4K
3128.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.3K HK$237.2K
$17.2K LKR 5.7M
76.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.0 HK$533
$18.24 LKR 6,064
272.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.80 HK$335
$17.49 LKR 5,816
144.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.3 HK$637
$79.9 LKR 26.6K
1.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 HK$949
$40.94 LKR 13.6K
195.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
Kandana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,385 HK$18.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,794 HK$14.1K
-
-
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
Kandana
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 Kandana: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong
$1.8K
Kandana
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong
$407
Kandana
$243 40.3% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong
$275
Kandana
$82 70.1% $193
Eating Out
Hong Kong
$208
Kandana
$103 50.7% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong
$141
Kandana
$70 50% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong
$123
Kandana
$8.9 * 92.8% $114
Getting Around
Hong Kong
$103
Kandana
$2.1 * 98% $101

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🇱🇰 Kandana
🕒 Local time
03:46 3:46 AM
01:16 1:16 AM
2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,367,900 Capital
15,000
💱 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 = 8.76 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 = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong Kandana 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong
  • Kandana

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hong Kong and in Kandana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $509 in Kandana – Kandana comes out roughly 83% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Hong Kong compared to Kandana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $764 in Kandana. 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 Kandana. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 67% more in Hong Kong, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Kandana 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 Kandana?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kandana costs $509 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 Kandana 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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