Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $498 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
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Kurunegala Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $498 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,050
Kurunegala $498

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $807 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,786
Kurunegala $807

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,116 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,522
Kurunegala $1,116

Hong Kong costs about 513% more than Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 126% above the global median, while Kurunegala is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$1.83 LKR 609

357.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$24.67 LKR 8,205

156.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$7.47 LKR 2,484

-12.58%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.32

$2.56 LKR 853

101.17%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.67 LKR 223

105.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.27 LKR 89.9

318.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$2.18 LKR 724

254.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.61

$3.00 LKR 997

85.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 HK$23.00

$1.58 LKR 526

86.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HK$18.90

$0.56 LKR 187

330.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 HK$17.41

$0.75 LKR 248

196.00%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.72

$1.66 LKR 551

105.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$15.58 LKR 5,180

48.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$5.09 LKR 1,693

70.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

$7.78 LKR 2,588

130.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.01

$6.54 LKR 2,176

-35.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.87 LKR 291

196.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.67

$4.15 LKR 1,379

12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.32

$1.34 LKR 444

198.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$1.08 LKR 358

195.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.83 LKR 277

293.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.28

$1.20 LKR 400

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.43

$0.46 LKR 151

271.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$10.12 LKR 3,366

31.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$13.58 LKR 4,516

14.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.86

$1.98 LKR 657

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$2.86 LKR 950

-20.28%

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

$0.37 LKR 125

916.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.30 LKR 101

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$0.94 LKR 314

1594.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$0.95 LKR 315

349.47%

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

$45.0K HK$352.6K

$43.1K LKR 14.3M

4.32%

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

$37.6K HK$294.7K

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-16.08%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$58.1 LKR 19.3K

308.37%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$4.31 LKR 1,434

258.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$20.95 LKR 6,967

7.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$763

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$4.49 LKR 1,492

189.09%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$39.43 LKR 13.1K

3201.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$16.9K LKR 5.6M

78.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$18.04 LKR 6,000

276.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$17.71 LKR 5,888

141.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$40.86 LKR 13.6K

196.33%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 HK$25.0K

$152 LKR 50.7K

1996.32%

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 Kurunegala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Kurunegala

$246 49.4% 39.6% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Kurunegala

$83 16.7% 69.7% $192

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Kurunegala

$88 17.8% 57.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Kurunegala

$69 13.9% 50.7% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.8% 92.7% $114

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Kurunegala

$1.9 * 0.4% 98.2% $101

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Hong Kong are about 21 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $25 in Kurunegala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $246 – making Kurunegala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

03:02 3:02 AM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

30,300

💱 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 = 2.69 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 = 8.76 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).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Kurunegala 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Kurunegala

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $498 in Kurunegala – Kurunegala comes out roughly 84% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,576 per month in Hong Kong and $747 in Kurunegala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong and $25 in Kurunegala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Hong Kong, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kurunegala, where all-in costs run around $498, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Kurunegala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $498 in Kurunegala to $3,050 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kurunegala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.