Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Polonnaruwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $510 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.

147

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Polonnaruwa
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Polonnaruwa Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,050

/mo nomad

Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Hong Kong vs $510 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,050
Polonnaruwa $510

A couple spends around $4,786 per month in Hong Kong vs $829 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,786
Polonnaruwa $829

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,148 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,522
Polonnaruwa $1,148

Hong Kong costs about 498% more than Polonnaruwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 HK$65.6

$3.89 LKR 1,294

115.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 HK$497

$25.28 LKR 8,407

150.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 HK$51.2

$7.32 LKR 2,435

-10.79%

Cappuccino

$5.15 HK$40.32

$2.56 LKR 850

101.17%

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

$1.38 HK$10.80

$0.69 LKR 228

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 HK$8.86

$0.27 LKR 89.8

318.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 HK$60.6

$2.17 LKR 721

256.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 HK$43.61

$2.98 LKR 990

86.58%

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

$0.81 LKR 269

174.07%

Eggs

$3.41 HK$26.72

$1.70 LKR 566

100.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 HK$182

$15.24 LKR 5,068

52.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 HK$68.0

$4.93 LKR 1,638

75.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 HK$140

$7.66 LKR 2,547

133.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 HK$33.01

$6.48 LKR 2,156

-35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 HK$20.19

$0.81 LKR 269

218.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 HK$36.67

$4.25 LKR 1,414

10.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 HK$31.32

$1.27 LKR 423

214.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 HK$24.98

$1.04 LKR 345

206.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.60

$0.77 LKR 255

324.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 HK$12.28

$1.26 LKR 419

24.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 HK$13.43

$0.42 LKR 139

307.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 HK$105

$10.10 LKR 3,357

31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 HK$122

$13.57 LKR 4,512

14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 HK$15.86

$1.87 LKR 622

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 HK$17.83

$2.98 LKR 990

-23.49%

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 124

916.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 HK$10.19

$0.31 LKR 102

319.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.93 HK$125

$0.86 LKR 285

1752.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.27 HK$33.48

$1.32 LKR 438

223.48%

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

$45.0K HK$352.6K

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

1.27%

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

$37.6K HK$294.7K

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

-17.42%

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

$237 HK$1,859

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

309.07%

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

$15.46 HK$121

$4.27 LKR 1,418

262.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 HK$176

$20.36 LKR 6,771

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 HK$763

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 HK$70.7

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 HK$102

$4.60 LKR 1,531

182.17%

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

$1,302 HK$10.2K

$40.23 LKR 13.4K

3136.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K HK$237.2K

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

76.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$533

$18.01 LKR 5,988

277.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.80 HK$335

$17.32 LKR 5,760

147.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 HK$637

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 HK$949

$41.05 LKR 13.7K

194.96%

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

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 Polonnaruwa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.8%

Polonnaruwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$407 13.3%

Polonnaruwa

$242 47.5% 40.4% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9%

Polonnaruwa

$83 16.2% 70% $193

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$208 6.8%

Polonnaruwa

$104 20.5% 49.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$141 4.6%

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.7% 50.5% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$123 4%

Polonnaruwa

$9.2 * 1.8% 92.5% $114

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$103 3.4%

Polonnaruwa

$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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Hong Kong versus $25 in Polonnaruwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $242 – making Polonnaruwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

21:38 9:38 PM

2 h 30 min behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

15,000

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Hong Kong Polonnaruwa 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Polonnaruwa

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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,050 in Hong Kong, $510 in Polonnaruwa – Polonnaruwa comes out roughly 83% 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 $765 in Polonnaruwa. 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 Polonnaruwa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Hong Kong, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Polonnaruwa, where all-in costs run around $510, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Polonnaruwa 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 $510 in Polonnaruwa 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.