Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wattala: $574 a month against $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wattala, Sri Lanka
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)
Wattala
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$574
/mo nomad
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,050
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wattala and in Hong Kong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $574 per month in Wattala vs $3,050 in Hong Kong, rent included.

  • Wattala $574
  • Hong Kong $3,050

A couple spends around $951 per month in Wattala vs $4,786 in Hong Kong, rent included.

  • Wattala $951
  • Hong Kong $4,786

A family of three spends $1,328 per month in Wattala vs $6,522 in Hong Kong, rent included.

  • Wattala $1,328
  • Hong Kong $6,522

Wattala is about 81% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Wattala sits 58% below the global median, while Hong Kong is 126% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.83 LKR 1,274
$8.37 HK$65.6
-54.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.35 LKR 8,095
$63.4 HK$497
-61.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.64 LKR 2,539
$6.53 HK$51.2
17.00%
Cappuccino
$2.48 LKR 824
$5.15 HK$40.33
-51.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 LKR 227
$1.38 HK$10.80
-50.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 89.9
$1.13 HK$8.86
-76.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.14 LKR 711
$7.73 HK$60.6
-72.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 LKR 1,011
$5.56 HK$43.62
-45.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 LKR 528
$2.94 HK$23.01
-45.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 LKR 178
$2.41 HK$18.91
-77.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 LKR 256
$2.22 HK$17.42
-65.32%
Eggs
$1.64 LKR 545
$3.41 HK$26.73
-51.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.00 LKR 4,654
$23.18 HK$182
-39.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.75 LKR 1,581
$8.67 HK$68.0
-45.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.34 LKR 2,439
$17.90 HK$140
-58.99%
Apples (1kg)
$6.41 LKR 2,132
$4.21 HK$33.02
52.26%
Banana (1kg)
$0.80 LKR 265
$2.58 HK$20.19
-68.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.37 LKR 1,452
$4.68 HK$36.68
-6.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 LKR 422
$4.00 HK$31.33
-68.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 LKR 348
$3.19 HK$24.98
-67.08%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 LKR 256
$3.27 HK$25.60
-76.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.95 LKR 314
$1.57 HK$12.29
-39.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 LKR 143
$1.71 HK$13.44
-74.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.26 LKR 3,410
$13.33 HK$105
-23.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.73 LKR 4,234
$15.56 HK$122
-18.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 LKR 630
$2.02 HK$15.87
-6.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 LKR 965
$2.28 HK$17.83
27.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 LKR 66.4
$1.23 HK$9.67
-83.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$87.6 HK$686
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.41 LKR 136
$3.76 HK$29.46
-89.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 LKR 113
$1.30 HK$10.19
-73.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.89 LKR 295
$15.93 HK$125
-94.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 LKR 376
$4.27 HK$33.48
-73.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.2K LKR 14.4M
$45.0K HK$352.7K
-3.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K LKR 13.4M
$37.6K HK$294.8K
7.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.9 LKR 19.6K
$237 HK$1,859
-75.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.18 LKR 1,391
$15.46 HK$121
-72.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.89 LKR 6,946
$22.46 HK$176
-6.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.62 LKR 4,528
$97.4 HK$764
-86.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.57 LKR 1,519
$9.02 HK$70.7
-49.33%
Cinema Ticket
$2.93 LKR 974
$12.98 HK$102
-77.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$37.76 LKR 12.6K
$1,302 HK$10.2K
-97.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,202 LKR 399.6K
$30.3K HK$237.2K
-96.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.04 LKR 5,997
$68.0 HK$533
-73.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.50 LKR 5,488
$42.80 HK$335
-61.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.3 LKR 25.7K
$81.3 HK$637
-4.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.08 LKR 14.0K
$121 HK$949
-65.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$104 LKR 34.6K
$2,385 HK$18.7K
-95.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$61.1 LKR 20.3K
$1,794 HK$14.1K
-96.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$241 LKR 80.2K
$5,695 HK$44.6K
-95.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 LKR 59.1K
$3,786 HK$29.7K
-95.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$28.8K HK$226.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$18.9K HK$147.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wattala
Hong Kong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,194 HK$25.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.69
3.89
226.22%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wattala: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Wattala
$234
Hong Kong
$407 74% $173
Eating Out
Wattala
$104
Hong Kong
$208 100% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wattala
$84
Hong Kong
$275 227% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Wattala
$69
Hong Kong
$141 104% $72
Accommodation & Living
Wattala
$61
Hong Kong
$1.8K 2837% $1.7K
Sport & Entertainment
Wattala
$19
Hong Kong
$123 533% $104
Getting Around
Wattala
$2.9 *
Hong Kong
$103 3432% $100

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $104 in Wattala versus $2,385 in Hong Kong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wattala versus $63 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $407 – making Wattala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Wattala
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🕒 Local time
11:24 11:24 AM
13:54 1:54 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Wattala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,200
1,367,900 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

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).

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).

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

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
Wattala vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Wattala and in Hong Kong compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $574 in Wattala, $3,050 in Hong Kong – Wattala comes out roughly 81% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Wattala compared to Hong Kong?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $861 per month in Wattala and $4,576 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Wattala and Hong Kong?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wattala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $104 there versus $2,385 in Hong Kong.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wattala and $63 in Hong Kong. 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 74% more in Hong Kong, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Wattala, where all-in costs run around $574, than in Hong Kong at $3,050. In Wattala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Wattala or Hong Kong?
Families tend to lean toward Wattala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Wattala or Hong Kong 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.

Wattala vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?