Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandarawela and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandarawela: $496 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Bandarawela
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Bandarawela Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bandarawela

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$496

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandarawela and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $496 per month in Bandarawela vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bandarawela $496
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $793 per month in Bandarawela vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bandarawela $793
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,091 per month in Bandarawela vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bandarawela $1,091
Chiang Mai $1,979

Bandarawela is about 47% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bandarawela and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Bandarawela 64% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 LKR 465

$2.24 ฿75.7

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.56 LKR 8,164

$19.00 ฿642

29.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 LKR 2,585

$5.55 ฿188

40.00%

Cappuccino

$1.53 LKR 507

$1.67 ฿56.6

-8.38%

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

$0.63 LKR 208

$0.64 ฿21.56

-1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$0.31 ฿10.32

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.36 ฿79.6

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 LKR 797

$3.66 ฿124

-34.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 547

$1.95 ฿65.8

-15.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 LKR 114

$1.44 ฿48.51

-76.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$1.33 ฿45.07

-53.38%

Eggs

$1.08 LKR 357

$2.28 ฿77.1

-52.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 LKR 4,492

$16.45 ฿556

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 LKR 1,231

$2.78 ฿94.0

33.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,516

$9.31 ฿314

-18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 LKR 2,240

$2.35 ฿79.5

186.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 LKR 196

$0.97 ฿32.82

-39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,500

$1.60 ฿53.9

181.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 426

$1.50 ฿50.7

-14.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 312

$1.28 ฿43.15

-26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 172

$1.10 ฿37.22

-52.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$0.71 ฿23.84

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.49 ฿16.38

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 LKR 3,192

$4.14 ฿140

131.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,289

$17.52 ฿592

-26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 649

$1.61 ฿54.5

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 968

$2.78 ฿94.0

4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 LKR 46.52

$0.87 ฿29.33

-83.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.55 LKR 516

$54.1 ฿1,827

-97.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$1.16 ฿39.08

-67.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 LKR 95.7

$0.53 ฿17.82

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 155

$2.42 ฿81.8

-80.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 LKR 328

$1.45 ฿48.93

-31.72%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.5M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

106.65%

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

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

49.46%

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

$59.9 LKR 19.9K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-3.60%

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

$3.29 LKR 1,094

$12.17 ฿411

-72.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.92 LKR 1,968

$20.12 ฿680

-70.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.21 LKR 2,064

$37.31 ฿1,260

-83.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.51 LKR 1,499

$3.77 ฿127

19.63%

Cinema Ticket

$2.47 LKR 821

$6.49 ฿219

-61.94%

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

$37.24 LKR 12.4K

$736 ฿24.9K

-94.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-91.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.29 LKR 6,081

$53.4 ฿1,802

-65.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.75 LKR 5,568

$24.64 ฿832

-32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

$482 ฿16.3K

-80.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.15 LKR 15.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

-85.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$119 LKR 39.7K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-88.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.5 LKR 20.5K

$633 ฿21.4K

-90.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

5.57

127.83%

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

Last update for Bandarawela: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bandarawela

$225 45.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 4.4% $9.8

Eating Out

Bandarawela

$72 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 7.3% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bandarawela

$69 14%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 56.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandarawela

$69 14%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 36.6% $25

Accommodation & Living

Bandarawela

$45 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 584% $264

Sport & Entertainment

Bandarawela

$11 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 351% $39

Getting Around

Bandarawela

$3.9 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1461% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $92 in Bandarawela versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 $25 in Bandarawela versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bandarawela vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Bandarawela wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bandarawela

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Bandarawela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandarawela Chiang Mai 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bandarawela
Chiang Mai

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

Bandarawela vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $496 in Bandarawela, $936 in Chiang Mai – Bandarawela comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $744 per month in Bandarawela and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandarawela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $92 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $37 per month in Bandarawela and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $496 in Bandarawela and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bandarawela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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