Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Battaramulla and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Battaramulla: $532 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Battaramulla
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Battaramulla Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Battaramulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$532

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Battaramulla 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 Battaramulla and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $532 per month in Battaramulla vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Battaramulla $532
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $862 per month in Battaramulla vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Battaramulla $862
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,192 per month in Battaramulla vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Battaramulla $1,192
Chiang Mai $1,979

Battaramulla is about 43% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Battaramulla and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Battaramulla 61% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,292

$2.24 ฿75.7

73.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.80 LKR 8,246

$19.00 ฿642

30.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 LKR 2,524

$5.55 ฿188

36.76%

Cappuccino

$2.49 LKR 827

$1.67 ฿56.6

49.10%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.64 ฿21.56

4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.0

$0.31 ฿10.32

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 711

$2.36 ฿79.6

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

$3.66 ฿124

-18.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 521

$1.95 ฿65.8

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.44 ฿48.51

-63.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$1.33 ฿45.07

-42.11%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 543

$2.28 ฿77.1

-28.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 LKR 4,517

$16.45 ฿556

-17.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,608

$2.78 ฿94.0

74.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 LKR 2,493

$9.31 ฿314

-19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,123

$2.35 ฿79.5

171.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.97 ฿32.82

-16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 LKR 1,489

$1.60 ฿53.9

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 419

$1.50 ฿50.7

-16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 343

$1.28 ฿43.15

-19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$1.10 ฿37.22

-25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 292

$0.71 ฿23.84

23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.49 ฿16.38

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 LKR 3,410

$4.14 ฿140

147.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.99 LKR 4,318

$17.52 ฿592

-25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 LKR 624

$1.61 ฿54.5

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 984

$2.78 ฿94.0

6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$1.16 ฿39.08

-64.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.53 ฿17.82

-33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$2.42 ฿81.8

-61.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.45 ฿48.93

-8.97%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

109.06%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

49.02%

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

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-7.45%

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

$4.13 LKR 1,373

$12.17 ฿411

-66.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.94 LKR 6,961

$20.12 ฿680

4.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.05 LKR 9,989

$37.31 ฿1,260

-19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.11 LKR 2,032

$3.77 ฿127

62.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 LKR 1,538

$6.49 ฿219

-28.81%

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

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

$736 ฿24.9K

-94.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,180 LKR 392.2K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-92.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.25 LKR 6,066

$53.4 ฿1,802

-65.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.70 LKR 5,552

$24.64 ฿832

-32.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 LKR 13.7K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

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 Battaramulla: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Battaramulla

$234 44%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Battaramulla

$104 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 25.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Battaramulla

$83 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 14.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Battaramulla

$70 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 56.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Battaramulla

$39 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 27.9% $11

Getting Around

Battaramulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 2754% $59

Accommodation & Living

Battaramulla

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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 $25 in Battaramulla versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Battaramulla vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Battaramulla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Battaramulla

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Battaramulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

Battaramulla Chiang Mai 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Battaramulla
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 76% more than Battaramulla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $797 per month in Battaramulla and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $532 in Battaramulla and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 76%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Battaramulla and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Battaramulla, where all-in costs run around $532, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Battaramulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $532 in Battaramulla to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.