Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $502 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
Learn more

Amparai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $502 in Amparai.

Chiang Mai $936
Amparai $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $814 in Amparai.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Amparai $814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,126 in Amparai.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Amparai $1,126

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 86% more expensive than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Amparai 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.79 LKR 1,261

-40.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$24.61 LKR 8,183

-22.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.42 LKR 2,467

-25.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.48 LKR 824

-32.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.67 LKR 221

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 LKR 90.4

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.25 LKR 749

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.94 LKR 978

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.64 LKR 544

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.53 LKR 176

171.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.81 LKR 269

64.20%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.72 LKR 573

32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.94 LKR 4,636

18.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.01 LKR 1,666

-44.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.61 LKR 2,529

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$6.65 LKR 2,210

-64.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.86 LKR 287

12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.30 LKR 1,429

-62.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.27 LKR 422

18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.05 LKR 349

21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.83 LKR 276

32.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.94 LKR 314

-24.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.42 LKR 139

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.34 LKR 3,439

-59.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.93 LKR 4,298

35.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.96 LKR 653

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.93 LKR 973

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.37 LKR 125

213.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.37 LKR 124

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$0.94 LKR 313

157.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.34 LKR 447

8.21%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

-52.63%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

-34.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

4.19%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.23 LKR 1,407

187.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$20.72 LKR 6,887

-2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.84 LKR 610

252.72%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

1885.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

1103.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$18.05 LKR 6,002

195.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$16.88 LKR 5,611

45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

70.80%

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

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

542.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.69

-56.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Amparai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Amparai

$239 47.5% 1.8% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Amparai

$70 13.9% 36% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Amparai

$85 16.9% 10.4% $9.8

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Amparai

$103 20.6% 33.1% $26

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5% 96.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7% 92.7% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

Chiang Mai pays about 6.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $25 in Amparai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $239 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

110,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Amparai 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Amparai

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

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

Amparai is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 6.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $25 in Amparai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Amparai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Amparai wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.