Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dambulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 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 Dambulla
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Dambulla Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $505 in Dambulla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Dambulla $505

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $818 in Dambulla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Dambulla $818

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,131 in Dambulla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Dambulla $1,131

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Dambulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Dambulla are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dambulla 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.85 LKR 1,281

-41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$25.00 LKR 8,311

-24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.66 LKR 2,546

-27.55%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.47 LKR 821

-32.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.67 LKR 224

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 LKR 89.9

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.27 LKR 753

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.93 LKR 975

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.63 LKR 543

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.56 LKR 188

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.77 LKR 254

72.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.63 LKR 542

39.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.55 LKR 4,504

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.92 LKR 1,635

-43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.30 LKR 2,428

27.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$6.47 LKR 2,152

-63.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.87 LKR 289

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.33 LKR 1,441

-63.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.32 LKR 440

13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.01 LKR 336

26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.79 LKR 262

39.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.87 LKR 289

-18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.43 LKR 142

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.35 LKR 3,440

-60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.67 LKR 4,214

38.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.89 LKR 627

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.93 LKR 974

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.07 LKR 23.76

1142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.38 LKR 126

205.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.38 LKR 125

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$0.87 LKR 289

178.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.37 LKR 456

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-51.86%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-34.24%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

4.03%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.30 LKR 1,431

183.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$20.98 LKR 6,976

-4.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.57 LKR 1,520

42.01%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

1875.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,199 LKR 398.5K

1131.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$18.35 LKR 6,102

190.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$16.43 LKR 5,462

49.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

75.34%

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 %)

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 Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Dambulla

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Dambulla

$234 46.4% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Dambulla

$69 13.7% 36.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Dambulla

$85 16.9% 10% $9.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Dambulla

$104 20.7% 34.6% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5% 95.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8% 81.8% $41

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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

68,800

💱 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 Dambulla 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dambulla

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Dambulla, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $757 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $505 in Dambulla. That makes Dambulla about 46% cheaper.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $505 in Dambulla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $505 in Dambulla to $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.