Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $487 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $790 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,093 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.49 LKR 494

53.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$25.02 LKR 8,286

-21.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.49 LKR 2,481

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.54 LKR 840

-34.65%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.73 LKR 240

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.27 LKR 90.3

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.22 LKR 736

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.00 LKR 993

23.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.62 LKR 537

20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.53 LKR 174

166.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.81 LKR 267

61.73%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.65 LKR 546

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$13.93 LKR 4,614

19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.85 LKR 1,606

-43.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.54 LKR 2,496

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$6.42 LKR 2,125

-62.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.87 LKR 288

18.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.37 LKR 1,448

-62.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.29 LKR 426

16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.00 LKR 332

29.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.78 LKR 259

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.88 LKR 291

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.45 LKR 149

17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$10.38 LKR 3,439

-58.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.03 LKR 4,317

37.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.89 LKR 626

-16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.00 LKR 994

-5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.38 LKR 125

218.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.35 LKR 115

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$0.90 LKR 297

161.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.38 LKR 457

4.35%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

-51.76%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-33.80%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

6.88%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$4.28 LKR 1,418

182.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$20.80 LKR 6,888

-4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.59 LKR 1,519

41.61%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

1966.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

1127.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$18.46 LKR 6,116

191.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$16.53 LKR 5,474

48.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$460 LKR 152.2K

97.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$215 LKR 71.4K

174.27%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5% 0.3% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4% 35.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1% 11.6% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7% 9.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4% 96.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9% 81.7% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 174% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

219,827

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $730 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia costs $487 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.