Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Galle

For one person, living is cheaper in Galle: $510 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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 Galle
Learn more

Galle Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Galle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $510 in Galle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Galle $510

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $829 in Galle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Galle $829

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,148 in Galle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Galle $1,148

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Galle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Galle are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Galle 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.71 LKR 1,233

-42.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$25.23 LKR 8,393

-26.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.43 LKR 2,472

-24.63%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.55 LKR 847

-34.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.73 LKR 242

-10.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.25 LKR 83.2

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.17 LKR 720

6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.98 LKR 992

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.64 LKR 546

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.57 LKR 191

147.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.81 LKR 268

71.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.64 LKR 547

44.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$15.40 LKR 5,122

7.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.11 LKR 1,701

-47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.40 LKR 2,462

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.43 LKR 2,140

-62.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.82 LKR 272

26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.22 LKR 1,404

-60.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.32 LKR 438

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.05 LKR 348

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.81 LKR 271

34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.25 LKR 416

-39.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.45 LKR 151

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.31 LKR 3,428

-60.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$13.53 LKR 4,500

32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.95 LKR 648

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.85 LKR 948

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.16 LKR 52.5

481.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.29 LKR 95.8

306.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.31 LKR 104

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.87 LKR 290

108.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.33 LKR 441

10.53%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$42.8K LKR 14.2M

-50.93%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

-42.05%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$56.2 LKR 18.7K

11.42%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$4.09 LKR 1,360

183.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$21.08 LKR 7,011

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.64 LKR 1,545

40.30%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$39.64 LKR 13.2K

1734.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

-4.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$18.17 LKR 6,042

194.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$17.46 LKR 5,809

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$42.00 LKR 14.0K

71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$316 LKR 105.1K

88.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.5

-55.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Galle: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Galle

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Galle

$244 47.8% 3.2% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Galle

$70 13.7% 35.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Galle

$81 15.9% 13.9% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Galle

$103 20.2% 34.8% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Galle

$2.5 * 0.5% 95.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Galle

$9.3 * 1.8% 81.7% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 88% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Galle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Galle

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

15:15 3:15 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Galle 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Galle

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 Galle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Galle, 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 $766 in Galle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Galle costs $510 versus $935 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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