Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
Learn more

Gampaha Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $453 in Gampaha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Gampaha $453

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $768 in Gampaha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Gampaha $768

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,083 in Gampaha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Gampaha $1,083

Chiang Mai costs about 104% more than Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Gampaha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Gampaha 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.84 LKR 609

24.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$18.22 LKR 6,034

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.20 LKR 1,721

7.88%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.24 LKR 410

33.87%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.53 LKR 176

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.25 LKR 82.1

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.12 LKR 701

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.05 LKR 1,010

21.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.63 LKR 539

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.41 LKR 135

243.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.73 LKR 241

79.45%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.65 LKR 548

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$13.91 LKR 4,607

19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.03 LKR 1,334

-31.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.43 LKR 2,460

22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$5.95 LKR 1,972

-59.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.82 LKR 270

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.51 LKR 1,493

-63.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.32 LKR 436

13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.95 LKR 314

35.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.84 LKR 277

32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.29 LKR 94.8

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.34 LKR 114

55.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$9.88 LKR 3,273

-56.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.04 LKR 4,319

37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.35 LKR 447

17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.44 LKR 808

16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.29 LKR 95.2

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.29 LKR 95.0

317.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.36 LKR 120

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$0.89 LKR 295

164.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.17 LKR 388

23.08%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

-32.15%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

-32.85%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$27.15 LKR 8,994

129.58%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$2.99 LKR 991

305.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$10.85 LKR 3,592

83.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$7.73 LKR 2,561

379.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.55 LKR 1,508

42.86%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$14.93 LKR 4,944

5209.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$121 LKR 40.1K

12138.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$18.28 LKR 6,054

193.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$9.02 LKR 2,987

172.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

51.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$23.95 LKR 7,933

197.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

405.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

427.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$302 LKR 100.2K

200.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$163 LKR 54.0K

239.75%

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

$231 LKR 76.4K

156.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Gampaha

$56 12.5% 81.1% $241

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Gampaha

$221 48.7% 6.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Gampaha

$50 11% 53.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Gampaha

$41 9% 56.6% $53

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Gampaha

$65 14.3% 17.4% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7% 94.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gampaha

$17 3.7% 66.4% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $90.2 in Gampaha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 156% 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 $18.00 in Gampaha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $221 – making Gampaha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

21:42 9:42 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Gampaha 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gampaha

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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 104% more than Gampaha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $680 in Gampaha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gampaha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $18.00 in Gampaha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gampaha, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gampaha 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. Gampaha costs $453 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 Gampaha. 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.