Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Chiang Mai $936
Hikkaduwa $505

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $820 in Hikkaduwa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Hikkaduwa $820

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,134 in Hikkaduwa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Hikkaduwa $1,134

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.87 LKR 1,287

-42.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$25.21 LKR 8,384

-24.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.67 LKR 2,551

-27.64%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.48 LKR 826

-32.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.67 LKR 223

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.25 LKR 82.3

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.21 LKR 736

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.03 LKR 1,008

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.63 LKR 543

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.53 LKR 177

171.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.76 LKR 253

75.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.64 LKR 544

39.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.51 LKR 4,493

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.95 LKR 1,648

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.25 LKR 2,410

28.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$6.58 LKR 2,188

-64.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.86 LKR 287

12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.50 LKR 1,497

-64.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.27 LKR 423

18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.00 LKR 334

28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.79 LKR 263

39.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.87 LKR 289

-18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.46 LKR 152

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.16 LKR 3,378

-59.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.67 LKR 4,212

38.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.88 LKR 624

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.06 LKR 1,019

-9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.37 LKR 124

213.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.38 LKR 125

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$0.96 LKR 318

152.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.39 LKR 463

4.32%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

-52.53%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-32.81%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$58.5 LKR 19.5K

6.20%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.30 LKR 1,428

183.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$20.97 LKR 6,974

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.58 LKR 1,525

41.70%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$37.54 LKR 12.5K

1860.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,195 LKR 397.5K

1135.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$17.81 LKR 5,924

199.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.65 LKR 5,536

47.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

15.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$41.17 LKR 13.7K

74.74%

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 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

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 Hikkaduwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Hikkaduwa

$235 46.6% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 35.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hikkaduwa

$84 16.6% 11.3% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Hikkaduwa

$105 20.7% 34.8% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Hikkaduwa

$2.3 * 0.5% 96.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Hikkaduwa

$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 Hikkaduwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

101,342

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Hikkaduwa, 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 Hikkaduwa. 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 Hikkaduwa. That makes Hikkaduwa about 46% cheaper.

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

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $505 in Hikkaduwa to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.