Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $511 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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
Learn more

Katunayaka Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $511 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Katunayaka $511

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $831 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Katunayaka $831

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,150 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Katunayaka $1,150

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.90 LKR 1,297

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$25.05 LKR 8,331

-25.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.69 LKR 2,558

-27.18%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.55 LKR 847

-34.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.67 LKR 224

-2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.27 LKR 89.9

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.17 LKR 723

6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.06 LKR 1,016

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.62 LKR 540

24.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.53 LKR 178

166.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.79 LKR 264

75.95%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.63 LKR 543

45.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$15.37 LKR 5,111

7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.06 LKR 1,684

-47.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.57 LKR 2,519

19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.46 LKR 2,149

-62.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.89 LKR 297

16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.28 LKR 1,424

-61.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.29 LKR 428

20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.04 LKR 346

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.81 LKR 270

34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.21 LKR 401

-37.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.45 LKR 151

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.08 LKR 3,352

-59.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$13.40 LKR 4,456

33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.87 LKR 621

-13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.83 LKR 941

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.38 LKR 126

210.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.31 LKR 103

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.94 LKR 311

92.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.32 LKR 439

11.36%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$44.3K LKR 14.7M

-52.61%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$44.9K LKR 14.9M

-40.89%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

11.87%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$4.22 LKR 1,405

174.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$20.66 LKR 6,870

-1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.52 LKR 1,504

44.03%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$40.29 LKR 13.4K

1704.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

-3.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$18.02 LKR 5,993

197.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$17.52 LKR 5,829

41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$78.9 LKR 26.3K

14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$41.78 LKR 13.9K

72.26%

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

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 Katunayaka: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Katunayaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Katunayaka

$243 47.6% 2.9% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Katunayaka

$70 13.8% 35.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Katunayaka

$81 15.8% 14.5% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Katunayaka

$106 20.7% 37.9% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Katunayaka

$1.9 * 0.4% 96.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Katunayaka

$9 * 1.8% 82.2% $42

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 Katunayaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

84,643

💱 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 Katunayaka 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Katunayaka, 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 $767 in Katunayaka. 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 Katunayaka. 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.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $511 in Katunayaka to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.