Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kegalle

For one person, living is cheaper in Kegalle: $591 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kegalle
Learn more

Kegalle Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $591 in Kegalle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kegalle $591

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $860 in Kegalle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kegalle $860

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,128 in Kegalle, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kegalle $1,128

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Kegalle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Kegalle are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kegalle 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.06 LKR 1,018

-26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$23.93 LKR 7,954

-20.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.33 LKR 2,436

-24.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.43 LKR 808

-31.28%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.43 LKR 143

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.25 LKR 83.1

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.14 LKR 711

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.95 LKR 982

24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.65 LKR 548

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.47 LKR 156

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.68 LKR 225

95.59%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.58 LKR 526

44.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.59 LKR 4,519

21.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.93 LKR 1,638

-43.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.22 LKR 2,400

28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$5.98 LKR 1,989

-60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.80 LKR 267

21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.45 LKR 1,481

-64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.23 LKR 407

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.87 LKR 291

47.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.78 LKR 261

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.37 LKR 124

91.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.43 LKR 141

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$9.67 LKR 3,214

-57.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.60 LKR 4,189

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.90 LKR 633

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.65 LKR 881

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.57 LKR 190

52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$7.63 LKR 2,537

608.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.38 LKR 125

205.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.34 LKR 114

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$0.94 LKR 313

157.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.38 LKR 458

5.07%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$43.0K LKR 14.3M

-51.04%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$36.3K LKR 12.1M

-25.70%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$58.6 LKR 19.5K

6.06%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.27 LKR 1,419

185.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$20.67 LKR 6,871

-2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$19.65 LKR 6,532

89.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.79 LKR 4,916

-74.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.52 LKR 1,504

43.58%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$37.83 LKR 12.6K

1845.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,216 LKR 404.4K

1113.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$17.90 LKR 5,950

198.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$15.22 LKR 5,060

61.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$45.67 LKR 15.2K

100.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

74.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$121 LKR 40.2K

298.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$90.8 LKR 30.2K

240.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$184 LKR 61.1K

220.99%

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 Kegalle: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kegalle

$91 15.4% 70.6% $218

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kegalle

$227 38.4% 3.3% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kegalle

$54 9.1% 50.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kegalle

$84 14.1% 11.5% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kegalle

$95 16.1% 22.4% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kegalle

$12 2% 80.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kegalle

$29 4.9% 42.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Kegalle. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $24 in Kegalle. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Kegalle – so Kegalle wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

17,900

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kegalle 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kegalle

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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Kegalle, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $886 in Kegalle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kegalle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $38 in Kegalle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kegalle, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Kegalle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kegalle – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kegalle. 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.