Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $402 in Negombo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Negombo $402

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $649 in Negombo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Negombo $649

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $897 in Negombo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Negombo $897

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Negombo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Negombo 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.48 LKR 1,483

-49.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$16.63 LKR 5,508

15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.59 LKR 2,516

-26.35%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.23 LKR 406

39.84%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.69 LKR 228

-7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.25 LKR 82.5

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.15 LKR 712

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.95 LKR 978

32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.57 LKR 521

30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.53 LKR 174

164.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.74 LKR 245

72.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.64 LKR 543

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$14.01 LKR 4,642

20.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.12 LKR 1,366

-33.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.00 LKR 1,986

56.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.77 LKR 585

35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.69 LKR 229

46.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.23 LKR 738

-27.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.19 LKR 395

27.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.73 LKR 242

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.81 LKR 267

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.93 LKR 308

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.43 LKR 142

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$10.14 LKR 3,359

-57.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$13.52 LKR 4,480

31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.95 LKR 646

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.01 LKR 997

-5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.29 LKR 94.9

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.38 LKR 125

207.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.37 LKR 124

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$0.90 LKR 297

163.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.00 LKR 332

45.00%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

-45.05%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-35.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$25.65 LKR 8,497

143.00%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$4.21 LKR 1,395

191.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$20.85 LKR 6,908

-4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$15.27 LKR 5,059

148.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$9.07 LKR 3,004

-58.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.45 LKR 813

173.88%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

1999.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$446 LKR 147.9K

3222.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$8.82 LKR 2,920

503.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$16.87 LKR 5,586

48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

149.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$24.22 LKR 8,023

203.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$180 LKR 59.7K

230.18%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Negombo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Negombo

$194 48.4% 18.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 64.4% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 46.4% $44

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Negombo

$94 23.4% 18.6% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8% 94.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Negombo

$20 5% 60.7% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 230% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Negombo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $194 – making Negombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

142,449

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Negombo 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Negombo, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $602 in Negombo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $17.00 in Negombo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Negombo, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Negombo 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. Negombo costs $402 versus $938 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 Negombo. 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.