Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nuwara Eliya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $500 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 Nuwara Eliya
Learn more

Nuwara Eliya Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nuwara Eliya

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $500 in Nuwara Eliya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nuwara Eliya $500

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $813 in Nuwara Eliya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nuwara Eliya $813

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,126 in Nuwara Eliya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nuwara Eliya $1,126

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Nuwara Eliya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.79 LKR 1,259

-40.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$25.40 LKR 8,445

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.51 LKR 2,497

-26.10%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.55 LKR 846

-34.51%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.36 LKR 121

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 LKR 90.2

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.16 LKR 718

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.06 LKR 1,018

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.63 LKR 543

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.57 LKR 190

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.74 LKR 248

79.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.64 LKR 546

39.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.62 LKR 4,526

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.74 LKR 1,575

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.34 LKR 2,439

26.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$6.47 LKR 2,152

-63.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.80 LKR 268

21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.31 LKR 1,431

-62.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.26 LKR 420

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.01 LKR 335

26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.77 LKR 256

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.88 LKR 292

-19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.45 LKR 151

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.26 LKR 3,410

-59.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.83 LKR 4,264

36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.90 LKR 630

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.94 LKR 977

-5.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.38 LKR 125

205.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.35 LKR 116

51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$0.88 LKR 292

175.00%

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

$43.8K LKR 14.6M

-51.90%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

-32.36%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

7.77%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.32 LKR 1,435

181.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$20.36 LKR 6,770

-1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.55 LKR 1,514

42.64%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$38.33 LKR 12.7K

1820.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,215 LKR 403.8K

1115.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$17.89 LKR 5,947

198.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$16.67 LKR 5,541

47.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$41.52 LKR 13.8K

73.27%

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 ฿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

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 Nuwara Eliya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nuwara Eliya

$233 46.7% 0.4% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nuwara Eliya

$70 14% 35.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nuwara Eliya

$82 16.5% 12.8% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nuwara Eliya

$103 20.6% 32.6% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nuwara Eliya

$2.1 * 0.4% 96.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nuwara Eliya

$9.1 * 1.8% 81.9% $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 Nuwara Eliya. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $233 in Nuwara Eliya – so Nuwara Eliya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

27,500

💱 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 Nuwara Eliya 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nuwara Eliya

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 Nuwara Eliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Nuwara Eliya, 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 $749 in Nuwara Eliya. 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 $500 in Nuwara Eliya. That makes Nuwara Eliya about 47% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $25 in Nuwara Eliya. 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 $500 in Nuwara Eliya to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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