Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Panadura

For one person, living is cheaper in Panadura: $512 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
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Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Panadura
Learn more

Panadura Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Panadura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$512

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $512 in Panadura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Panadura $512

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

Chiang Mai $1,467
Panadura $831

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

Chiang Mai $1,999
Panadura $1,150

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.86 LKR 1,285

-44.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$24.93 LKR 8,292

-25.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.50 LKR 2,496

-25.33%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.53 LKR 841

-34.39%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.69 LKR 229

-5.80%

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

$2.23 LKR 742

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.97 LKR 988

23.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.64 LKR 546

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.57 LKR 190

147.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.77 LKR 256

80.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.69 LKR 561

40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$15.46 LKR 5,141

6.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.07 LKR 1,686

-47.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.49 LKR 2,493

20.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.47 LKR 2,153

-62.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.83 LKR 277

25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.26 LKR 1,415

-61.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.34 LKR 445

16.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.08 LKR 360

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.83 LKR 277

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.21 LKR 404

-37.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.46 LKR 152

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.40 LKR 3,458

-60.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$13.46 LKR 4,477

33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.97 LKR 655

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.81 LKR 936

0.36%

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

$0.37 LKR 124

218.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.31 LKR 103

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.92 LKR 305

96.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.31 LKR 436

12.21%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-51.54%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$45.3K LKR 15.1M

-41.52%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$56.9 LKR 18.9K

9.97%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$4.19 LKR 1,393

176.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$20.90 LKR 6,951

-2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.55 LKR 1,512

43.08%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$40.02 LKR 13.3K

1716.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$17.6K LKR 5.8M

-5.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$17.74 LKR 5,899

201.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$17.50 LKR 5,820

41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$77.4 LKR 25.8K

16.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$41.97 LKR 14.0K

71.48%

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 Panadura: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Panadura

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Panadura

$245 47.8% 3.5% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Panadura

$70 13.6% 35.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Panadura

$82 16% 13.2% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Panadura

$105 20.4% 36.7% $28

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Panadura

$1.9 * 0.4% 96.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Panadura

$9.1 * 1.8% 82.1% $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 Panadura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $245 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Panadura

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

33,735

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 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 = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 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 = 2.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Panadura 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Panadura

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 Panadura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Panadura, 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 $768 in Panadura. 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 Panadura. 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 $512 in Panadura to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.