Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Piliyandala

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $580 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
Learn more

Piliyandala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $580 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Piliyandala $580

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $917 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Piliyandala $917

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,253 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Piliyandala $1,253

Chiang Mai costs about 61% more than Piliyandala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.06 LKR 1,017

-30.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$12.26 LKR 4,078

51.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.64 LKR 2,541

-26.70%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.57 LKR 856

-35.41%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.73 LKR 243

-10.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.27 LKR 90.6

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.25 LKR 749

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.05 LKR 1,014

20.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.58 LKR 526

27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.56 LKR 187

151.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.81 LKR 268

71.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.71 LKR 568

38.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$15.09 LKR 5,019

9.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$4.94 LKR 1,643

-45.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.65 LKR 2,544

17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.52 LKR 2,168

-63.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.82 LKR 273

26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.27 LKR 1,420

-61.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.28 LKR 424

21.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.07 LKR 357

15.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.83 LKR 275

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.25 LKR 415

-39.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.45 LKR 150

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.38 LKR 3,452

-60.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$13.32 LKR 4,430

34.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.87 LKR 623

-13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.92 LKR 971

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.37 LKR 123

151.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.41 LKR 136

187.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.31 LKR 105

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.87 LKR 291

108.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.34 LKR 445

9.70%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$42.9K LKR 14.3M

-50.97%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$46.2K LKR 15.4M

-42.58%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

11.95%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$4.25 LKR 1,413

172.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$20.79 LKR 6,914

-2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.48 LKR 1,491

45.31%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

1677.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-3.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$17.85 LKR 5,937

199.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$17.46 LKR 5,806

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$107 LKR 35.6K

349.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$75.2 LKR 25.0K

312.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$253 LKR 84.0K

318.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$181 LKR 60.1K

264.41%

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

$302 LKR 100.3K

97.27%

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 Piliyandala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Piliyandala

$75 13% 75.7% $235

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Piliyandala

$243 41.8% 2.5% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Piliyandala

$70 12% 35.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Piliyandala

$81 14% 14.4% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Piliyandala

$100 17.2% 30.1% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6% 94.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Piliyandala

$9 * 1.6% 82.4% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Piliyandala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Piliyandala. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $243 in Piliyandala – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Piliyandala

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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 61% more than Piliyandala, 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 $870 in Piliyandala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piliyandala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $107 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $580 in Piliyandala. That makes Piliyandala about 38% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $12 in Piliyandala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $580 in Piliyandala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Piliyandala – 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 Piliyandala. 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.