Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Polonnaruwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Polonnaruwa

😐 Solo nomad: Chiang Mai is 6% more expensive than Polonnaruwa without rent, and 65% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Chiang Mai is 16.3% more expensive than Polonnaruwa without rent, and 51.8% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.4

$4.03 LKR 1,273

-50.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿583

$25.34 LKR 7,994

-28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿244

$8.29 LKR 2,615

-7.72%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.3

$2.75 LKR 869

-30.18%

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

$0.84 ฿26.90

$0.74 LKR 232

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.39

$0.38 LKR 120

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.0

$2.31 LKR 727

-5.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$3.37 LKR 1,064

12.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.4

$1.79 LKR 564

-8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿51.8

$0.52 LKR 165

211.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.88

$0.82 LKR 260

40.24%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.0

$2.12 LKR 669

-8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿510

$13.82 LKR 4,359

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.2

$4.60 LKR 1,452

-32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿354

$8.22 LKR 2,593

34.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.5

$7.26 LKR 2,292

-62.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.69

$1.12 LKR 352

5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.5

$5.74 LKR 1,810

-70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.3

$1.20 LKR 380

34.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.53

$1.10 LKR 346

26.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.70

$1.41 LKR 445

-18.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.76

$1.15 LKR 364

-38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.60

$0.59 LKR 186

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$10.18 LKR 3,211

-55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿603

$12.52 LKR 3,950

50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.2

$2.00 LKR 631

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$2.86 LKR 903

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿604

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.17

$0.39 LKR 123

261.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.59

$0.32 LKR 102

306.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿262

$0.57 LKR 179

1338.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.18

$1.20 LKR 380

2.50%

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

$21.2K ฿677.0K

$27.0K LKR 8.5M

-21.64%

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

$22.3K ฿713.3K

$35.0K LKR 11.0M

-36.20%

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

$69.9 ฿2,234

$61.2 LKR 19.3K

14.24%

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

$14.07 ฿450

$4.32 LKR 1,362

225.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿566

$15.38 LKR 4,852

15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,324

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$3.38 LKR 1,066

69.82%

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

$299 ฿9,566

$37.29 LKR 11.8K

702.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿479.8K

$440 LKR 138.8K

3310.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,753

$27.21 LKR 8,585

101.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿842

$19.60 LKR 6,183

34.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,706

$68.8 LKR 21.7K

23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,229

$38.91 LKR 12.3K

79.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,697

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿25.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿15.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

-69.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: April 11, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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