Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Weligama

For one person, living is cheaper in Weligama: $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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Weligama
Learn more

Weligama Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Weligama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$512

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Chiang Mai $935
Weligama $512

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $832 in Weligama, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Weligama $832

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,151 in Weligama, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Weligama $1,151

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.72 LKR 1,238

-42.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$25.11 LKR 8,353

-25.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.73 LKR 2,571

-27.55%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.57 LKR 856

-35.41%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.67 LKR 223

-2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.25 LKR 82.9

20.00%

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

$2.96 LKR 985

23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.58 LKR 525

27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.54 LKR 179

161.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.77 LKR 255

80.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.70 LKR 567

39.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$15.12 LKR 5,028

9.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.02 LKR 1,670

-46.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.51 LKR 2,499

20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.75 LKR 2,244

-64.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.89 LKR 295

16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.25 LKR 1,412

-60.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.32 LKR 438

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.05 LKR 349

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.81 LKR 271

34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.20 LKR 399

-36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.46 LKR 152

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.14 LKR 3,373

-59.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$13.46 LKR 4,477

33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.95 LKR 650

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.87 LKR 953

-1.74%

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

$0.40 LKR 133

195.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.31 LKR 102

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.93 LKR 309

94.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.38 LKR 458

6.52%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-51.92%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

-41.17%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

10.14%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$4.19 LKR 1,392

176.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$21.11 LKR 7,023

-3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.44 LKR 1,478

46.62%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$39.98 LKR 13.3K

1718.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

-4.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$17.72 LKR 5,895

202.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$17.50 LKR 5,821

41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$80.2 LKR 26.7K

12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$41.15 LKR 13.7K

74.90%

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 Weligama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Weligama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Weligama

$244 47.7% 3.2% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Weligama

$70 13.8% 35% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Weligama

$82 16% 13.1% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Weligama

$105 20.4% 36.8% $28

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Weligama

$1.9 * 0.4% 96.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Weligama

$8.9 * 1.7% 82.5% $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 Weligama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇰 Weligama

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Weligama

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 Weligama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Weligama, 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 Weligama. 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 Weligama. 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $512 in Weligama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Weligama costs $512 versus $935 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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