Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gampaha and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $453 per month in Gampaha vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gampaha $453
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $768 per month in Gampaha vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gampaha $768
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,083 per month in Gampaha vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gampaha $1,083
Chiang Mai $1,903

Gampaha is about 51% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Gampaha and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gampaha 67% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 LKR 609

$2.29 ฿76.5

-19.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.22 LKR 6,034

$19.64 ฿656

-7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,721

$5.61 ฿188

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$1.24 LKR 410

$1.66 ฿55.6

-25.30%

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

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.70 ฿23.40

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.1

$0.31 ฿10.24

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 LKR 701

$2.41 ฿80.4

-12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,010

$3.71 ฿124

-17.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.95 ฿65.3

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 LKR 135

$1.41 ฿47.03

-70.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.31 ฿43.62

-44.27%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$2.18 ฿72.9

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 LKR 4,607

$16.65 ฿556

-16.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 LKR 1,334

$2.76 ฿92.2

46.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,460

$9.11 ฿304

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 LKR 1,972

$2.39 ฿80.0

148.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.03 ฿34.26

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$1.63 ฿54.4

176.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 436

$1.50 ฿50.0

-12.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LKR 314

$1.29 ฿43.13

-26.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 277

$1.11 ฿37.03

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$0.72 ฿24.08

-59.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 LKR 114

$0.53 ฿17.59

-35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 LKR 3,273

$4.31 ฿144

129.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.04 LKR 4,319

$17.95 ฿600

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 LKR 447

$1.58 ฿52.9

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 LKR 808

$2.84 ฿95.0

-14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$0.86 ฿28.86

-66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.0

$1.21 ฿40.29

-76.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$0.57 ฿18.99

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 295

$2.35 ฿78.6

-62.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 LKR 388

$1.44 ฿47.96

-18.75%

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

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

47.38%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

48.91%

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

$27.15 LKR 8,994

$62.3 ฿2,083

-56.44%

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

$2.99 LKR 991

$12.11 ฿405

-75.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 LKR 3,592

$19.94 ฿666

-45.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 LKR 2,561

$37.07 ฿1,239

-79.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,508

$6.50 ฿217

-30.00%

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

$14.93 LKR 4,944

$793 ฿26.5K

-98.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$121 LKR 40.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-99.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,054

$53.7 ฿1,796

-65.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 LKR 2,987

$24.62 ฿823

-63.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-34.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 LKR 7,933

$71.1 ฿2,378

-66.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-80.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

$298 ฿9,954

-81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.2K

$908 ฿30.4K

-66.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 LKR 54.0K

$554 ฿18.5K

-70.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 LKR 76.4K

$591 ฿19.7K

-60.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$221 48.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 6.7% $15

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 21% $14

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$56 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 428% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$50 11%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 116% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 130% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$17 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 197% $33

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1776% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $90.2 in Gampaha versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 156% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Gampaha versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $235 – making Gampaha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Chiang Mai 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Gampaha
Chiang Mai

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

Gampaha vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 104% more than Gampaha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $680 per month in Gampaha and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gampaha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Gampaha and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gampaha, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gampaha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gampaha costs $453 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gampaha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.