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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $527 per month in Kalutara vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $865 per month in Kalutara vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,203 per month in Kalutara vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalutara is about 38% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Kalutara and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kalutara 61% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 LKR 1,253

$1.96 ฿64.0

100.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.04 LKR 7,985

$18.81 ฿615

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 LKR 2,704

$7.92 ฿259

7.07%

Cappuccino

$2.71 LKR 866

$1.91 ฿62.6

41.88%

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

$0.69 LKR 221

$0.84 ฿27.41

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LKR 129

$0.35 ฿11.51

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 732

$2.21 ฿72.1

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 LKR 1,061

$3.80 ฿124

-12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 LKR 545

$1.64 ฿53.5

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 167

$1.62 ฿53.1

-67.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 256

$1.18 ฿38.62

-32.20%

Eggs

$2.13 LKR 681

$2.01 ฿65.8

5.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 LKR 4,434

$15.89 ฿520

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 LKR 1,505

$3.01 ฿98.5

56.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 LKR 2,489

$10.77 ฿352

-27.48%

Apples (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,379

$2.61 ฿85.5

185.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LKR 356

$1.22 ฿39.88

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.82 LKR 1,857

$1.70 ฿55.7

242.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 381

$1.58 ฿51.5

-24.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 371

$1.32 ฿43.14

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 447

$1.17 ฿38.23

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 363

$0.67 ฿21.98

70.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 LKR 192

$0.56 ฿18.32

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 LKR 3,238

$4.53 ฿148

124.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,046

$18.20 ฿595

-30.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 637

$1.83 ฿60.0

9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 939

$3.23 ฿106

-8.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 132

$1.35 ฿44.20

-69.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 103

$1.35 ฿44.05

-76.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 LKR 197

$8.25 ฿270

-92.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 402

$1.27 ฿41.64

-0.79%

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

$26.6K LKR 8.5M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

25.69%

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

$34.9K LKR 11.1M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

55.17%

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

$59.3 LKR 18.9K

$70.2 ฿2,294

-15.54%

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

$4.34 LKR 1,385

$13.77 ฿450

-68.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 LKR 4,734

$17.60 ฿575

-15.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.16 LKR 3,240

$41.57 ฿1,360

-75.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$3.27 LKR 1,043

$5.78 ฿189

-43.43%

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

$37.30 LKR 11.9K

$306 ฿10.0K

-87.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$447 LKR 142.6K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-96.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.50 LKR 8,770

$54.4 ฿1,778

-49.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 LKR 6,282

$26.14 ฿855

-24.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 LKR 22.1K

$84.5 ฿2,764

-17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.84 LKR 12.4K

$69.4 ฿2,270

-44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

229.00%

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

Last update for Kalutara: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kalutara versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 62% more than Kalutara, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $790 per month in Kalutara and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kalutara and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $527 in Kalutara and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalutara costs $527 versus $852 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 Kalutara. 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.