Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalutara and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $612 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$612

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kalutara 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 Kalutara and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $612 per month in Kalutara vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalutara $612
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $896 per month in Kalutara vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalutara $896
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,179 per month in Kalutara vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalutara $1,179
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kalutara is about 35% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kalutara and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kalutara 55% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 LKR 1,285

$2.13 ฿71.6

81.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.82 LKR 8,252

$18.62 ฿624

33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 LKR 2,453

$5.60 ฿188

31.79%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 807

$1.66 ฿55.8

46.39%

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

$0.68 LKR 228

$0.65 ฿21.69

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.30 ฿10.22

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 752

$2.32 ฿77.9

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 991

$3.67 ฿123

-18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 537

$2.02 ฿67.6

-19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 179

$1.41 ฿47.21

-61.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 249

$1.39 ฿46.67

-46.04%

Eggs

$1.68 LKR 560

$2.37 ฿79.4

-29.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 LKR 4,994

$16.52 ฿554

-9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 LKR 1,655

$2.67 ฿89.5

86.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 LKR 2,485

$9.02 ฿302

-17.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,217

$2.40 ฿80.4

177.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 290

$1.04 ฿34.91

-16.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 LKR 1,363

$1.66 ฿55.6

146.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$1.56 ฿52.3

-14.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 358

$1.24 ฿41.50

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.09 ฿36.44

-22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 402

$0.76 ฿25.54

59.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.51 ฿17.24

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 LKR 3,460

$4.12 ฿138

152.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 LKR 4,484

$17.93 ฿601

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 649

$1.62 ฿54.4

20.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 980

$2.82 ฿94.6

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 LKR 44.22

$0.93 ฿31.33

-86.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.00 LKR 2,993

$52.9 ฿1,773

-82.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.18 ฿39.45

-68.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 LKR 58.6

$0.17 ฿5.75

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

$1.81 ฿60.8

-48.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 459

$1.47 ฿49.38

-6.12%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

$21.0K ฿704.5K

111.19%

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

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

$26.5K ฿889.1K

69.02%

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

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

$62.6 ฿2,098

-9.22%

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

$4.19 LKR 1,393

$11.60 ฿389

-63.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 LKR 7,024

$20.30 ฿681

4.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.19 LKR 3,056

$37.88 ฿1,270

-75.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 LKR 1,534

$6.51 ฿218

-29.19%

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

$40.52 LKR 13.5K

$727 ฿24.4K

-94.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

$16.6K ฿555.7K

2.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.99 LKR 5,981

$53.5 ฿1,795

-66.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.26 LKR 5,740

$24.80 ฿832

-30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

$90.4 ฿3,031

-13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.87 LKR 13.6K

$72.0 ฿2,413

-43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.5 LKR 28.4K

$310 ฿10.4K

-72.41%

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 ฿81.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

5.57

124.42%

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

Last update for Kalutara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kalutara

$243 39.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.7% $6.5

Eating Out

Kalutara

$103 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 25.8% $27

Accommodation & Living

Kalutara

$86 14%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 262% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalutara

$82 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 15.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Kalutara

$69 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 56.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kalutara

$18 3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 177% $32

Getting Around

Kalutara

$11 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 444% $48

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kalutara versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

22:45 10:45 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kalutara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,600

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kalutara Chiang Mai 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kalutara
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than Kalutara, 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 $919 per month in Kalutara and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $41 per month in Kalutara and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kalutara, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Kalutara 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. Kalutara costs $612 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.