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 $542 per month in Kalutara vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $867 per month in Kalutara vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,192 per month in Kalutara vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalutara is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Kalutara and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kalutara 59% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 LKR 1,376

$2.04 ฿68.2

100.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.95 LKR 8,374

$18.71 ฿624

33.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 LKR 2,855

$7.86 ฿262

8.27%

Cappuccino

$2.75 LKR 923

$2.03 ฿67.7

35.47%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.80 ฿26.64

-8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 125

$0.35 ฿11.68

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 773

$2.14 ฿71.5

7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 LKR 1,142

$3.67 ฿122

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 LKR 596

$1.73 ฿57.6

2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$1.57 ฿52.4

-66.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 272

$1.20 ฿39.99

-32.50%

Eggs

$2.18 LKR 733

$1.97 ฿65.8

10.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 LKR 4,696

$16.23 ฿541

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 LKR 1,520

$3.06 ฿102

48.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 LKR 2,677

$10.80 ฿360

-26.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.60 LKR 2,551

$2.77 ฿92.3

174.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 369

$1.17 ฿38.94

-5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 LKR 1,992

$1.71 ฿57.0

247.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 404

$1.59 ฿53.2

-24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 389

$1.39 ฿46.51

-16.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 LKR 475

$1.16 ฿38.56

21.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 384

$0.66 ฿22.05

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LKR 191

$0.52 ฿17.31

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 LKR 3,312

$4.65 ฿155

112.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 LKR 4,291

$17.78 ฿593

-28.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 LKR 674

$1.79 ฿59.6

12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 966

$3.34 ฿111

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 131

$1.41 ฿47.04

-72.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 119

$1.34 ฿44.70

-73.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 LKR 193

$8.11 ฿270

-92.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 LKR 418

$1.23 ฿41.16

1.63%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

22.82%

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

$34.8K LKR 11.7M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

59.48%

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

$60.3 LKR 20.2K

$71.3 ฿2,379

-15.42%

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

$4.42 LKR 1,482

$14.01 ฿467

-68.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.93 LKR 5,009

$17.93 ฿598

-16.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.13 LKR 3,398

$40.82 ฿1,362

-75.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 LKR 1,145

$5.72 ฿191

-40.38%

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

$36.88 LKR 12.4K

$308 ฿10.3K

-88.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$449 LKR 150.8K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-96.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.12 LKR 9,100

$55.8 ฿1,860

-51.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.32 LKR 6,482

$26.04 ฿869

-25.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 LKR 23.4K

$84.8 ฿2,829

-17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.09 LKR 13.1K

$71.0 ฿2,368

-44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 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: $257 vs $244 – 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 57% more than Kalutara, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $812 per month in Kalutara and $1,279 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 $542 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 $542 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.