Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kataragama and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 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.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Kataragama vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kataragama $508
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $824 per month in Kataragama vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kataragama $824
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,140 per month in Kataragama vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kataragama $1,140
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kataragama is about 46% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 LKR 1,286

$2.13 ฿71.7

81.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 LKR 8,214

$18.62 ฿625

32.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 LKR 2,440

$5.60 ฿188

31.07%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 807

$1.66 ฿55.9

46.39%

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.65 ฿21.73

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.8

$0.30 ฿10.24

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 742

$2.32 ฿78.0

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

$3.67 ฿123

-16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 522

$2.02 ฿67.7

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$1.41 ฿47.29

-60.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$1.39 ฿46.75

-45.32%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 544

$2.37 ฿79.5

-31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 LKR 5,015

$16.52 ฿555

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 LKR 1,627

$2.67 ฿89.7

83.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

$9.02 ฿303

-15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,174

$2.40 ฿80.6

172.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.04 ฿34.98

-20.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 LKR 1,358

$1.66 ฿55.7

145.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 LKR 437

$1.56 ฿52.4

-16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 360

$1.24 ฿41.57

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.09 ฿36.50

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 LKR 414

$0.76 ฿25.59

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.51 ฿17.27

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

$4.12 ฿138

149.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 LKR 4,527

$17.93 ฿602

-24.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 652

$1.62 ฿54.5

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 978

$2.82 ฿94.8

4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$1.18 ฿39.52

-66.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.17 ฿5.76

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

$1.81 ฿60.9

-52.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.47 ฿49.47

-8.84%

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

107.31%

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

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

$26.5K ฿890.7K

72.12%

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

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

$62.6 ฿2,101

-9.14%

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

$4.15 LKR 1,380

$11.60 ฿390

-64.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,857

$20.30 ฿682

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 LKR 1,495

$6.51 ฿219

-30.88%

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

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

$727 ฿24.4K

-94.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

$16.6K ฿556.7K

4.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 LKR 6,076

$53.5 ฿1,798

-65.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.51 LKR 5,825

$24.80 ฿833

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$90.4 ฿3,036

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

$72.0 ฿2,418

-41.93%

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 %)

12.5

5.57

124.42%

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

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kataragama

$242 47.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.4% $5.7

Eating Out

Kataragama

$103 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 25.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kataragama

$82 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 15.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Kataragama

$70 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 55.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 466% $42

Getting Around

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 2908% $57

Accommodation & Living

Kataragama

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

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 $25 in Kataragama versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kataragama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kataragama Chiang Mai 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kataragama
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 84% more than Kataragama, 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 $762 per month in Kataragama and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Kataragama and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Kataragama about 46% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kataragama and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.