Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $396 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$396

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $396 per month in Negombo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Negombo $396
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $639 per month in Negombo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Negombo $639
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $883 per month in Negombo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Negombo $883
Chiang Mai $1,979

Negombo is about 58% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Negombo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Negombo 71% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,245

$2.24 ฿75.6

66.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.39 LKR 5,451

$19.00 ฿641

-13.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 LKR 2,462

$5.55 ฿187

33.33%

Cappuccino

$1.28 LKR 427

$1.67 ฿56.5

-23.35%

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

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.64 ฿21.54

14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.0

$0.31 ฿10.31

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 LKR 736

$2.36 ฿79.5

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,012

$3.66 ฿124

-16.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.95 ฿65.7

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$1.44 ฿48.46

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 251

$1.33 ฿45.03

-43.61%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 543

$2.28 ฿77.1

-28.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 LKR 4,494

$16.45 ฿555

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 LKR 1,442

$2.78 ฿93.9

56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$9.31 ฿314

-34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 LKR 590

$2.35 ฿79.4

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.97 ฿32.79

-30.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 LKR 766

$1.60 ฿53.9

43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 385

$1.50 ฿50.6

-22.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 264

$1.28 ฿43.11

-38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.10 ฿37.18

-24.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$0.71 ฿23.82

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.49 ฿16.36

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 LKR 3,390

$4.14 ฿140

146.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 LKR 4,343

$17.52 ฿591

-25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 650

$1.61 ฿54.5

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 LKR 972

$2.78 ฿93.9

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.87 ฿29.30

-64.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$1.16 ฿39.04

-67.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.53 ฿17.80

-33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 298

$2.42 ฿81.7

-62.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.45 ฿48.88

-29.66%

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

$43.3K LKR 14.4M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

105.66%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

47.93%

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

$25.79 LKR 8,576

$62.2 ฿2,098

-58.52%

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

$4.22 LKR 1,403

$12.17 ฿411

-65.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 LKR 6,795

$20.12 ฿679

1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.34 LKR 5,100

$37.31 ฿1,259

-58.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.00 LKR 2,994

$3.77 ฿127

138.73%

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LKR 817

$6.49 ฿219

-62.10%

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

$37.18 LKR 12.4K

$736 ฿24.8K

-94.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$458 LKR 152.5K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-96.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.13 LKR 3,037

$53.4 ฿1,801

-82.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 LKR 5,427

$24.64 ฿831

-33.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.70 LKR 11.9K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-60.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.49 LKR 8,143

$71.9 ฿2,427

-65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 LKR 59.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

-69.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

5.57

127.83%

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

Last update for Negombo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negombo

$194 49.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 20.6% $40

Eating Out

Negombo

$89 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 12.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negombo

$50 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 87.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Negombo

$39 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 182% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Negombo

$20 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 148% $30

Getting Around

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1732% $58

Accommodation & Living

Negombo

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Negombo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $234 – making Negombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Negombo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Negombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,449

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Negombo Chiang Mai 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Negombo
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 137% more than Negombo, 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 $593 per month in Negombo and $1,403 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 $16 in Negombo and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Negombo, where all-in costs run around $396, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Negombo 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 $396 in Negombo to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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