Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piliyandala and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $580 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
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Piliyandala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$580

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $580 per month in Piliyandala vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piliyandala $580
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $917 per month in Piliyandala vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piliyandala $917
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,253 per month in Piliyandala vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piliyandala $1,253
Chiang Mai $1,999

Piliyandala is about 38% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Piliyandala and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Piliyandala 57% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 LKR 1,017

$2.13 ฿71.8

43.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.26 LKR 4,078

$18.62 ฿626

-34.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 LKR 2,541

$5.60 ฿188

36.43%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 856

$1.66 ฿55.9

54.82%

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

$0.73 LKR 243

$0.65 ฿21.75

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.6

$0.30 ฿10.25

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$2.32 ฿78.1

-3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,014

$3.67 ฿123

-16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$2.02 ฿67.8

-21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$1.41 ฿47.34

-60.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$1.39 ฿46.79

-41.73%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$2.37 ฿79.6

-27.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 LKR 5,019

$16.52 ฿555

-8.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 LKR 1,643

$2.67 ฿89.8

85.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 LKR 2,544

$9.02 ฿303

-15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 LKR 2,168

$2.40 ฿80.6

171.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 273

$1.04 ฿35.01

-21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,420

$1.66 ฿55.8

157.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 424

$1.56 ฿52.4

-17.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.24 ฿41.61

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 275

$1.09 ฿36.53

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 LKR 415

$0.76 ฿25.61

64.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.51 ฿17.29

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 LKR 3,452

$4.12 ฿139

151.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 LKR 4,430

$17.93 ฿603

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 623

$1.62 ฿54.6

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 LKR 971

$2.82 ฿94.9

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.93 ฿31.42

-60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$1.18 ฿39.56

-65.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 105

$0.17 ฿5.76

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 291

$1.81 ฿60.9

-51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.47 ฿49.51

-8.84%

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

$42.9K LKR 14.3M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

103.94%

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

$46.2K LKR 15.4M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

74.16%

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

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

$62.6 ฿2,103

-10.68%

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

$4.25 LKR 1,413

$11.60 ฿390

-63.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.79 LKR 6,914

$20.30 ฿683

2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,491

$6.51 ฿219

-31.18%

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

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

$727 ฿24.4K

-94.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

3.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.85 LKR 5,937

$53.5 ฿1,800

-66.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.46 LKR 5,806

$24.80 ฿834

-29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

$90.4 ฿3,039

-13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

$72.0 ฿2,420

-42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$107 LKR 35.6K

$481 ฿16.2K

-77.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.2 LKR 25.0K

$310 ฿10.4K

-75.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LKR 84.0K

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-76.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 LKR 60.1K

$659 ฿22.1K

-72.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 LKR 100.3K

$595 ฿20.0K

-49.31%

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 Piliyandala: 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

Piliyandala

$243 41.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.4% $5.9

Eating Out

Piliyandala

$100 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 23.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Piliyandala

$81 14%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 16.8% $14

Accommodation & Living

Piliyandala

$75 13%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 312% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Piliyandala

$70 12%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 55.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Piliyandala

$9 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 467% $42

Getting Around

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 1595% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $107 in Piliyandala versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Piliyandala versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Piliyandala vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Piliyandala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 = 2.97 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 4, 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Piliyandala Chiang Mai 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Piliyandala
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 61% more than Piliyandala, 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 $870 per month in Piliyandala and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piliyandala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $107 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $580 in Piliyandala and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Piliyandala about 38% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Piliyandala and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $580 in Piliyandala and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Piliyandala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Piliyandala. 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.