Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $707 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485
Chiang Mai $1,903

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$2.29 ฿76.5

67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$19.64 ฿656

28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$5.61 ฿188

36.36%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$1.66 ฿55.6

54.82%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.70 ฿23.40

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.31 ฿10.24

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$2.41 ฿80.4

-7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$3.71 ฿124

-19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$1.95 ฿65.3

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$1.41 ฿47.03

-58.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$1.31 ฿43.62

-43.51%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$2.18 ฿72.9

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$16.65 ฿556

-17.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$2.76 ฿92.2

59.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$9.11 ฿304

-41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$2.39 ฿80.0

159.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.03 ฿34.26

-18.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$1.63 ฿54.4

167.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$1.50 ฿50.0

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.29 ฿43.13

-32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.11 ฿37.03

-26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$0.72 ฿24.08

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.53 ฿17.59

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$4.31 ฿144

112.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$17.95 ฿600

-29.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.58 ฿52.9

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

$2.84 ฿95.0

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$1.21 ฿40.29

-74.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.57 ฿18.99

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$2.35 ฿78.6

-62.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$1.44 ฿47.96

-20.14%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

109.79%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

52.92%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-26.81%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$12.11 ฿405

-64.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

$19.94 ฿666

-39.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$37.07 ฿1,239

-59.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$6.50 ฿217

-52.62%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

$793 ฿26.5K

-95.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-93.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$53.7 ฿1,796

-65.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

$24.62 ฿823

-31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-41.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$455 ฿15.2K

-32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$298 ฿9,954

-24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

$908 ฿30.4K

-51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$554 ฿18.5K

-31.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-64.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-63.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.8K

$591 ฿19.7K

-49.54%

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 33.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 6.2% $14

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 25.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 54.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 51.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 138% $29

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 2663% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $455 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 98% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Chiang Mai 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 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 $1,060 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs $707 versus $925 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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.