Chiang Mai vs Colombo Cost of Living
Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0 — Colombo (Sri Lanka) · Overall index 23.5
Summary
- Overall, Colombo is 10% cheaper than Chiang Mai.
- Dining out in Colombo is 18% cheaper than in Chiang Mai.
- Transport in Colombo is 15% cheaper than in Chiang Mai.
| Item | Chiang Mai | Colombo | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -3% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $477 | $401 | -16% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $325 | $294 | -10% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $805 | $907 | +13% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $542 | $551 | +2% |
| Groceries | -10% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.53 | $0.38 | -28% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.44 | $1.33 | -8% |
| Rice (1kg) | $1.68 | $1.53 | -9% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.78 | $1.65 | -7% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $4.79 | $4.78 | 0% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $4.84 | $3.8 | -21% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $6.72 | $6.4 | -5% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.14 | $1.9 | -11% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.79 | $0.76 | -4% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.47 | -19% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.21 | $1.65 | -25% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.07 | $1.03 | -4% |
| Onions (1kg) | $0.94 | $1.03 | +10% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $0.93 | $0.9 | -3% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.87 | $0.77 | -11% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $5.67 | $5.1 | -10% |
| Transport | -15% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.71 | $0.73 | +3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $38.2 | $29.1 | -24% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.11 | $1.08 | -3% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.56 | $0.46 | -18% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.29 | $0.23 | -21% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $8,510 | $6,291 | -26% |
| Dining out | -18% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.98 | $5.91 | -15% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $40 | $33.3 | -17% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.87 | $3.2 | -17% |
| Cappuccino | $1.62 | $1.39 | -14% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.9 | $0.62 | -31% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.41 | $1.91 | -21% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.63 | $2.12 | -19% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.64 | $0.57 | -11% |
| Telecom | +2% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $24.9 | $24.2 | -3% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $26.6 | $28.7 | +8% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.15 | $0.14 | -7% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $6.1 | $6.7 | +10% |
| Utilities & household | -11% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $67.6 | $60.9 | -10% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.08 | $0.07 | -12% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.58 | $1.62 | +3% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.56 | $0.44 | -21% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $8.03 | $7.6 | -5% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $32.5 | $28.4 | -13% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.4 | $4.67 | -27% |
| Men's haircut | $10.6 | $10.3 | -3% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.66 | $9.02 | -7% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $810 | $699 | -14% |
3,515 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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