Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arequipa $709
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arequipa $1,117
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arequipa $1,524
Chiang Mai $1,903

Arequipa is about 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.87

$2.29 ฿76.5

51.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 PEN 95.8

$19.64 ฿656

42.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 PEN 20.37

$5.61 ฿188

5.70%

Cappuccino

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$1.66 ฿55.6

45.78%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$0.70 ฿23.40

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.31 ฿10.24

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 PEN 7.16

$2.41 ฿80.4

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 PEN 14.68

$3.71 ฿124

15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$1.95 ฿65.3

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$1.41 ฿47.03

-3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$1.31 ฿43.62

10.69%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.85

$2.18 ฿72.9

5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PEN 21.47

$16.65 ฿556

-62.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 PEN 15.75

$2.76 ฿92.2

66.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.16

$9.11 ฿304

-19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$2.39 ฿80.0

-26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$1.03 ฿34.26

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$1.63 ฿54.4

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$1.50 ฿50.0

-34.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.29

$1.29 ฿43.13

-48.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$1.11 ฿37.03

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$0.72 ฿24.08

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.60

$0.53 ฿17.59

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 PEN 17.62

$4.31 ฿144

19.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 PEN 17.80

$17.95 ฿600

-71.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.17

$1.58 ฿52.9

68.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PEN 7.90

$2.84 ฿95.0

-19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.86 ฿28.86

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$1.21 ฿40.29

66.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$0.57 ฿18.99

252.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.01 PEN 44.68

$2.35 ฿78.6

453.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.28

$1.44 ฿47.96

6.94%

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

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-8.70%

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

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-6.20%

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

$23.36 PEN 80.2

$62.3 ฿2,083

-62.52%

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

$10.26 PEN 35.24

$12.11 ฿405

-15.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 PEN 80.5

$19.94 ฿666

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 PEN 86.1

$37.07 ฿1,239

-32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 PEN 27.47

$3.78 ฿126

111.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 PEN 25.24

$6.50 ฿217

13.08%

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

$75.3 PEN 258

$793 ฿26.5K

-90.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 PEN 164

$53.7 ฿1,796

-11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 PEN 90.7

$24.62 ฿823

7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PEN 232

$90.9 ฿3,036

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 PEN 198

$71.1 ฿2,378

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,192

$455 ฿15.2K

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 813

$298 ฿9,954

-20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,471

$908 ฿30.4K

-20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 PEN 1,439

$554 ฿18.5K

-24.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 PEN 6,740

$1,931 ฿64.5K

1.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 PEN 3,397

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-31.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 PEN 2,125

$591 ฿19.7K

4.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

169.30%

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

Last update for Arequipa: 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

Arequipa

$237 33.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 25.8% $61

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 35.4% $62

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 20% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 20.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 65.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 25.9% $10

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 361% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Arequipa 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 5% higher in Arequipa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $174 in Arequipa vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

03:08 3:08 AM

12 h ahead of Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

127,240

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Chiang Mai 18,980 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Arequipa 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 Arequipa, 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 $28.00 in Arequipa 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 35% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Arequipa 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. Arequipa costs $709 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 Arequipa. 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.