Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $711 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$711

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Cajamarca versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Cajamarca $711
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Cajamarca versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Cajamarca $1,189
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,666 in Cajamarca versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Cajamarca $1,666
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 24% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 47% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 PEN 10.70

$2.26 ฿75.4

37.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.79 PEN 98.9

$19.18 ฿641

50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PEN 20.20

$5.59 ฿187

5.19%

Cappuccino

$2.88 PEN 9.89

$1.72 ฿57.6

67.44%

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

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$0.64 ฿21.54

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.94

$0.33 ฿11.18

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 PEN 8.75

$2.36 ฿78.7

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 11.99

$3.90 ฿130

-10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$2.05 ฿68.6

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 PEN 10.69

$1.40 ฿46.70

122.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.35

$1.28 ฿42.89

-0.78%

Eggs

$2.39 PEN 8.19

$2.25 ฿75.3

6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 PEN 24.91

$16.94 ฿566

-57.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 PEN 26.20

$2.74 ฿91.6

178.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 PEN 55.3

$9.36 ฿313

72.01%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.88

$2.40 ฿80.3

-65.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.12

$1.01 ฿33.92

-9.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.92

$1.61 ฿53.9

-29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.87

$1.52 ฿50.7

-44.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.28 ฿42.90

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.11 ฿37.22

-30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.72 ฿24.09

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$0.52 ฿17.54

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 PEN 24.34

$4.33 ฿145

63.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 PEN 39.76

$17.73 ฿593

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.18

$1.63 ฿54.4

63.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.85 ฿95.3

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.03

$0.85 ฿28.31

-30.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.67 PEN 29.76

$53.9 ฿1,801

-83.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 PEN 9.05

$1.17 ฿39.18

125.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 PEN 5.80

$0.57 ฿19.00

196.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 PEN 19.90

$2.37 ฿79.2

144.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 PEN 4.81

$1.45 ฿48.32

-3.45%

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

$23.6K PEN 81.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

15.44%

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

$28.5K PEN 98.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

7.68%

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

$58.0 PEN 199

$62.3 ฿2,083

-6.93%

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

$9.31 PEN 31.96

$12.27 ฿410

-24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.16 PEN 69.2

$19.97 ฿668

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.98 PEN 113

$37.91 ฿1,267

-13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 PEN 60.0

$3.76 ฿126

364.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 PEN 12.82

$6.71 ฿224

-44.41%

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

$147 PEN 505

$797 ฿26.6K

-81.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,322 PEN 14.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-70.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 PEN 147

$53.3 ฿1,780

-19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 PEN 98.8

$25.05 ฿837

14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 PEN 254

$91.6 ฿3,062

-19.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 PEN 249

$73.5 ฿2,455

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 683

$464 ฿15.5K

-57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 401

$305 ฿10.2K

-61.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 PEN 1,766

$915 ฿30.6K

-43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 PEN 1,076

$552 ฿18.5K

-43.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 PEN 1,913

$595 ฿19.9K

-6.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 2.6% $6.2

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$117 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 161% $188

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 22.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$98 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 11.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$87 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 8.1% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.9% $11

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 177% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cajamarca vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

22:52 10:52 PM

12 h ahead of Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca Chiang Mai 18,690 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
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

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

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Cajamarca versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 522% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Cajamarca versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $711 in Cajamarca versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.