Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chiclayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $998 in Chiclayo, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Chiclayo despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Chiclayo
Learn more

Chiclayo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Chiclayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Chiclayo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Chiclayo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $998 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Chiclayo $998

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,584 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Chiclayo $1,584

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,170 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Chiclayo $2,170

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Chiclayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Chiclayo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Chiclayo 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.15 PEN 17.84

-56.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$34.69 PEN 120

-45.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.75 PEN 30.33

-36.57%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.23 PEN 14.67

-60.52%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.91 PEN 3.15

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.46 PEN 1.58

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$8.44 PEN 29.27

-72.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.25 PEN 7.78

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.28 PEN 7.90

-36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.19 PEN 7.59

-39.27%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.38 PEN 8.27

-4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.53 PEN 22.62

151.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.10 PEN 21.15

-54.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.88 PEN 34.26

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.45 PEN 8.48

-4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.91 PEN 6.62

-49.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.47 PEN 8.55

-35.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.80 PEN 6.24

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.17 PEN 4.04

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$2.23 PEN 7.74

-50.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.65 PEN 2.25

9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.91 PEN 3.17

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.23 PEN 18.14

-20.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.15 PEN 42.10

44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.50 PEN 5.18

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.79 PEN 6.21

55.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.78 PEN 2.69

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$29.38 PEN 102

84.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$3.20 PEN 11.08

-63.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.92 PEN 10.14

-81.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$6.29 PEN 21.79

-61.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.31 PEN 4.54

10.69%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$24.3K PEN 84.3K

-13.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$24.5K PEN 85.0K

9.89%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$48.50 PEN 168

28.19%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$26.67 PEN 92.5

-54.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$31.71 PEN 110

-36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$61.5 PEN 213

-39.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$25.15 PEN 87.2

-85.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.82 PEN 27.12

-17.01%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$248 PEN 858

197.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$4,008 PEN 13.9K

268.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$50.2 PEN 174

6.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$59.7 PEN 207

-58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$198 PEN 688

-53.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$147 PEN 510

-51.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$239 PEN 828

101.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$150 PEN 519

106.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$447 PEN 1,548

125.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$254 PEN 880

149.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,106 PEN 3,834

113.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,073 PEN 3,720

48.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$504 PEN 1,749

16.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiclayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Chiclayo

$150 15% 51.6% $159

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Chiclayo

$243 24.3% 3.6% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Chiclayo

$205 20.6% 88.7% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Chiclayo

$107 10.7% 13.1% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Chiclayo

$166 * 16.6% 114% $88

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Chiclayo

$50 5% 18% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Chiclayo

$77 7.7% 53.4% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $239 in Chiclayo. 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 17% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Chiclayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇪 Chiclayo

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

17:41 5:41 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,325

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Chiclayo 18,670 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Chiclayo

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

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

Chiclayo costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,496 in Chiclayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiclayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $248 in Chiclayo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chiclayo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $998 in Chiclayo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $998 in Chiclayo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.