Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Iquitos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $656 in Iquitos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Iquitos $656

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,177 in Iquitos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Iquitos $1,177

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,697 in Iquitos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Iquitos $1,697

Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Iquitos are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Iquitos 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$4.23 PEN 14.56

-49.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$37.33 PEN 128

-50.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$7.07 PEN 24.34

-20.79%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.41 PEN 11.75

-51.32%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.83 PEN 2.85

-21.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.59 PEN 2.05

-49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$2.92 PEN 10.06

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$7.19 PEN 24.74

-48.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.69 PEN 5.82

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$2.26 PEN 7.78

-37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.60 PEN 8.95

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$3.21 PEN 11.03

-16.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$35.08 PEN 121

78.34%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$11.15 PEN 38.36

4.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$8.58 PEN 29.54

136.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$29.56 PEN 102

28.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.89 PEN 30.60

-58.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$5.63 PEN 19.37

15.63%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$2,760 PEN 9,499

500.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$87.4 PEN 301

-38.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$34.33 PEN 118

-27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$52.4 PEN 180

72.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$26.33 PEN 90.6

173.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$347 PEN 1,195

38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$262 PEN 902

18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$858 PEN 2,952

23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$718 PEN 2,471

-8.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$580 PEN 1,994

2.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $347 in Iquitos. 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 3% 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Iquitos. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $77 in Iquitos – so Iquitos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

07:31 7:31 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

32,853

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Iquitos 18,140 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Iquitos, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $983 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $656 in Iquitos. That makes Iquitos about 30% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 208% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.