Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $506 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$936

/mo nomad

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $506 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pucallpa $506

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $833 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pucallpa $833

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,159 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pucallpa $1,159

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Pucallpa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.33 PEN 8.05

-3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$11.69 PEN 40.35

62.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.13 PEN 17.71

8.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.98 PEN 6.84

-15.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.99 PEN 3.42

-35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.28 PEN 0.95

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.70 PEN 5.86

38.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.36 PEN 8.14

55.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.01 PEN 3.50

93.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$3.66 PEN 12.62

-60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.18 PEN 4.09

12.71%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.78 PEN 6.15

28.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$1.99 PEN 6.88

726.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.17 PEN 14.39

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$3.39 PEN 11.69

174.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.38 PEN 8.23

-1.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.42 PEN 4.90

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.48 PEN 5.09

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.65 PEN 9.16

-43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$2.84 PEN 9.79

-54.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$2.02 PEN 6.96

-45.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$2.36 PEN 8.14

-69.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.01 PEN 3.48

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.60 PEN 15.88

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.99 PEN 27.59

119.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.29 PEN 7.89

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.43 PEN 11.84

-18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.19 PEN 4.11

-26.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.42 PEN 4.90

-18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.59 PEN 2.05

-10.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.28 PEN 4.41

13.28%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$52.5 PEN 181

18.40%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$35.19 PEN 121

-65.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$44.14 PEN 152

-54.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$52.9 PEN 183

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$35.26 PEN 122

-30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$34.67 PEN 120

163.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$67.0 PEN 231

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$116 PEN 399

317.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$236 PEN 814

326.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$126 PEN 436

401.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$408 PEN 1,408

44.59%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pucallpa

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pucallpa

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $116 in Pucallpa. 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 45% 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 $12 in Pucallpa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $204 – making Pucallpa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

04:40 4:40 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

326,040

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pucallpa 18,660 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pucallpa

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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Pucallpa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $759 in Pucallpa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pucallpa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $116 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $506 in Pucallpa. That makes Pucallpa about 46% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pucallpa, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Pucallpa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Pucallpa to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pucallpa. 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.