Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tacna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $439 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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

Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $439 in Tacna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tacna $439

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $629 in Tacna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tacna $629

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $819 in Tacna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tacna $819

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Tacna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Tacna are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tacna 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.85 PEN 9.83

-21.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$14.63 PEN 50.4

29.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.03 PEN 17.33

10.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.41 PEN 11.76

-51.03%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.18 PEN 4.07

-45.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.43 PEN 1.47

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.97 PEN 10.24

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.49 PEN 12.03

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.19 PEN 4.10

63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.42 PEN 4.90

1.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.88 PEN 3.03

51.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.77 PEN 6.10

28.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$4.46 PEN 15.36

268.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.71 PEN 16.24

-40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.48 PEN 29.23

9.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.47 PEN 5.07

-34.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.86 PEN 2.96

86.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.71 PEN 2.46

80.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.71 PEN 2.45

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.24 PEN 14.61

-2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.51 PEN 22.44

169.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.58 PEN 8.89

-37.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.28 PEN 0.96

210.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.93 PEN 6.66

-39.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.21 PEN 66.2

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$25.77 PEN 88.8

-21.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$29.78 PEN 103

25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.63 PEN 9.08

146.77%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$57.1 PEN 197

1190.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$20.68 PEN 71.3

158.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$20.44 PEN 70.5

20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$26.31 PEN 90.7

173.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$71.0 PEN 245

335.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$457 PEN 1,574

29.19%

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 Tacna: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tacna

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tacna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tacna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tacna

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tacna

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tacna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tacna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 29% 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 $15 in Tacna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $148 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇪 Tacna

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

18:48 6:48 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

92,972

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tacna 18,880 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tacna

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 Tacna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Tacna, 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 $659 in Tacna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $15 in Tacna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $439, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Tacna 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 $439 in Tacna to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Tacna. 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.