Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $867 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
Learn more

Trujillo Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $867 in Trujillo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Trujillo $867

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,330 in Trujillo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Trujillo $1,330

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Trujillo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Trujillo $1,793

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Trujillo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Trujillo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.52 PEN 12.09

-34.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$23.28 PEN 79.9

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.23 PEN 24.83

-22.41%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.25 PEN 11.16

-48.92%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.95 PEN 3.27

-26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.64 PEN 2.21

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.04 PEN 7.01

18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.55 PEN 12.18

4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.37 PEN 4.69

42.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.13 PEN 3.87

15.93%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.04 PEN 13.86

-46.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.80 PEN 26.80

113.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.47 PEN 22.23

-57.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.98 PEN 30.84

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.61 PEN 5.54

48.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.56 PEN 1.92

83.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.60 PEN 2.05

171.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.84 PEN 2.89

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.92 PEN 3.15

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.17 PEN 4.02

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.27 PEN 4.37

-43.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.13 PEN 3.86

-53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.32 PEN 14.85

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.75 PEN 19.74

212.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.75 PEN 6.02

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.55 PEN 5.34

83.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.61 PEN 2.09

40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$17.48 PEN 60.0

204.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.44 PEN 8.36

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.22 PEN 7.61

-74.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.68 PEN 19.49

-58.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.61 PEN 5.54

-10.56%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$17.4K PEN 59.8K

18.98%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.3K PEN 93.8K

-1.88%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$97.0 PEN 333

-35.72%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$13.04 PEN 44.78

-7.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$27.64 PEN 94.9

-27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$40.30 PEN 138

-8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$5.65 PEN 19.40

-33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.42 PEN 15.17

47.06%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$110 PEN 378

620.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,117 PEN 7,270

599.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$71.2 PEN 245

-24.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$14.32 PEN 49.18

71.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$46.74 PEN 161

94.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$44.36 PEN 152

60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$384 PEN 1,318

18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$253 PEN 868

17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$730 PEN 2,506

24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$493 PEN 1,694

12.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,166 PEN 4,005

65.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$539 PEN 1,851

9.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.7

-52.39%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Trujillo

$253 29.2% 15.1% $45

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Trujillo

$202 23.3% 14.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Trujillo

$79 9.2% 26.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Trujillo

$138 15.9% 45.8% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Trujillo

$113 13% 43.2% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Trujillo

$33 3.9% 45% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Trujillo

$49 5.7% 1.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $384 in Trujillo. 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 10% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Trujillo. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Trujillo – so Trujillo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

07:33 7:33 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

314,939

💱 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Trujillo 18,810 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Trujillo

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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,300 in Trujillo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trujillo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $110 in Trujillo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Trujillo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Trujillo costs $867 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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