Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiclayo and Chiang Mai

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.

Chiclayo, Peru
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiclayo
🇵🇪 Peru
$998
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

  • Chiclayo $998
  • Chiang Mai $936

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

  • Chiclayo $1,584
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

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

  • Chiclayo $2,170
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Chiclayo costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.15 PEN 17.84
$2.24 ฿75.6
129.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.69 PEN 120
$19.00 ฿641
82.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.75 PEN 30.33
$5.55 ฿187
57.66%
Cappuccino
$4.23 PEN 14.67
$1.67 ฿56.5
153.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 PEN 3.15
$0.64 ฿21.54
42.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 PEN 1.58
$0.31 ฿10.31
48.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.44 PEN 29.27
$2.36 ฿79.5
257.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.66 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 PEN 7.78
$1.95 ฿65.7
15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 PEN 7.90
$1.44 ฿48.46
58.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 PEN 7.59
$1.33 ฿45.03
64.66%
Eggs
$2.38 PEN 8.27
$2.28 ฿77.1
4.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.53 PEN 22.62
$16.45 ฿555
-60.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.10 PEN 21.15
$2.78 ฿93.9
119.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.88 PEN 34.26
$9.31 ฿314
6.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 PEN 8.48
$2.35 ฿79.4
4.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 PEN 6.62
$0.97 ฿32.79
96.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 PEN 8.55
$1.60 ฿53.9
54.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 PEN 6.24
$1.50 ฿50.6
20.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 PEN 4.04
$1.28 ฿43.11
-8.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 PEN 7.74
$1.10 ฿37.18
102.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 PEN 2.25
$0.71 ฿23.82
-8.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 PEN 3.17
$0.49 ฿16.36
85.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.23 PEN 18.14
$4.14 ฿140
26.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.15 PEN 42.10
$17.52 ฿591
-30.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 PEN 5.18
$1.61 ฿54.5
-6.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 PEN 6.21
$2.78 ฿93.9
-35.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 PEN 2.69
$0.87 ฿29.30
-10.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.38 PEN 102
$54.1 ฿1,825
-45.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 PEN 11.08
$1.16 ฿39.04
175.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.92 PEN 10.14
$0.53 ฿17.80
450.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.29 PEN 21.79
$2.42 ฿81.7
159.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 PEN 4.54
$1.45 ฿48.88
-9.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K PEN 84.3K
$21.1K ฿710.5K
15.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K PEN 85.0K
$26.9K ฿909.0K
-9.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.50 PEN 168
$62.2 ฿2,098
-21.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.67 PEN 92.5
$12.17 ฿411
119.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.71 PEN 110
$20.12 ฿679
57.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 PEN 213
$37.31 ฿1,259
64.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.15 PEN 87.2
$3.77 ฿127
567.11%
Cinema Ticket
$7.82 PEN 27.12
$6.49 ฿219
20.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$248 PEN 858
$736 ฿24.8K
-66.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,008 PEN 13.9K
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-72.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 PEN 174
$53.4 ฿1,801
-5.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.7 PEN 207
$24.64 ฿831
142.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$198 PEN 688
$91.5 ฿3,087
116.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 PEN 510
$71.9 ฿2,427
104.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 PEN 828
$482 ฿16.3K
-50.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$150 PEN 519
$309 ฿10.4K
-51.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$447 PEN 1,548
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-55.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$254 PEN 880
$633 ฿21.4K
-59.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,106 PEN 3,834
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-53.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,073 PEN 3,720
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-32.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiclayo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$504 PEN 1,749
$590 ฿19.9K
-14.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
5.57
97.49%

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

Last update for Chiclayo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Chiclayo
$243
Chiang Mai
$234 3.4% $8.4
Clothing & Footwear
Chiclayo
$205
Chiang Mai
$109 47% $96
Eating Out
Chiclayo
$166 *
Chiang Mai
$78 53.2% $88
Accommodation & Living
Chiclayo
$150
Chiang Mai
$309 107% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiclayo
$107
Chiang Mai
$94 11.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Chiclayo
$77
Chiang Mai
$50 34.8% $27
Getting Around
Chiclayo
$50
Chiang Mai
$61 22% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know
🇵🇪 Chiclayo
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
02:21 2:21 AM
12 h ahead of Chiclayo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,325
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiclayo Chiang Mai 18,670 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiclayo
  • Chiang Mai

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
Chiclayo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiclayo or Chiang Mai?
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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiclayo and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Chiclayo and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiclayo or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiclayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiclayo and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $248 per month in Chiclayo and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiclayo or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Chiclayo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiclayo or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $998 in Chiclayo and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiclayo or Chiang Mai?
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.

Chiclayo vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?