Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $692 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$692

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco 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 Cusco and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $692 per month in Cusco vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cusco $692
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Cusco vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cusco $1,102
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Cusco vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cusco $1,512
Chiang Mai $1,914

Cusco is about 26% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cusco and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cusco 49% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.11

$2.26 ฿75.4

-8.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.09 PEN 69.0

$19.18 ฿641

4.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 PEN 22.28

$5.59 ฿187

16.10%

Cappuccino

$2.18 PEN 7.48

$1.72 ฿57.6

26.74%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.67

$0.64 ฿21.54

21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.12

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.83

$2.36 ฿78.7

-27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 PEN 14.51

$3.90 ฿130

8.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 PEN 4.33

$2.05 ฿68.6

-38.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 PEN 7.92

$1.40 ฿46.70

65.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$1.28 ฿42.89

1.56%

Eggs

$3.52 PEN 12.07

$2.25 ฿75.3

56.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 PEN 16.07

$16.94 ฿566

-72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 PEN 15.08

$2.74 ฿91.6

60.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 PEN 24.44

$9.36 ฿313

-23.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 PEN 9.15

$2.40 ฿80.3

10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$1.01 ฿33.92

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.89

$1.61 ฿53.9

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.09

$1.52 ฿50.7

-40.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$1.28 ฿42.90

-19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 PEN 3.85

$1.11 ฿37.22

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.84

$0.72 ฿24.09

-26.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$0.52 ฿17.54

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 PEN 20.13

$17.73 ฿593

-66.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 PEN 6.63

$1.63 ฿54.4

18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 PEN 14.18

$2.85 ฿95.3

44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.85 ฿28.31

-67.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 PEN 5.94

$1.17 ฿39.18

47.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 PEN 6.58

$0.57 ฿19.00

236.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 PEN 10.10

$2.37 ฿79.2

24.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.39

$1.45 ฿48.32

8.28%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$29.2K PEN 100.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

10.20%

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

$28.88 PEN 99.2

$62.3 ฿2,083

-53.67%

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

$14.39 PEN 49.41

$12.27 ฿410

17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 PEN 151

$19.97 ฿668

120.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$37.91 ฿1,267

-23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 PEN 15.35

$6.71 ฿224

-33.38%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.01 PEN 127

$53.3 ฿1,780

-30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 PEN 117

$25.05 ฿837

35.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 PEN 187

$91.6 ฿3,062

-40.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 PEN 252

$73.5 ฿2,455

-0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 PEN 736

$464 ฿15.5K

-53.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 PEN 666

$305 ฿10.2K

-36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 PEN 1,850

$915 ฿30.6K

-41.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,446

$552 ฿18.5K

-23.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 PEN 10.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

66.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,825 PEN 6,269

$1,438 ฿48.1K

26.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PEN 1,442

$595 ฿19.9K

-29.44%

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 Cusco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$194 28%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 57.1% $111

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 27.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 22.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$87 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 8.3% $7.2

Eating Out

Cusco

$84 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 5.4% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$38 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 34.8% $13

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 394% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Cusco versus $464 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 42% 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 Cusco versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cusco vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Cusco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

12 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

127,240

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cusco Chiang Mai 18,890 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
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

Cusco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Cusco, 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 $1,037 per month in Cusco and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $692 in Cusco and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 36%.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Cusco, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Cusco 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. Cusco costs $692 versus $938 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 Cusco. 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.