Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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

Jump to prices

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $656 per month in Iquitos vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquitos $656
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,177 per month in Iquitos vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquitos $1,177
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,697 per month in Iquitos vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquitos $1,697
Chiang Mai $1,999

Iquitos is about 30% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iquitos and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Iquitos 52% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 PEN 14.56

$2.13 ฿71.2

98.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.33 PEN 129

$18.62 ฿622

100.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.35

$5.60 ฿187

26.25%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.75

$1.66 ฿55.5

105.42%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.85

$0.65 ฿21.59

27.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$0.30 ฿10.18

96.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 PEN 10.06

$2.32 ฿77.5

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 PEN 24.75

$3.67 ฿122

95.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$2.02 ฿67.3

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PEN 7.78

$1.41 ฿47.00

60.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.95

$2.37 ฿79.0

9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 PEN 11.03

$2.67 ฿89.1

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.51 ฿17.16

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

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

$35.08 PEN 121

$62.6 ฿2,088

-43.93%

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

$11.15 PEN 38.37

$11.60 ฿387

-3.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 PEN 29.55

$20.30 ฿678

-57.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 PEN 102

$37.88 ฿1,264

-21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.61

$3.70 ฿123

140.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 PEN 19.38

$6.51 ฿217

-13.52%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,502

$16.6K ฿553.2K

-83.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 PEN 301

$53.5 ฿1,787

63.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 PEN 118

$24.80 ฿828

38.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 PEN 180

$90.4 ฿3,017

-42.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.33 PEN 90.6

$72.0 ฿2,402

-63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,195

$481 ฿16.1K

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 PEN 902

$310 ฿10.3K

-15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 PEN 2,953

$1,058 ฿35.3K

-18.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 PEN 2,471

$659 ฿22.0K

9.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 PEN 1,995

$595 ฿19.9K

-2.57%

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 Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Iquitos versus $481 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 3% 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 $37 in Iquitos versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $77 in Iquitos vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Iquitos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

05:23 5:23 AM

12 h ahead of Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

127,240

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iquitos Chiang Mai 18,140 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Iquitos, 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 $983 per month in Iquitos and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $656 in Iquitos and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Iquitos about 30% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 208% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. 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.