Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Pisco: $660 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Pisco
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Pisco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Pisco

🇵🇪 Peru

$660

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $660 per month in Pisco vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pisco $660
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Pisco vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pisco $1,023
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,386 per month in Pisco vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pisco $1,386
Chiang Mai $1,903

Pisco is about 29% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pisco and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pisco 51% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 PEN 14.59

$2.29 ฿76.5

85.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 PEN 120

$19.64 ฿656

78.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 PEN 24.37

$5.61 ฿188

26.38%

Cappuccino

$3.19 PEN 10.95

$1.66 ฿55.6

92.17%

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

$1.07 PEN 3.69

$0.70 ฿23.40

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$0.31 ฿10.24

109.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 PEN 9.02

$2.41 ฿80.4

9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 PEN 15.21

$3.71 ฿124

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.66

$1.95 ฿65.3

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.96

$1.41 ฿47.03

64.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.30

$1.31 ฿43.62

-4.58%

Eggs

$1.30 PEN 4.45

$2.18 ฿72.9

-40.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 PEN 22.50

$16.65 ฿556

-60.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 PEN 16.66

$2.76 ฿92.2

75.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 PEN 21.81

$9.11 ฿304

-30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$2.39 ฿80.0

-43.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.42

$1.03 ฿34.26

-2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.86

$1.63 ฿54.4

-12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.50 ฿50.0

-62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.55

$1.29 ฿43.13

-65.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.11 ฿37.03

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.09

$0.72 ฿24.08

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.95

$0.53 ฿17.59

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$4.31 ฿144

33.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 PEN 29.43

$17.95 ฿600

-52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 PEN 6.70

$1.58 ฿52.9

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$2.84 ฿95.0

-14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$0.86 ฿28.86

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 PEN 121

$53.3 ฿1,780

-33.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.40

$1.21 ฿40.29

222.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.04

$0.57 ฿18.99

259.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 PEN 24.56

$2.35 ฿78.6

204.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 PEN 5.72

$1.44 ฿47.96

15.97%

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

$21.7K PEN 74.7K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

4.91%

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

$26.1K PEN 89.5K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.75%

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

$42.69 PEN 147

$62.3 ฿2,083

-31.51%

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

$16.08 PEN 55.2

$12.11 ฿405

32.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.50 PEN 39.51

$19.94 ฿666

-42.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.40 PEN 70.1

$37.07 ฿1,239

-44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.49 PEN 29.15

$3.78 ฿126

124.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 PEN 25.05

$6.50 ฿217

12.15%

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

$178 PEN 611

$793 ฿26.5K

-77.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.2K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-13.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 PEN 181

$53.7 ฿1,796

-1.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.11 PEN 45.03

$24.62 ฿823

-46.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.22 PEN 159

$90.9 ฿3,036

-49.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.60 PEN 119

$71.1 ฿2,378

-51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 PEN 553

$455 ฿15.2K

-64.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 PEN 448

$298 ฿9,954

-56.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 PEN 504

$554 ฿18.5K

-73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 PEN 6,141

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-7.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 PEN 4,642

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-6.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 PEN 1,911

$591 ฿19.7K

-5.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

5.57

60.50%

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

Last update for Pisco: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pisco

$183 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 28.9% $53

Accommodation & Living

Pisco

$130 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 128% $167

Eating Out

Pisco

$122 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 35.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pisco

$70 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 34.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Pisco

$66 10%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 63.8% $42

Getting Around

Pisco

$53 8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 14.7% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Pisco

$35 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 43.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $161 in Pisco versus $455 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 6% 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 $35.00 in Pisco versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Pisco vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Pisco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pisco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

21:51 9:51 PM

12 h ahead of Pisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,917

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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pisco Chiang Mai 19,250 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Pisco
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Pisco, 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 $990 per month in Pisco and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $178 per month in Pisco and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pisco, where all-in costs run around $660, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Pisco 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. Pisco costs $660 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 Pisco. 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.