Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $619 per month in Piura vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Piura vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,427 per month in Piura vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piura is about 27% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Piura and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Piura 54% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 PEN 9.56

$2.04 ฿68.4

37.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.89 PEN 37.05

$18.71 ฿626

-41.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PEN 19.07

$7.86 ฿263

-28.63%

Cappuccino

$3.28 PEN 11.15

$2.03 ฿67.9

61.58%

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

$1.71 PEN 5.83

$0.80 ฿26.71

113.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 PEN 1.80

$0.35 ฿11.71

51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 PEN 7.78

$2.14 ฿71.7

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PEN 9.29

$3.67 ฿123

-25.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 PEN 3.84

$1.73 ฿57.8

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.24

$1.57 ฿52.5

91.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.63

$1.20 ฿40.10

13.33%

Eggs

$2.04 PEN 6.94

$1.97 ฿66.0

3.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 PEN 27.82

$16.23 ฿543

-49.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 PEN 24.46

$3.06 ฿102

134.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 PEN 31.49

$10.80 ฿361

-14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.40

$2.77 ฿92.6

-53.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.88

$1.17 ฿39.05

-27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PEN 2.70

$1.71 ฿57.1

-53.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.72

$1.59 ฿53.3

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.17

$1.39 ฿46.63

-11.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.87

$1.16 ฿38.67

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.81

$0.66 ฿22.11

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 PEN 2.71

$0.52 ฿17.35

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.28 PEN 28.17

$4.65 ฿155

78.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 PEN 38.23

$17.78 ฿595

-36.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 PEN 6.21

$1.79 ฿59.8

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PEN 9.40

$3.34 ฿112

-17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 PEN 1.48

$0.91 ฿30.35

-52.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.84

$1.41 ฿47.17

21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 PEN 5.43

$1.34 ฿44.82

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 PEN 19.11

$8.11 ฿271

-30.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PEN 4.73

$1.23 ฿41.27

13.01%

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

$21.4K ฿717.0K

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

$21.8K ฿730.0K

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

$38.69 PEN 132

$71.3 ฿2,386

-45.76%

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

$8.21 PEN 27.92

$14.01 ฿469

-41.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿600

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.18 PEN 95.9

$40.82 ฿1,365

-30.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$2.26 PEN 7.68

$5.72 ฿191

-60.49%

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

$189 PEN 643

$308 ฿10.3K

-38.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,217 PEN 7,538

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-84.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.92 PEN 139

$55.8 ฿1,865

-26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.39 PEN 42.13

$26.04 ฿871

-52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 PEN 192

$84.8 ฿2,837

-33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 PEN 240

$71.0 ฿2,375

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 PEN 477

$423 ฿14.2K

-66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 PEN 433

$242 ฿8,110

-47.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 PEN 1,127

$797 ฿26.7K

-58.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 PEN 1,308

$507 ฿17.0K

-24.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 PEN 12.7K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

95.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$540 PEN 1,837

$595 ฿19.9K

-9.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Piura: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $140 in Piura versus $423 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 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 $11.00 in Piura versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $244 – making Piura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 38% more than Piura, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $928 per month in Piura and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Piura and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $619 in Piura and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Piura costs $619 versus $852 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 Piura. 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.