Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Piura: $701 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Piura
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Piura Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Piura

🇵🇪 Peru

$701

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $701 per month in Piura vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piura $701
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,199 per month in Piura vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piura $1,199
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,696 per month in Piura vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Piura $1,696
Chiang Mai $1,979

Piura is about 25% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Piura and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Piura 48% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 PEN 12.42

$2.24 ฿75.7

60.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.96 PEN 82.6

$19.00 ฿642

26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 PEN 25.05

$5.55 ฿188

30.99%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.38

$1.67 ฿56.6

97.60%

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

$1.05 PEN 3.62

$0.64 ฿21.56

64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.62

$0.31 ฿10.32

145.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 PEN 8.11

$2.36 ฿79.6

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 PEN 10.08

$3.66 ฿124

-20.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.87

$1.95 ฿65.8

-27.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 PEN 8.80

$1.44 ฿48.51

77.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 PEN 5.46

$1.33 ฿45.07

18.80%

Eggs

$2.80 PEN 9.66

$2.28 ฿77.1

22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 PEN 35.74

$16.45 ฿556

-36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 PEN 28.66

$2.78 ฿94.0

198.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 PEN 35.82

$9.31 ฿314

11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.87

$2.35 ฿79.5

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 PEN 4.58

$0.97 ฿32.82

37.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.10

$1.60 ฿53.9

-7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.50 ฿50.7

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.24

$1.28 ฿43.15

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 PEN 2.47

$1.10 ฿37.22

-34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$0.71 ฿23.84

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PEN 4.58

$0.49 ฿16.38

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 PEN 27.29

$4.14 ฿140

91.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 PEN 38.37

$17.52 ฿592

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.24

$1.61 ฿54.5

12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 PEN 9.74

$2.78 ฿94.0

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$0.87 ฿29.33

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.22 PEN 69.7

$54.1 ฿1,827

-62.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 PEN 10.20

$1.16 ฿39.08

155.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 PEN 7.95

$0.53 ฿17.82

335.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 PEN 24.86

$2.42 ฿81.8

197.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 PEN 4.91

$1.45 ฿48.93

-2.07%

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

$22.0K PEN 75.9K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

4.61%

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

$23.4K PEN 80.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-13.28%

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

$40.54 PEN 140

$62.2 ฿2,100

-34.79%

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

$8.57 PEN 29.53

$12.17 ฿411

-29.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.76 PEN 99.1

$37.31 ฿1,260

-22.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$2.33 PEN 8.04

$6.49 ฿219

-64.10%

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

$199 PEN 686

$736 ฿24.9K

-72.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,280 PEN 7,861

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-84.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.70 PEN 147

$53.4 ฿1,802

-19.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.94 PEN 44.60

$24.64 ฿832

-47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.2 PEN 201

$91.5 ฿3,089

-36.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 PEN 255

$71.9 ฿2,429

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 PEN 790

$482 ฿16.3K

-52.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 PEN 453

$309 ฿10.4K

-57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 PEN 1,367

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 PEN 1,378

$633 ฿21.4K

-36.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,803 PEN 13.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

60.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 PEN 1,856

$590 ฿19.9K

-8.73%

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 Piura: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Piura

$250 35.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 6.4% $16

Accommodation & Living

Piura

$131 18.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 135% $178

Eating Out

Piura

$115 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 32.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Piura

$84 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 28.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Piura

$49 * 7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 92.4% $45

Getting Around

Piura

$37 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 64.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Piura

$33 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 50.4% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Piura 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 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 $24 in Piura versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Piura

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

03:01 3:01 AM

12 h ahead of Piura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,495

127,240

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Piura Chiang Mai 18,500 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Piura
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Piura, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,052 per month in Piura 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 Piura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Piura and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $701 in Piura and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Piura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Piura. 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.