Cost of living in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai among the highest in ASEAN

[Suradit69]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 

Numbeo claims to be the “world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide

Well if they claim to be the biggest and best, it must be true.  Luckily we know in this day of dubious claims, at least we can feel certain about anything that we find on the Internet.

[Nyezhov]

10 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Depends on how bad they ruin your health. 

Just amortize a few stents over your smoking life. Adds pennies a pack

[Pravda]

Just now, Nyezhov said:

I'm in the intercontinental having Sunday Brunch with Foi Gras for a cost of over 2000baht. Eat your hearts out you filthy peasants. Ban Noks all of you. I think I'll have some caviar now.

 

PS: I have some ziplock bags in my pack,got to get me some beef and sushi for the ride....

 

1000b (for two) with a voucher from many online merchants. Ate at IC a few times. Not the greatest brunch and full of Chinese picking decorations from a cake and eating it on the spot.

 

Disgusting. 

[Jadam]

5 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

"Wife allowance" 20 k

Health insurance + deductibles 25k

Electricity/water             6k

Cars Ins+petrol+main      8k  

Gardener                       6k

Here's 65k of your expenses right here.  I won't pry into why your insurance and wife allowance are what they are, but...

 

You must have a huge house with central air and a huge garden that requires a live-in gardener for those rates.  Or someone is paying your bills for you and skimming.

 

My gardeners charge us 400 baht each time they come (that's for 4-6 people), about every 3 weeks when it's rainy (less when it's not).

 

New car would be that much if you include lease payment but now it's paid off could do with 1k per month fuel and 10-15k per year maintenance.

Electricity is about 2k per month with two air conditioned bedrooms, a bit less when it's cool and we open the windows some nights.

 

When I was going to school I survived on 14k per month after I paid tuition and I still had enough for the occasional pint.  Some expenses are unavoidable, but we all make lifestyle choices too.

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...The website said the monthly costs for a single person to live in Bangkok was 21,017.40฿ without rent..."

 

21,017 a month WITHOUT rent? What the hell do people do in Bangkok that is so expensive?

 

I live on Koh Samui, modestly but comfortably, for around that much including rent.

 

PS To be fair, I neither smoke nor drink; those are two of the more expensive habits...

 

 

 

Guess it's lifestyle choices. 

 

Many people living in Bangkok, and other cities will drink alcohol which is expensive, possibly smoke which is still pretty cheap here, and dine out in restaurants in the Malls or large Hotels. Do that a few times a week and the expense shoots up. 

 

Not everyone is comfortable eating at the roadside restaurants or from street vendors; and many don't like to cook or eat meals at home.

 

We don't eat out so much as we used to because the costs have noticeably increases. We don't drink alcohol which helps keep the costs acceptable.

 

All a matter of choice. 

[khunPer]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...The website said the monthly costs for a single person to live in Bangkok was 21,017.40฿ without rent..."

 

21,017 a month WITHOUT rent? What the hell do people do in Bangkok that is so expensive?

 

I live on Koh Samui, modestly but comfortably, for around that much including rent.

 

PS To be fair, I neither smoke nor drink; those are two of the more expensive habits...

It's easy to spend money, depending of life-style; even one don't smoke or drink alcohol.

 

Yes, I could live for less – including rent – at Samui, when living a simple life; we could actually live two grownups for little under 25,000 baht a month, and I smoked a bit (tobacco) at that time.

 

Today it's hard to "survive" for 50,000 baht a month only for two grownups and a teen – without rent, and school expenses, and any extras, but including transportation in/on fully paid vehicles – presume we have upgraded our life-style, but we don't smoke, and only occasionally enjoy a glass of normal "healthy" wine for dinner at home (we otherwise almost never drink alcohol).

 

But if you for example look at food choices, you can live from next to nothing – like many Thais do, or need to – to spending a minor fortune, or at least a double-up on the food budget, or lack of same. Do you for example buy chicken, pork or beef?; do you buy affordable fish, or is seafood instead musles and oysters?; potatoes and gourmet bred instead of rice?; even plain milk is available in superstores as high end double-priced product from "happy cows that listen to music and get massage" (we've tried it, and it actually taste better, but that might be mind placebo, as it has to taste better for that price); etc.

 

 

Most of the cost-of-living index has some similarity quotas to be able to compare prices, one can easily live (a lot) cheaper than the prices used in those index (however, I'm not sure if the cows are equal happy)...????

 

The most expensive about living expenses in Thailand is when one originates from Europe, as one's income has been reduced by some 20 percent due to currency exchange rates...????

[Bkkthebest]

6 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Don't see what's hilarious there. Numbeo is an excellent resource, that reconciles inputs collected from its users. 

Just to give an idea for a family of 4 in issan:

"Wife allowance" 20 k

Health insurance + deductibles 25k

Electricity/water             6k

Police (red box + other) 1k

School                         4k

Cars Ins+petrol+main      8k  

Gardener                       6k

Internet                         1k

So we are at 81k without even mentionning food/wine/clothing/holidays etc...

 

Bottom line is for a normal middle class life I'll need 200k, since we are still improving the house I am still denting my savings. and I have given up on the pool.

Seriously, wife allowance? Is this a joke? 

[tlandtday]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

I have watched my standard of living being eroded over fifteen years.  My state pension has been frozen by the UK Gov.  Thailand continues to inflate prices for staple food stuffs/services.  I am teetering on the brink of emigrating - new Immigration rules may push me over the edge.

It's largely the Wall Street play on commodities years ago that sent food prices soaring and of course they never returned to where they were.... now add to that inflation and it has screwed a lot of people particularly Thais.

[Pravda]

Just now, Nyezhov said:

No Chinese today Mr. Oliver Twist.

 

Come on man! IC and the adjacent Holiday Inn is like San Francisco Chinatown - every single day.

 

Are we talking about the same Inter Continental? 

[kiteman9]

6 hours ago, jaltsc said:

"Many of the destinations popular with expats and foreign retirees to Thailand are some of the most expensive cities to live in ASEAN."

And best of all, retirees get to deposit into a Thai bank 800,000 baht, which does not accrue interest, for the privilege of living among people who love and appreciate how much they contribute to the local economy.  

Or 65,000 baht each month, which you can spend.

[kannot]

6 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

"Wife allowance" 20 k

make the lazy  bugger  work

[tabarin]

Currently in outer Chiang Mai for 2 adults + baby:
- Rent: 8,500
- Utilities / Internet: 2,000

- Mobile Internet 2x: 1,000

- Netflix, Spotify: 500

- Food / wife: 15,000

- Baby: 5,000

- Visa reserve: 2,000

- Fuel / Grab taxi's: 1,500

- Entertainment / Others: 10,000 
   Total: 45,500 baht per month 

 

That is just a normal good life lived but nothing fancy at all and the baby costs will eventually go up big time with school on top.
I do have to say that the rent is really cheap and it is a brand new house.

 

Could it be cheaper? I think we could survive with 30k if needed but it would not be fun.

Also this does not include my personal trips and parties in BKK / elsewhere or other bigger spendings that come from time to time.

 

At least 90k a month needed to also do some proper saving and investing.

Edited February 10, 2019 by tabarin

[Jai Dee]

A couple of off-topic troll posts have been removed.

[fouryesrs]

6 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Hmm.

My wife allowance: 0B (no wife)

Health insurance and deductibles: 0B (I dont work)

Electricity/water in my condo with the aircon on 24/7: under 2kB

Police: 0B

School: 0B

Car/fuel probably less than you, though I have never bothered to calculate it: maybe 5kB

Gardener: 0B

Internet: under 1kB

 

So that's 8kB compared to your 81kB, plus I get free peace and quiet thrown in. I'm rather glad I dont live in an Isaan house with a Thai family of 4.

 

many thai familys life on 20/30 k a month w. kids but owning their own house..to spend 200 k in isaan ? there must be something seriously wrong here...

[Vacuum]

2 hours ago, luckyluke said:

Priorities are different from one person to another, one's age is also an important factor.

 

After 15+ years in Pattaya, I decided, being 70, to live in Thonglor ( not the cheapest area of Bangkok ).

 

I like also to eat Camembert, Brie, Reblochon, or any other French cheese, or/and Serrano, Parma, Black Forest, ham in the morning with my baguette.

 

Having a beer ( a few in fact ) in a nice air conditioned place, stylish service, soft Jazz music in the background is also  among my actual desiderata. 

 

Not the cheapest choices, but my decision and my money. 

 

 

How's your BMi?

[ThomasThBKK]

Well, after studying the map itself. 

 

It's pretty spot on and Thailand suddenly looks way better than the article suggest.

 

First of all it's really just the ASEAN countries: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Brunei, Laos

Nothing like Seoul or Tokyo or whatever...

 

Except Singapore every country there is far away from Thailand when it comes to quality of life (personal opinion).

If you sort the table by cost of living PLUS rent then places like PHUKET, CHIANG MAI AND PATTAYA are on par with Pnomh Phen, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Ho Chi Minh city.

 

 

Thailand does not seem bad at all, Bangkok is a bit more expensive but it also has everything u can imagine u need. 

The only significant outlier is Singapore and Bangkok. But you get what u pay for i guess.

There's only a 10.4 point difference between Pattaya with 33.3 points and bandung (whatever the <deleted> that even is) with 22.9 points.

Thats place 3 to 18 - nearly no difference in coasts.

 

 

[dick turpin]

3 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

All i know is that ten years ago we could fill our trolley in Tesco or Big C for 1k; these days the same stuff is going in the trolley and it's 3k.

 

Spot on.....says it all.

[tabarin]

6 minutes ago, dick turpin said:

Spot on.....says it all.

That is the same back home too as far I seen but buying certain stuff Online (in bulk) seems to make a big difference. 
I save at least 40% on toiletries alone that way and you can wait for new promotions as you buy in bulk.

Edited February 10, 2019 by tabarin

[luckyluke]

15 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

How's your BMi?

No idea.

 

So far, feel ok, didn't consult a doctor since decenias.

 

I suppose at my age he would tell me I can not eat and drink the things I like, and put me on medications.

[4MyEgo]

9 hours ago, kannot said:

even more hilarious

What's hilarious about that.

 

I live in rural Thailand with a family of 6, i.e. 2 adults and 4 kids ranging from 4 to 14 and my budget is based on 60,000, but more so 100,000 baht when you add running a car, house, car and private health cover insurance, private school fees, (not international level), modest holidays and that's without rent, fortunately my wife own my house, furnishing, motorbike, car and the shirt off of my back ????

 

[luckyluke]

I manage to keep my costs for eating and drinking at 5000 ThB a week.
My rent, including water, electricity, WiFi,

maid 1 time a week, is 25000 ThB/monthly

( a fair price for Thonglor ).

Edited February 10, 2019 by luckyluke

[4MyEgo]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

If I was giving a "wife allowance" of 20k, I would almost certainly expect her to do some of the gardening !

I give mine 9k a month which includes the the 4 kids school money, 2 have lunch made by the school, and she is in her "farken" garden most days.

 

Can't complain though as a lot of our veggies come from there, including some fruits like figs.

 

I will go outside and sneak up on her one day and give her a good serve behind those 2 metre high hedges, surprise surprise honey, knowing my luck she will have the hedge cutters in her hand ????

 

 

[4MyEgo]

47 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

and bandung (whatever the <deleted> that even is) with 22.9 points.

It's just up the road, about an hours drive from Udon Thai, Issan country, a lot of X-pats live there, not much happening there apart from a new Big C store that opened up about a year ago. 

 

The smoke in the air around 6pm is pretty good if your a non smoker, i.e. you get to inhale it for free and save money at the same time.

 

I do know of a bloke that frequents one of the two (non girly bars) there, he rents a two level house for 5,000 baht a month for his family of 7.

Edited February 10, 2019 by 4MyEgo

[brian2f2f]

7 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Hmm.

My wife allowance: 0B (no wife)

Health insurance and deductibles: 0B (I dont work)

Electricity/water in my condo with the aircon on 24/7: under 2kB

Police: 0B

School: 0B

Car/fuel probably less than you, though I have never bothered to calculate it: maybe 5kB

Gardener: 0B

Internet: under 1kB

 

So that's 8kB compared to your 81kB, plus I get free peace and quiet thrown in. I'm rather glad I dont live in an Isaan house with a Thai family of 4.

 

Me and my soon to be wife. 10k car payment 3500 rent about 300 for water and electric 750 internet. Gas for car around 2k month. Food depends how we eat but on average about 6k month for both of us total. I also give her 2k month for food at. School then we put 1k month back for medical. So thats around 26k month we spend for everything. Our phones is the remainder of the 26k. I don't buy health insurance as medical care isnso cheap here no need to buy and I wouldn't waste money on a gardner either. Later ill get both of us health insurance pay around maybe 25k month with 0 deductible. So that way we are fully covered for anything regardless where we are. Especially when we head to america for few yrs in about 6yrs. 

[LivinLOS]

7 hours ago, KittenKong said:

That Numbeo site comes from fantasy land. Its calculations include ridiculous things like designer jeans and leather shoes and expensive primary school education. I dont know anyone here who buys things like that. Such items cost the earth in Thailand and completely skew the final result. I imagine that the same applies elsewhere also.

So what singha singlet and copy cargo shorts is the only way to live ?? 

 

[Petchou]

10 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...The website said the monthly costs for a single person to live in Bangkok was 21,017.40฿ without rent..."

 

21,017 a month WITHOUT rent? What the hell do people do in Bangkok that is so expensive?

 

I live on Koh Samui, modestly but comfortably, for around that much including rent.

 

PS To be fair, I neither smoke nor drink; those are two of the more expensive habits...

 

 

There is living and living.  Average of 700 baht per day including rent.  I wonder how can anyone have a good life from food to entertainment.   Without expenses for health etc...

[JAG]

2 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

I'm in the intercontinental having Sunday Brunch with Foi Gras for a cost of over 2000baht. Eat your hearts out you filthy peasants. Ban Noks all of you. I think I'll have some caviar now.

 

PS: I have some ziplock bags in my pack,got to get me some beef and sushi for the ride....

What happened to the strict diet you were whining about the other week?

[dallen52]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

If I was giving a "wife allowance" of 20k, I would almost certainly expect her to do some of the gardening !

It gets me why these contributions to the wife.? 

 

Ive been trying to live here more than 7 years, and the monthly contributions have got less and less. 

Because I simply don't have it to burn since retirement. 

Love has to factor into it somewhere..

I hope.

 

Ive been there and done that wrt the village way of life, support for her family,  rebuilding her family home,  only to endure constant farang requirements. 

Farang have, farang pay.

Suggestions for the sinsod removal in exchange for basically rebuilding the family home. Still not married. 

Buying the village block of land for her old age. (without me). In her name.

 

Ending up with "her in doors" taking a hammer to the interior of the home before leaving. All in family feud, and the Golden goose (me) fled to Pattaya with her in tow.

 

Support for the lazy non working son, 21, and some for her bright daughters education. 15.

Who now contemplates braces on the teeth and a bike to get to high school. 

Oh and a new phone. 

 

She will not pursue child support even

After her ex did the Forrest Gump thing and RUN off with another when she was pregnant  

 

So now I pay only the monthly costs for everything realistic, 2 bedroom outside pattaya. Elec, wifi, food, transport etc.

 

She is given much less than 20k.

She gives her daughter a monthly payment out of this, plus the lazy parasite of a son who only calls her when he is broke. 

Thats up to her.

No loans to her friends or family. 

Should call them gifts because they don't get repaid. 

Thats all up to her and the amount she has. 

We travel a bit, local and overseas. 

Don't seem to do without. 

Eat out,  but enjoy home cooking. 

She has her bling, several baht of gold.

 

She knows the score. 

Same me.. 

 

About 40,000 a month. 

[Nyezhov]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

What happened to the strict diet you were whining about the other week?

Cheat day. Take an extra chlorestherol pill and starve tomorrow.

[Odysseus123]

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

What is bizarre is your reply.

 

Who dies with a treatable infection in Thailand? Thais (and most westerners with a brain) won't go to Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital to treat an infection. 

 

You seem to be under some grand delusion that Numbeo survey should cater to Westerners who support their Isaan wives. Newsflash. Nobody cares about your situation and how much you spend.

 

 

The greatest "farang" disease that I noted in this country was their consistent understating(lying)of the costs in Thailand-a peculiar form of "big noting' ONESELF.

 

Sure you can walk around in a lap lap and pair of sandals all day whilst consuming street food..proclaiming that 1980 has come again..but it is total fiction in the long term.

 

Which is why so many are panicking right now.