Could you afford to live in the UK compared to Thailand?

[webfact]

 

OPINION

Many retired ex-pats here in Thailand have seen quite a few of their friends return home over the past couple of years.

With the global cost of living rising, it is a topic that is being discussed daily as our pensions are shrinking, while the costs are rising like fuel, food, and electricity.

We, therefore, decided to look at the comparisons between living in the UK and Thailand.

As I currently live in Pattaya, I decided that if I moved back to the UK I would still want to be by the sea and not in a big city.

Therefore, for this comparison, I selected Brighton in the UK.

 

Both are busy seaside towns with large numbers of tourists, great restaurants, and hotels and both have beaches, even though Brighton’s is mainly pebbly.

Many people like to retire to both towns and they both offer good facilities including healthcare as well.

So, using the website Numbeo you can compare the actual monthly cost of living between any two towns.

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Brighton#:~:text=Summary about cost of living,New York (without rent) 

Numbeo states that you would need around THB177,085.54 (£4,127.19) in Brighton to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with THB79,000.00 in Pattaya (assuming you rent in both towns). 

This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare the cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). 

Of course, if you are retired you probably do not pay tax.

If you were a family of four your estimated monthly costs would be £2,619 without rent. 

For a single person, the estimated monthly costs are £756 without rent. The website says that Brighton is 33.60% less expensive than New York (without rent).

However, Brighton is 74.91% more expensive than Pattaya.

Now before you start saying these comparisons are not realistic, we are only going by Numbeo’s figures.

Numbeo launched in 2009 is the world's largest cost of living database. Numbeo is also a crowd-sourced global database of quality-of-life data and housing indicators. 

 

Rentals

As far as rentals are concerned, we also checked out the cost of renting a studio in both towns using the Rightmove Realtors websites, as they have offices in both Pattaya and Brighton.

They showed a studio in central Pattaya at THB11,000 a month and in central Brighton a similar studio for £995.

Both studios were in town and were furnished. 

 

On average rental prices in Brighton are 297.04% higher than in Pattaya.

Restaurant Prices in Brighton are 212.06% higher than in Pattaya.

Groceries Prices in Brighton are 37.03% higher than in Pattaya.

Local Purchasing Power in Brighton is 272.01% higher than in Pattaya.

 

Of course, if you were going to factor in the actual cost of returning from Thailand to the UK with extremely high airfares and freight costs, then it can become quite an expensive move.

 

As a UK passport holder but with no UK address in the past few years, it may take time to re-register with a local doctor again before you can start getting free medical attention in the NHS hospitals.

 

And bear in mind the waiting lists for operations is long, due to the backlog caused by the pandemic.

 

OK Brighton is hotter this week than Pattaya, but personally I think I will save my monthly running costs and remain in the land of smiles.

 

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[KIngsofisaan]

One's man's opinion does not a fact make.

 

I wish they would stop publishing these nonsense articles.

 

How many grown retired men have to rent a studio in their own city?

 

Have you had an operation in the UK lately? 

 

Any comparison between the first world and third world is simply foolish.

 

Did you factor in VISA costs, money in the bank for visa's, foreign health insurance for over 60 in Pattaya?

 

Of course not.

 

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

During the pandemic I stayed in a B and B, about £400 month, no bills, just buy your food, so you could live in the UK for about £700 a month easily. Not a great life but a liveable one.

 

I currently only get £650 a month private company 55 year pension, but can live in Thailand as I rent my house out outside London for a silly amount (silly but still 25% below market value). So, if I take my house back - no mortgage - I could probably live a life there now, not great but OK, Get a lodger in for 400-500 a month and my life in UK now would be fine.

 

At 65 my income for pension would be about £1,400 a month - and with the house paid, I'd live quite easy in the UK - bung in a lodger and that £2,000 with a house would be a great life.

 

This article above should be asking how many people wasted their money, sold their house and assets and now do not have a pot to wee in on return to the UK and would their meagre income now from wasting their life's money now give them a life !

 

I planned my retirement and old age, I will not be rich, but OK. 

 

As for the amounts quoted in the above article for £4,000 a month plus to live - total bull - unless you are renting a flaming mansion ! 

 

 

 

 

[wombat]

Why would you want to live in UK?

It wouldn't be from choice from what I read.

[thelasthornet]

You choose Brighton for a comparison. It's one of the most expensive places in the UK to live. The prices are comparable to central London. If you want to live by the sea choose the Welsh coast or some of the less fashionable parts of the Norfolk coast and it will probably cost half the amount. 

[Excel]

3 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

I wish they would stop publishing these nonsense articles.

It generates clicks and clicks = money.  It's all our faults for opening this nonsense in the 1st place as it encourages more of the same. Just slapped myself on the wrist for doing it again????

[scotsdude]

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

[talahtnut]

6 months here and 6 months there worked well for me,

but I can't tell which is cheapest as I became stoney broke

where ever I stayed.  Just stay where you are happiest.

I quite like being skint, it sharpens the mind.  'sometimes'

[Bim Smith]

After 9 years in Thailand I just spent 7 weeks in the UK. I couldn't wait to get back home to Thailand. No amount money would I ever want to live in the UK again. I spent three time what I would normally in Thailand and had absolutely nothing to show for it. The price of everything is insane. Blessed to call Thailand my home.

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

How many grown retired men have to rent a studio in their own city?

I originally came from Brighton, can't afford to live there now and that's only considering property prices/rental. Like most other divorced men in the UK, I lost my home.

 

Can't believe any place I'd consider living is less than 1,000 pounds/month in Brighton.

More like 1500 pounds. 

 

If I were living in the back of a van (no women), the UK probably wouldn't be much different to Thailand in price for me.

Edited August 15, 2022 by BritManToo

[mrfill]

Average UK energy bill expected to rise to £5000/year (215,000Bt) in January.

 

How does that compare?

 

 

[LOG54]

Good morning

Prices in Brighton seem extremely high..!!

I have been told last week by a farang immigration volunteer that the situation in Pattaya is "not good".. Apparently a lot of long term expats left or will be leaving soon.

Would be interesting to get exact figures.

Have a nice day

 

[StevieAus]

44 minutes ago, scotsdude said:

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

I can only assume you are living on imported products if your food bills are higher than in the UK.

I visited some fiends in York  in June and went to the supermarket with them a couple of times so saw the prices.

The cost of fruit and vegetables compared with here were crazy.

They showed me their utility bills that made my  eyes water, the cost of petrol, transport, etc etc.

I became ill and it took five days to see a GP after being refused treatment at one practice.

Of course I could have sat in A&E for 8 hours.

Was very happy to return here to Thailand with all of the perceived problems.

[2baht]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

Why would you want to live in UK?

Try finding jellied eel in Thailand! ????

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Average UK energy bill expected to rise to £5000/year (215,000Bt) in January.

How does that compare?

My total energy bill in Thailand is under 15 quid a month (electricity plus propane for cooking).

[Peterw42]

1 hour ago, scotsdude said:

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

Not sure where you are shopping, or what you are buying, to say groceries are cheaper in the UK. I suppose if you are buying imported UK food then yes, but otherwise any local produce in Thailand is really cheap compared to the UK.

Any of the following are cheaper in Thailand, electricity, internet, transport, running a vehicle, local meat, fruit, vegetables, 

The cost of most things is cheaper because the labor cost to do anything is cheaper.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Peterw42

[edwinchester]

The UK is in a hell of a state right now. My daughter's family have just been told their gas/electric bill is rising to £760 pm, a rise of 530%.

Life in the village feels alot better than that <deleted> right now.

[micmichd]

4 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

One's man's opinion does not a fact make.

 

I wish they would stop publishing these nonsense articles.

 

How many grown retired men have to rent a studio in their own city?

 

Have you had an operation in the UK lately? 

 

Any comparison between the first world and third world is simply foolish.

 

Did you factor in VISA costs, money in the bank for visa's, foreign health insurance for over 60 in Pattaya?

 

Of course not.

 

 

 

 

He's using an international database for comparison. So it's not his private opinion. 

[Expat68]

1 hour ago, scotsdude said:

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

Electricity, Water and Poll Tax (Equivalent)

[Orinoco]

Yes

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, scotsdude said:

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

 

I would agree with the shopping and little beats the quality and variety of a UK supermarket.

 

 

The naysayers will point to how cheap it is to buy from the local market, but this is not a khao pad and rambutan conversation. That said, I maintain that chicken and pork in Thailand is better than the UK. 

 

It is, of course, an impossible comparison. Renting my condo by the seaside in Thailand costs less per month than the fuel bills for my old housed in the UK, but the house in the UK has increased in value from £300k to £550k in the last 10 years.

[Peterw42]

32 minutes ago, LOG54 said:

Good morning

Prices in Brighton seem extremely high..!!

I have been told last week by a farang immigration volunteer that the situation in Pattaya is "not good".. Apparently a lot of long term expats left or will be leaving soon.

Would be interesting to get exact figures.

Have a nice day

 

Sounds like barstool hearsay, if someone is leaving or plans to leave, I doubt they are sharing with the local immigration volunteer. I was in Pattaya immigration last week doing my extension, just as busy as its always been..

[Orinoco]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

Why would you want to live in UK?

It wouldn't be from choice from what I read.

The list is very very long.

Only downside is weather and Woke/Pc  idiots.

the rest very doable and you don't have to stay in the uk all year round.

plenty of good weather destinations a 3-4 hour flight away for shot/ long holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by Orinoco

[hioctane]

I think you could live on the cheap in any expensive city, but the quality of life will not be the same.

[Orinoco]

54 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My total energy bill in Thailand is under 15 quid a month (electricity plus propane for cooking).

Yes, but you do have solar power as well.

 

[Orinoco]

2 hours ago, thelasthornet said:

You choose Brighton for a comparison. It's one of the most expensive places in the UK to live. The prices are comparable to central London. If you want to live by the sea choose the Welsh coast or some of the less fashionable parts of the Norfolk coast and it will probably cost half the amount. 

Brighton is a gay town now days.

No thank you.

But fond memories of the place as a kid.

 

[topcat333]

I think everyone has to weigh costs based on their desired lifestyle. What I'm reading here are many are changing apples to apples comparing things that just don't add up. example... If you own a house that's paid off then of course your cost ratio is different but that's totally off point. 

 

I live 6 months a year in the US and the rest in Thailand. I maintain residence in Bangkok and Tampa Florida. I have a Thai wife and she and I are both still working. She lives 12 months a year in BKK. My monthly cost in Bangkok when we are both there is still way less than my single cost in Tampa. We are not living an extravagant lifestyle in either place but we live well. I'm also building a house in Northern Thailand and it's a nice house designed to be energy efficient and mostly off the grid. My cost in doing this is far less than I could even begin to imagine if I built the same anywhere in the USA. Yes, I realize that's if I chose to do so in BKK the costs would be far greater and that's why we chose Northern Thailand. We can come back to BKK or go to the beach whenever we want. We can fly in, Airbnb for a week and it's still cheaper than living a daily life in the USA trying to maintain a similar lifestyle. I’ve done the math and We have lived the math but my choices and my math is different than yours. 

 

[NightSky]

“Of course, if you are retired you probably do not pay tax.”
 

pension income is taxed just like any other income. 

[Stargeezr]

In the UK you can live near the ocean, but can you take a dip in the ocean year round?

  I am glad that I can afford to live in Canada, yet, but the costs do go up a little each year.

    I do have good health so far, and ion Canada, I can see a doctor and get fix up fairly

quickly.  I also cannot go swimming in the Canadian oceans from November to June, unless

I wear a wet suit.  Cheers.

[brewsterbudgen]

2 hours ago, scotsdude said:

Have had to live in both countries the past couple of years due to covid... A weekly grocery shop in the UK is far cheaper than in Thailand.... The only things cheaper in Thailand is rent and fuel... For a retiree with no family committments living on street food maybe it's cheap but not if you have to raise a family and education fees come into the equation..... There's pro & cons in both countries... 

It's not just rent though, is it?  You have to factor in Council Tax, utilities, internet/cable all of which are far more expensive than in Thailand.