Cost Of Living In Thailand

[paulsmithson]

Why come here and try to live like you are still in your own country? if you love Thailand then you really love the Thai way of life ( and I do not mean living in a wooden shack and eating your own chickens. We live in an affluent neighbourhood with influential Thais around us. And guess what--we do live happily and cheaply. 3 beds with air con and 3 bathrooms (there are onlty two of us and we only have one arse each),

We eat well - but not farang food and i do like a beer ( at home)

There are no brothels nearby and no girlie bars.

I rarely hear english spoken at all and I love it!-and sooooooooooooo cheap is a bonus not a reason.

[tb86]

OK guys moving to bkk from Manhattan, im living w my girls mom and dad in luksi for 2 months in the guest house till i get situated, im used to spending about 4K a month for my place in manhattan, im looking for a decent hi rise apt in bkk have a budget of about 1k to 1,200 usd a month is that enough, dont need a car the girl has plenty, plus live in driver so thats taken care of. Is it realistic to think that i can live on 900000 baht for a year, im a chef so i dont really need to eat at western restaurants can cook for myself, but i do like to drink,, alot

[Zpete]

When I read Bikerlou's post I thought he was pretty close with most things.

I get the feeling he is combining western lifestyles with Thai lifestyles.

That makes many of his costs more than they should be.

My assumption has been proved correct by follow up postings from so many people.

My last stint in BKK proved to me that living NZ style would be very expensive indeed.

Bangers si NOT cheap, but 6,000 Baht for 2 months in average apartment was not too bad. Lumphini area. Being single and beholden to nobody, makes for economic costings.

I love Thai foods. Eat from hawkers for most meals, sooooo much cheaper.

My Lil Thai Gal cooks Thai foods for me, great tasting.

If I decide to stay for longer, Chalong would be my choice. I have family there, good for back up if sumfin goes wrong.

I have no reason to knock anything in Thailand. Beer is cheap, most important. Bottled water, 6 bottles for price of one in NZ, ater safe, so neva buy it at home . I am a big meat eater at home, but in Thailand I go with the flow, woteva is the taste of the day. I usually lose about 10 kilos over a cupla months, fab. Back in NZ, it comes back slowly.... grrrrr.

Hope to be back next NZ autumn for 3 - 4 months or so again. Always summer at home.

Cheers all in L.O.S.

Edited November 21, 2007 by Zpete

[lazeeboy]

with the new tax on beer and fags ,it just got dearer

[Zpete]

with the new tax on beer and fags ,it just got dearer

Dunno how much fags are, simailar price to bargals I expect....

.........relying on Lazeee to elucidate.

I was paying $NZ2.20, 60Baht, in my reg watering hole in Chalong for CHANG, my fave Thai beer.

Woulda cost 5 - 6 bucks in NZ for similar.

BEER safest drink when in strange lands.

How much are ciggies? They be over 300 Baht a pack, Pall Mall etc, in NZ.

I am a non smoker, no chimney sticking outta my head.

Edited November 22, 2007 by Zpete

[zorro1]

My living expenses when in FL:

food and beer: $200/mo. (coupons, 2 fers, freebies, rebates)

gas: $100

uts: $200

taxes $150

misc: $100

rent: own

car: own

health ins: free

total: $550 or 17,500 baht

in thailand

rent: $1700

uts: $125

food: $250

beer: $200

transport: $100

visa runs: $125

misc: $100

health ins: 0

total: $2600 or 83000 baht

So I'm spending in excess of 65000 baht more to live the way I want to in Bangkok over what I'd be shelling out in FL. I live in 4 star accomodations in FL and want the same in Bangkok. I want to be in the heart of sukhumvit, I dont want thai boonies, tenements, one room Apts, On Nut type locations, Pattaya, chang mai or whatever. This is what I want so I pay. Anytime someone comes up to me (and boy they do) and tells me how cheap it is to live here, I tell them, not for the lifestyle I want. When they tell me that I can live here cheaper than the US, I tell them they're off their rocker. I can live in the US for next to nothing usig super specials, coupons and freebies you can't get in Thailand. It all depends on where you want to live and here is where I choose but cheapness don't come into my equation, at all

Wrong.

You're comparing Bangkok with Florida.

From your post, you should be comparing Manhattan NY to Sukhumvit BKK. Or, Chiang mai to Florida.

Like for like. Don't mix them up.

very good point and one I have made before. A`large number of posters say I can buy/rent in e.g Montana for far less......

[Zpete]

My living expenses when in FL:

food and beer: $200/mo. (coupons, 2 fers, freebies, rebates)

gas: $100

uts: $200

taxes $150

misc: $100

rent: own

car: own

health ins: free

total: $550 or 17,500 baht

in thailand

rent: $1700

uts: $125

food: $250

beer: $200

transport: $100

visa runs: $125

misc: $100

health ins: 0

total: $2600 or 83000 baht

So I'm spending in excess of 65000 baht more to live the way I want to in Bangkok over what I'd be shelling out in FL. I live in 4 star accomodations in FL and want the same in Bangkok. I want to be in the heart of sukhumvit, I dont want thai boonies, tenements, one room Apts, On Nut type locations, Pattaya, chang mai or whatever. This is what I want so I pay. Anytime someone comes up to me (and boy they do) and tells me how cheap it is to live here, I tell them, not for the lifestyle I want. When they tell me that I can live here cheaper than the US, I tell them they're off their rocker. I can live in the US for next to nothing usig super specials, coupons and freebies you can't get in Thailand. It all depends on where you want to live and here is where I choose but cheapness don't come into my equation, at all

Wrong.

You're comparing Bangkok with Florida.

From your post, you should be comparing Manhattan NY to Sukhumvit BKK. Or, Chiang mai to Florida.

Like for like. Don't mix them up.

very good point and one I have made before. A`large number of posters say I can buy/rent in e.g Montana for far less......

A lot of this "here" and "there" arguement is irrelevant.

Your lifestyle will be the bottom line.

Live Thai, and it may well be heaps cheaper. Well, I know so.

Try and live average farang home country style, YOU WILL PAY, believe me.

Best to find a happy average, some of each which suits you, then fine tune.

I love the ambience in L.O.S., best anywhere.

Cheers and gofrit.

Being parsimomious will only make for unhappy campers.

[chicowoodduck]

It all depends what you standards are and what you are used to. Do farangs what to live in Thailand and be broke? If so, that is fine. It usually puzzles most Thais why a farang does this.

For myself, I am flexible with how much I spend and live off of. I have been on high end and low end. But, one thing I don't like to live without is Air Con. I will pay the extra 800 a month to stay cool and keep the mosquitoes at bay. But, I don't pay for UBC.

I would like to throw out the TV but if you have a Thai mia like I, that is very unwise.

Geez, the AC is at the top of the list for me......and being somewhat flexible with the spending helps me to achieve this goal.

[Blazer]

In one's home country it's usually easy enough to pick up some menial PT job to help cover expenses. That's probably impossible in Thailand. For example, I like to golf so when the time comes I'll get a PT job at a golf course, earn a small bit of money and get free golf. That would never happen in Thailand.

[thaipete]

I'm amazed at the amount some people pay in Thailand...Especially for buying houses or renting apt's. I spend not more than $1500 a month living in LAS VEGAS. This includes rent, food, car insurance, a movie or some form of entertainment once or twice a week. Eating out once in a while. In Thailand over 8 months I spent on the high end $1200 a month and on the low end $350 a month. I rarely drink and eat simply from the market or from thai food stands. I don't have a family, and am happy living simply so this may have something to do with it...

i, too am amazed at what it seems to cost some people to live in thailand. i have some farang friends in isaan who have everything they need, do not count the pennies, and live well on less than 15000thb per month.(what's that in dollars?- about 360?)

it seems your cost of living depends on where you live in thailand. in isaan, visit the local (iso listed, clean and efficient) hospital and pay 30thb per consultation;. get a good meal,say, phad capow-30thb including a can of coke. 3 beer chang (quarts) for 100thb.-even in the "restaurant"; hospital stay for myself, 7days, included minor surgery, xrays, medication-5000thb all in;. schoolfees-400thb per year-included books. free (good) medical for my kids; vegetables are cheaper at the talaat than they would be if you grew them yourself. pork (i only eat pork fillet): 80thb/kg. whole chicken(farang-type, battery-raised chicken-not the scrawny, tough gai-baan):35thb/kg. water: my bill averaged around 30thb/month- i only used municipal water, and watered my garden each day,too!

use the municipal bus service long distance and it costs you about 2thb/km. electricity is cheap, gas is cheap, accommodation is cheap . here's what it cost me on average to live each month in isaan. ( includes myself and my two boys):

electricity......... ... <1000thb (do without the ac you soon get acclimatised)

water................ . .<50thb

accom.................free (owned my own) 000

food.................... <4000thb {5kg pork fillet/week=400thb, add veg and chicken-eat well for <1000/week

schoolfees and pocketmoney for kids...........<500thb

petrol/diesel............................................<1000thb (use the buses, rather. really cheap, and good fun)

beer....................................................... 3000thb (allow 3 beer chang quarts per day)

visa run: ................................................1200thb (take the bus,then minibus, fight with the cambodian officials and do not pay for exit stamp. do not pay bribes. 300km round trip, no agents 6hours.)

total.......................................................10750thb

that leaves another 4750 odd for other small expenses, including internet cafe (20thb/hour),adds up to 15000thb. i did it for less than half of that when i had to, but, yes, then you have to live like a thai, and ,know what? wasn't so bad!

a good quality of life can be had in isaan, on a shoestring budget. don't have to pay for entertainment, either- just look around and you will find something to make you laugh or smile almost every minute of the day. obviously it helps,too if you are not supporting the extended family, and are not going to the "cathouse" every night.

by the way, in isaan you can get a maid/housekeeper who will clean, cook, look after the kids, work from 7am to 6pm for around 3000thb/month, 7days a week. she supports her whole family on this, since mostly the husband won't be working. he manages to get pissed every day on what she brings home, so why can't we live on 15000 per month?

That is a much more realistic budget, I live up country and own my own house but I rented a nice 2 bedroom bungalow here up until 2 years ago for B2,000 per month.

My food bill is a bit less and that includes a run to Pattaya for Farang foods sometimes. Now we have a Lotus Tesco here not often.

I live alone but as I am disabled my ex does a lot of shopping for me. I can live well on about 10 - 15,000 per month.

Entertainment here, going to local night clubs and bars it would be hard to spend 500B and that is with loads of girl drinks ( they usually drink the spirits you take in and no corkage)

[chavy]

last monthly electricity bill I had was 73 baht.

You wasn't home then? !!!

Or the meter was running backwards

[lazeeboy]

last monthly electricity bill I had was 73 baht.

You wasn't home then? !!!

Or the meter was running backwards

my electric bill this month was 4740b that with no air for 2 weeks

[chiang mai]

there are no property taxes in Thailand.

You pay property tax when you sell and not on a monthly basis.

[Zpete]

last monthly electricity bill I had was 73 baht.

You wasn't home then? !!!

Or the meter was running backwards

my electric bill this month was 4740b that with no air for 2 weeks

That is extortionate...... 4740 THB = 181.82 NZD ..... which would be over 2 months for me here.

Ya bin rpped off.

[plasticpig]

60,000 per month.

But can and have done it on 30,000

Thats for two people. plus a little family help.

[Zpete]

In Thailand, say Chiang Mai, that would be heaps.

How much ya rent?

30000 THB = 1162.71 NZD