Cost Of Living In Thailand Per Month

[Griizley]

Okay, so, basically I need help coming up with a ballpark figure for living in Thailand per month.

I will not have any rental fees because that is taken care of by study abroad.

On estimation, how much per month would you need just for food/necessities and utilities (like electricity, that's basically it) as well as travel costs?

I am thinking around $200-$300 just for necessities and utilities…your thoughts?

NOTE: I will be living in Cha-Am/Hua-Hin.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Patriots

[F1fanatic]

I think you're being v optimistic!

Excluding rent, I spend about 30,000 baht ( 900 dollars) p.m on living expenses (including elec, water, phone, internet, cable etc.) - and I don't go to bars!

Depends on where in Thailand you live and how you live.

[Griizley]

Internet comes free at the apartment I am staying at, and electricity will hopefully be cheap because I will only use AC moderately (At least I hope…I heard Thailand is like Florida in the summer) and I don’t have any expensive habits besides video games…tv comes with the apartment as well.

How much for just food (including water), clothing, and electricity/transportation?

[elkangorito]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

[Griizley]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

Sarcasm?

Can anyone give me a straight-up answer?

[Griizley]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

Sarcasm?

Can anyone give me a straight up answer?

[F1fanatic]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

Easily . Elec approx 1500 p.m., cable 1500 p.m., mobile 1500 p.m., internet 750 p.m., gardening 1600 p.m., shopping approx 10000 p.m., socialising approx 5000 p.m. The rest goes god knows where! Petrol, dog food, vet bills, repairs, emergencies etc. etc.

p.s. not only is rent excluded from my expenditure figure, it doesn't include my BUPA (private health insurance) either.

Edited June 22, 2010 by F1fanatic

[Livinginexile]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

I live in Bangkok with my wife and 4 year old son.

I am on an expat salary and excluding rent our average monthly expendeture would not excede 20k baht per/mth and that includes ALL outgoings like internet, food, TV, entertainment.

It really depends on your lifestyle.

Go to bars, entertain girls, eat at farang type restaurants etc and your expendature will double.

Thailand is cheap if you can avoid the temptations

[gregb]

I am thinking around $200-$300 just for necessities and utilities…your thoughts?

That is a reasonable estimate just for food, although $200 is on the low side but possible. Yes, you will find it is possible to eat for 30 baht on the roadside stall, but every day? Seriously? You think you'll never want a pizza or a burger? How about a beer now and then? Or even a soda?

$300 for food is quite reasonable. $200 is possible if you budget extremely well.

Electric depends on how much the apartment you are staying in rapes you for. My guess is you will probably pay around 10 baht a unit. A small apartment without any aircon at all will probably use around 1500 baht a month at that rate if you have a refrigerator and a microwave. I highly recommend having a refrigerator and a microwave. Any use of the aircon will push that figure higher. Remember, the refrigerator you will get is likely old and inefficient. Unless you plan on buying a new one. That might not be a bad idea given the electric rates you will probably be paying. It'll cost you about 5000 baht, but you'll likely save that much in electricity over a year vs. a cheap rental unit from the apartment.

You can't live without a phone. People need to call you unless you plan on having no friends at all. 300 baht per month minimum. You are also going to spend 1000 baht a month on transport costs even if you mostly walk. I have never met anyone who got away with less than that.

Necessities are up to you as to what you consider necessary. If you don't need things like deoderant, soap,toothpaste, haircuts or grooming supplies, you might be able to make it on $300 per month. For me, I would consider $500 as a bare minimum if you don't want to become severely depressed. $600 - $700 will give you some breathing room and a chance to escape to a better life once or twice a month.

Thais do it on less than this of course (but actually $200/6000 baht is not easy, even for a Thai without rent). Farangs as a rule spend much more, unless they have a Thai family and have completely adapted to Thailand. Don't underestimate how strong the lure will be for a taste of home every now and then. 2 weeks of Thai style living is an experience. Several months is severely depressing. You will want to spend more. It is best if you have the financial means to do it, even if that means delaying your trip.

Edited June 22, 2010 by gregb

[Spoonman]

I dont eat Thai food, I cook "farang" meals every night at home, this costs me about 4000b a week.

[witold]

Thailand is cheap if you can avoid the temptations  

Sure, if you eat at the 25 baht stands and sit around at home all day, it will be cheap.  Under those circumstances, many parts of USA will probably be even cheaper.  (you can use coupons to get food for free, and housing is dirt cheap in rural areas.)

But isn't the point of coming to Thailand to actually get out there and do stuff?  All of that stuff is expensive, be it golfing, riding motorcycles, etc. 

[Griizley]

Okay, would, say, $350 without any rent be fine for living expenses? I know transportation for study abroad is free. If not $300 then how much would be advised for me to be able to eat, pay for electricity with moderate air conditioning and get personal items like clothing etc?

I know my apartment is up-to-date. It is Sala @ Hua Hin which is modern.

Edit: Would $500 be okay?

Edited June 22, 2010 by Patriots

[Spoonman]

I know transportation for study abroad is free.

Who is paying for the transport ??

$500.00 a week should be enough to cover after rent/electric/water expenses.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Spoonman

[KIWIBATCH]

My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

(Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

Hope this helps answer your question...

[Griizley]

My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

(Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

Hope this helps answer your question...

Most helpful answer yet Thanks!!!

[ukrules]

My electric bill has been around 12,000 for the last couple of months. At first I thought there must be something wrong but it all appears to be correct.

I do like my A/C and it's a pretty big apartment at around 180 Sq Meters / 1900 Sq feet so it takes some cooling !

[rizla]

My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

(Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

Hope this helps answer your question...

TBMTH i find that amount hard to believe...kudos, p,s does she have a sister.?

[DP25]

You can't live without a phone. People need to call you unless you plan on having no friends at all. 300 baht per month minimum. You are also going to spend 1000 baht a month on transport costs even if you mostly walk. I have never met anyone who got away with less than that.

Uhh, I'm on Dtac and it costs 2 baht per month to receive calls. I don't think I've spent 300 baht in the past year on my cell phone, let alone month

1000 per month on transport seems low unless you're a shutin

[balo]

My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

(Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

Hope this helps answer your question...

Thanks I think this shows that its possible to live in Thailand quite cheap and still being able to live a good farang life.

[KIWIBATCH]

My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

(Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

Hope this helps answer your question...

TBMTH i find that amount hard to believe...kudos, p,s does she have a sister.?

[KIWIBATCH]

No she doesnt have a sister...sorry....my wife is a former employee of the Thai Government Education Office (Finance) Dept...so she is very good at counting the pennies....and we both sit down each month and complete the household expenditure/income/budget......seriously we are surviving on these figures comfortably...no problem at all...and having a good comfortable lifestyle

[Garry9999]

Your talking around 9000B per month, that's the salary of Thai school teacher or Police man. Millions of Thais live on 9000B or less, question is, do you really want to live like that?

Edited June 22, 2010 by Garry9999

[bangkokburning]

I think I can give you some decent advice here. First, this is an endless debate on this board. I will drill it down to your specific question based upon my years in Asia. YOu first should know that I only eat Thai food. I love the stuff. If you fancy a pizza - add b200+ a crack. McDonalds B125. I only use fans to cool my flat. You may not be able to tolerate this in April/May. Transport, where are you going? If you are going to and from on MRT/BTS this can be anywhere from B40 to B150 a day. Need a Taxi...?

Another factor is the that you are new here, it's not that you are going to get ripped off, but it will take time (money) for you to find out how (and to speak some Thai) and where to get the best prices. You have factored in ZERO incidentals.

How much for just food (including water), clothing, and electricity/transportation?

Food - B105-140 minimum. Oats/fruit in your room (god for cholesterol, heart and fiber. B15. two meals "lat khao" B60-85 (in a market as low as 20-30per for ready made), fruit B20 (2) and a snack/sweet B20. Water can be had per liter out of machines B1-B1.5

Clothes, bring your own. The clothes here are not farang size and poor quality, often funky styles/colors. Clothes last a long time.

DTAC has good per min prices 1/2B and now promo for Internet

Buy a computer abroad. I recommend the new Asus line of Netbooks.

Unless you have a one year visa and have no plans to travel abroad you must factor this in as well

My total expenditure is B25K. Includes: All living expenses, visa runs, some medical, all dental, transport, toiletries, medicines, transport, misc, alcohol (I only go out 1-2 times per month but drink 1L of modest scotch a week). As well as small trips and paying for my girlfriend as well (backpacking/camping).

When I was a hardcore backpacker, I could squeeze by on about B18k per month living on the road with no sacrifice to lifestyle or alcohol consumption :-).

Power, B6 is about standard, if you pay more you are getting ripped, your mgt pays about B3.5. Up to you what you use. An old fridge is a killer for sucking power. AC uses ABOUT B6 an hour.

You need to ask us exactly the items yo wish to know in regard to budget. Think hard because yove missed a bunch! restaurant with a pretty girl/boy (or movie), Trip to the beach (or BKK)...

Thailand is no longer cheap, esp if you fancy a farang lifestyle.

Edited June 22, 2010 by bangkokburning

[nellyp]

very interesting stuff. i am sitting here trying to work out expeses muself. Good info.....unfortunately I need to factor in 2 kids. Where I'll be there are no pizzas or mcdonalds so i can forget about that. i'm hoping I'll get by on 35,000 a month and save the missus' earnings, with some extras being bought from the farm. best of luck and I'm sure that you will be able to get by, you just need to stop spending when you budget for the month is running out. it's how i managed the 1st time (second time i had plenty of cash to coast around on) Take the advice and average it out

[Kilgore Trout]

very interesting stuff. i am sitting here trying to work out expeses muself. Good info.....unfortunately I need to factor in 2 kids. Where I'll be there are no pizzas or mcdonalds so i can forget about that. i'm hoping I'll get by on 35,000 a month and save the missus' earnings, with some extras being bought from the farm. best of luck and I'm sure that you will be able to get by, you just need to stop spending when you budget for the month is running out. it's how i managed the 1st time (second time i had plenty of cash to coast around on) Take the advice and average it out

Wow, save the missus earnings; when my wife made 6000 baht a month she made a good point that she should not have to contribute to bills/ living expenses, then we moved and she began to make 40k. Same story

I think if you want to live well without saving much you need 30-40k, unless you are a spendthrift anything over 50 should be easy to save. then again prices go up all the time, we are moving back to bkk after 2 years in US with a combined income of around 1-110k per month. I'm not expecting to save more than 30-40k per month. Other posters are right; Thailand is not the deal it used to be

If it weren't for family ties I don't think I would be moving back.

[bukmba]

I think this is a pretty stupid idea of asking for costs of living.

There are people living worse than my dog and there are other people who earn a couple of hundred thousand Baht per months.

And for those earning that much, living costs are higher as they have a different life style and because they won't rent a 1,500 Baht condo.

Some buying house or condo, some buying a car every 2 years (plus one for the misses (and they completely forget to convert that into monthly costs)) etc.

Many people mention electric is 1,500 Baht per month. Well, I pay 15,000 Baht per month.

Does that say anything wether electric in TH is expensive or cheap?

There are so many factors, it's pretty much pointless to have this discussed here (although I just participated ...lol).

[Thormaturge]

How on earth can you possibly spend that much, F1?

Easily . Elec approx 1500 p.m., cable 1500 p.m., mobile 1500 p.m., internet 750 p.m., gardening 1600 p.m., shopping approx 10000 p.m., socialising approx 5000 p.m. The rest goes god knows where! Petrol, dog food, vet bills, repairs, emergencies etc. etc.

p.s. not only is rent excluded from my expenditure figure, it doesn't include my BUPA (private health insurance) either.

Please tell me you have a dog....

[Paul123456]

For our family of 5 we spend:

5000 Baht on food per month

1000 Baht on electricity

1300 Baht on phones

40 on gas

100 on drinking water

about 430 on motorbike registration, insurance, petrol, repairs.

Hope that helps.

[Paul123456]

As you've seen in the responses, it totally depends on your lifestyle. But I think basically your initially estimate was about right / fine to live on.

Good luck.

[WAYNEandAEI]

Internet comes free at the apartment I am staying at, and electricity will hopefully be cheap because I will only use AC moderately (At least I hope…I heard Thailand is like Florida in the summer) and I don't have any expensive habits besides video games…tv comes with the apartment as well.

How much for just food (including water), clothing, and electricity/transportation?

If you live light $300usd no problem