Countries Where You Can Live On Less Than $ 500 Per Month

[Birdman]

There is a difference between living and existing, surely no one can live happily here on $500.

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I could and do live in Bangkok, not on $500 a month, but on $1000 with no problem. But the difference is this: I DON"T NEED TO PAY RENT NOW since my family owns the house (I support 4 adults and one child there plus myself on about $1500 a month total The adults do work, so they pay part of their own expenses) and the family owns the house...so no rent.

I'm not a drinker,don't do the bar thing, but I will take an ocassional beer with friends. I have cable television, air conditioning upstairs,fans downstairs, and internet access in the house...and I'm happy with my life. What else is there?

As the Thai bargirls say, "Up to you".

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thread is about 500, not 1000 plus paid house and diverse relatives

Edited October 23, 2010 by Birdman

[lovelomsak]

Where i live in Thailand it is very doable.I pay 2500 baht a month rent.about 85 baht a month water. some months electric is free some months 400 baht. I went a year no water bills no electric bills. A guy at the electric office told me has gone 2 years only uses fans in house no aircon and only when home.So for 3000 baht a month household costs are done. Thai cable tv is free also.I pay about 800 baht for internet.That leaves around 11.000 baht. Food is cheap eat less than 150 to 200 baht a day in food. My phantom motorcycle usees maybe 400 baht a week. My truck 1000 baht a month if I use it.After all that still around 3000 left to spend. Doable yes but I know people would not live like this if they came here. The smallest pension from most countries would be far greater than $500. People on Canada pension and old age pension which all canadians get is at least $1200 a month so Thailand is still good for low income pensioners. I personally spend a lot more than that but I know it is doable here. But low income Canadians donot come here they willnot leave their medicare.

[basjke]

Where i live in Thailand it is very doable.I pay 2500 baht a month rent.about 85 baht a month water. some months electric is free some months 400 baht. I went a year no water bills no electric bills. A guy at the electric office told me has gone 2 years only uses fans in house no aircon and only when home.So for 3000 baht a month household costs are done. Thai cable tv is free also.I pay about 800 baht for internet.That leaves around 11.000 baht. Food is cheap eat less than 150 to 200 baht a day in food. My phantom motorcycle usees maybe 400 baht a week. My truck 1000 baht a month if I use it.After all that still around 3000 left to spend. Doable yes but I know people would not live like this if they came here. The smallest pension from most countries would be far greater than $500. People on Canada pension and old age pension which all canadians get is at least $1200 a month so Thailand is still good for low income pensioners. I personally spend a lot more than that but I know it is doable here. But low income Canadians donot come here they willnot leave their medicare.

Since you not mention it I assume that your phantom and truck came for free and will be replaced for free.You don't have tax or insurance on them and you are in the country on overstay since you don't mention any visa cost.You also will never need new clothes or anything.....Yeah then it is doable

[afarang]

Maybe, I should say that I save money, on my pension ,and that this year I have invested in planting crops on 21 rai , out of my income.( not my land, as you well know ,we cannot own land here). So, my net is around about B15,000 a month

[elektrified]

It's entirely possible in Chiang Mai. I've met a few that live on 15,000 THB. I could do it if I had to. Perhaps in Cha Am as well... I don't see how it could be done in Bangkok or Phuket or anywhere else though.

[Englander]

If you're tired of exhausting work, the bustling city where you live, the bank credits that you want to lose, you've got a solution. You can get your head and leave the world in an exotic place where live a carefree life and minimum cost.

Life is short and if you want to experience something else besides going to the office every day and sit in front of a computer between the time you became, willy-nilly, best friend, think you could live on the sunny beaches all year and that more than $ 500 a month.

This is the same line of thought that brought thousands of expats to Thailand when the Bht was at a historically low level (and in the lea of a financial crash that anyone with two brain cells could figure out would pass leaving the way for the Bht to return to a realistic level.

No doubt you invested extremely heavily into baht /baht assets as when it was at historic low levels anyone with 2 braincells could figure out it would pass ... though it hasn't passed for Aussies, Kiwis/ Swiss/ Canadians/ Japs and the Euro is just below its long term average .... A genius in your own mind.

[IanForbes]

It depends on your wants and needs.

[britmaveric]

^all you need is food/water/shelter... so if you have these basics you can indeed live for under $500 a month. Like I said it would be miserable to most, but you would not die.

[stander]

marriage visa requires 400k, retirement visa 800k, what kind of visa do you get for 15k x 12, 180,000, tourist?

[LaoPo]

The most cost effective method is to move back in with the parental units. I'm sure they would be delighted to have me.

You better double check that

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

Where i live in Thailand it is very doable.I pay 2500 baht a month rent.about 85 baht a month water. some months electric is free some months 400 baht. I went a year no water bills no electric bills. A guy at the electric office told me has gone 2 years only uses fans in house no aircon and only when home.So for 3000 baht a month household costs are done. Thai cable tv is free also.I pay about 800 baht for internet.That leaves around 11.000 baht. Food is cheap eat less than 150 to 200 baht a day in food. My phantom motorcycle usees maybe 400 baht a week. My truck 1000 baht a month if I use it.After all that still around 3000 left to spend. Doable yes but I know people would not live like this if they came here. The smallest pension from most countries would be far greater than $500. People on Canada pension and old age pension which all canadians get is at least $1200 a month so Thailand is still good for low income pensioners. I personally spend a lot more than that but I know it is doable here. But low income Canadians donot come here they willnot leave their medicare.

I would just love to see some photos of the house, truck and surroundings...........not to speak of info about medicare...do you have any ?

LaoPo

[David006]

It depends on your wants and needs.

LOL

You were lucky we used to dreeeam of living in a "house"...

[trogers]

^all you need is food/water/shelter... so if you have these basics you can indeed live for under $500 a month. Like I said it would be miserable to most, but you would not die.

Correction. You will probably die from lack of money for medical treatment of tropical diseases - malaria, dengue, etc.

[lovelomsak]

Where i live in Thailand it is very doable.I pay 2500 baht a month rent.about 85 baht a month water. some months electric is free some months 400 baht. I went a year no water bills no electric bills. A guy at the electric office told me has gone 2 years only uses fans in house no aircon and only when home.So for 3000 baht a month household costs are done. Thai cable tv is free also.I pay about 800 baht for internet.That leaves around 11.000 baht. Food is cheap eat less than 150 to 200 baht a day in food. My phantom motorcycle usees maybe 400 baht a week. My truck 1000 baht a month if I use it.After all that still around 3000 left to spend. Doable yes but I know people would not live like this if they came here. The smallest pension from most countries would be far greater than $500. People on Canada pension and old age pension which all canadians get is at least $1200 a month so Thailand is still good for low income pensioners. I personally spend a lot more than that but I know it is doable here. But low income Canadians donot come here they willnot leave their medicare.

I would just love to see some photos of the house, truck and surroundings...........not to speak of info about medicare...do you have any ?

LaoPo

It appears people are reading me incorrectly. I was simply showing that it is possible . If you read the whole message I stated I donot live on that amount. It never ceased to amaze me how people in this forum cannot take the time to read a complete message before replying to it.

My intent was to show that even with running a motorcycle and truck, supplying food and shelter on $ 500 there was still money left over.I also stated I live on much more.

A person without truck or motorcycle would fair better for sure on $500.

Also if you read the whole message you would see where I also stated that Canadians wouldnot do this because of medicare.

Please be polite enough to read the post before making smart remarks.

Otherwise it looks like a persomal attack on a persons character or ability to take care of himself.

[thomo]

Thinking about money everyday, and what you can and cannot afford to keep your budget inline isn't fun.

Especially in Thailand.

[somtampet]

Well , I live very comfortably ., on B20,000 a month. That includes my beer (3-4 bottles a night) and my cigarettes,as well as putting 2 children through school. I rent a house, a 3 bedroom house for B2,500 a month + water + gas+ electricity.I go to our local, 3 -4 nights a week.Eat both Thai and farang, every 3 months I go to Makro, and stock up ,yes .I do have a freezer,as well as a a fridge.So, B 20 000 a month can be a very acceptable amount to live very comfotably

Good luck if you can do that and be happy,well done sir.

I live on about 50-60k a month,but have my house,car,motorbike,so less outgoings.Some weeks i can manage on 7,000 baht but the longer one lives here the more things need replacing.Just spent 30,000 baht on a new livingroom suite and 10,000 baht on a new fridge freezer,and a few yearly costs are coming in now,sophon cable,stepson savings plan,return flight to uk in January,visa run 4th nov.After all that type of spend it works out about 600,000 baht a year,and i live a decent life here,no middle class living but glad i left that to the snobs.

[somtampet]

Thinking about money everyday, and what you can and cannot afford to keep your budget inline isn't fun.

Especially in Thailand.

Everybody is on a budget and i think that keeps your feet on the ground

[Jingthing]

marriage visa requires 400k, retirement visa 800k, what kind of visa do you get for 15k x 12, 180,000, tourist?

You're not realizing the visa requirements do not require you to SPEND or annually IMPORT those stated amounts of money. Only SHOW the income and/or bank account. For example on a retirement extension using 800K in a Thai bank, yes you would need that the FIRST time, but after that you can import and spend ANY amount you like, for examples 100K baht annually or 10 million baht annually, up to you, as long as you top up in time and meet the money seasoning requirements for your next extension.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Jingthing

[thomo]

Thinking about money everyday, and what you can and cannot afford to keep your budget inline isn't fun.

Especially in Thailand.

Everybody is on a budget and i think that keeps your feet on the ground

But some people's budget mean scouring the prices in Tops to see if they can afford the basics, others don't.

On 15k p/m you're not likely to enjoy going shopping.

[thomo]

I usually spend about 40k p/m, and the rest is saved without having to think about it. That's a simple, comfortable life for me in Bangkok. I enjoy staying at home with some wine or whiskey at the weekend instead of going out. My GF supports her self, and I run my motorbike and go on trips every second month. I enjoy cooking nice food, have a nice rented condo with all my own furniture/flatscreen etc, and swimmingpool. I generally can buy what I want and never have to think about the prices when I go shopping. But I guess I never want or need anything too expensive.

This life here costs about 40k p/m, although I've a good bit more than that coming in, which I'm happy to save as I'm 30 and happy to keep it for the future.

I could probably continue to live as happily as I do on maybe 30k p/m, any less than that and I'd notice quite a drop in my QoL. I don't like having to think about the price of everything I want and whether I can afford it or not. I certainly could not live happily on 15k p/m.

But we're all different.

[lovelomsak]

It appears most of us agree in Thailnd it can be done . I think what we need to look at when we think about this is what kind of life would a person have in the country you come from on that income. Here a person would a least have some dignity in the ability to survive and maintain themselves . In many countries on that income they would be on the street dirty and underfed, and yes probabaly no medical insurance.

[Kwasaki]

It depends on your wants and needs.

You jest your just visiting a relative.

[Kwasaki]

Where i live in Thailand it is very doable.I pay 2500 baht a month rent.about 85 baht a month water. some months electric is free some months 400 baht. I went a year no water bills no electric bills. A guy at the electric office told me has gone 2 years only uses fans in house no aircon and only when home.So for 3000 baht a month household costs are done. Thai cable tv is free also.I pay about 800 baht for internet.That leaves around 11.000 baht. Food is cheap eat less than 150 to 200 baht a day in food. My phantom motorcycle usees maybe 400 baht a week. My truck 1000 baht a month if I use it.After all that still around 3000 left to spend. Doable yes but I know people would not live like this if they came here. The smallest pension from most countries would be far greater than $500. People on Canada pension and old age pension which all canadians get is at least $1200 a month so Thailand is still good for low income pensioners. I personally spend a lot more than that but I know it is doable here. But low income Canadians donot come here they willnot leave their medicare.

I would just love to see some photos of the house, truck and surroundings...........not to speak of info about medicare...do you have any ?

LaoPo

l passed his place the other day.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Kwasaki

[eyebee]

A fast-food lunch at a traditional cost you about $ 1.

Interesting....

LaoPo

At a restaurant in soi 15 in Pattaya you can get khao man gai plus a bowl of chicken soup for 30 baht - that's about a dollar. Noodle soup costs about the same also.

[stander]

Anyone living on 15k a month, contributes absolutely nothing and really should leave.

Edited October 24, 2010 by stander

[thomo]

Anyone living on 15k a month, contributes absolutely nothing and really should leave.

Complete nonsense.

They may well teach the little ones around the village English FoC.

If the surrounding locals are poor having a Westerner living there may well result in a number of fluent English speakers in the future, thus providing much more opportunity for them when it is time for them to leave their village and support their family.

[stander]

Anyone living on 15k a month, contributes absolutely nothing and really should leave.

Complete nonsense.

They may well teach the little ones around the village English FoC.

If the surrounding locals are poor having a Westerner living there may well result in a number of fluent English speakers in the future, thus providing much more opportunity for them when it is time for them to leave their village and support their family.

"They may well teach the little ones around the village English FoC."

That's scary

[thomo]

You seem to scare quite easily.

[Ulysses G.]

Anyone living on 15k a month, contributes absolutely nothing and really should leave.

Complete nonsense.

They may well teach the little ones around the village English FoC.

If the surrounding locals are poor having a Westerner living there may well result in a number of fluent English speakers in the future, thus providing much more opportunity for them when it is time for them to leave their village and support their family.

A Westerner without a lot of money probably helps support a lot of noodle shops and such.

[stander]

Anyone living on 15k a month, contributes absolutely nothing and really should leave.

Complete nonsense.

They may well teach the little ones around the village English FoC.

If the surrounding locals are poor having a Westerner living there may well result in a number of fluent English speakers in the future, thus providing much more opportunity for them when it is time for them to leave their village and support their family.

A Westerner without a lot of money probably helps support a lot of noodle shops and such.

I don't agree a poor farang contributes very little to the economy, if anything he is a burden.

Edited October 24, 2010 by thaiphoon
Quote repaired