Price Of Life

[the cougal]

Wondering about other members views on this:

We have lived in LOS for 20+ years. At the beginning pretty much everything here was cheaper than UK.

Today...gas is cheaper..38.here a litre as opposed to .. 60+ in UK..All utilities are cheaper. I see a forecast of £530 a quarter for UK fuel bills. That's about my yearly bill in CM with constant hot water..and 24/7 fans..we don't do aircon. And of course houses and land are still cheaper...5millionB spent here wouldn't get you much in the UK, well except in Blaenau Gwent; but the price of CM land is on the up.. Most workmen here good value, too but maybe 300B a day will begin to impact on that?

But we reckon many consumer goods and certainly food are now cheaper in the UK than here .Even things you would expect to be cheaper here: chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables are more expensive in Chiang Mai than the UK. Washing machines, fridges, computers..all cheaper in the UK.

Our major expenditures are school fees..60K a term..again wouldn't buy you much in the UK...gas..its a long way to school..and the cost of maintaining a UK home..Council Tax at £120 a month main item there. Just beginning to see that £ at 48B doesn't buy what it used to. It was about 40B when we came, then the heady days of General Chavalit 90B!!

Both CM and Phuket seem strikingly much richer than 1992. Is that true of other provinces?

[krisb]

Not in the village. Still cheap as. I notice it hugely when we stop in Bangkok or the occasional trip to your area op up in CM. Ask my MIL, she will tell you the village isnt cheap anymore, but up to her, its cheap I say, dirt cheap. No council rates, no water bills, electricity perhaps 800month, food 400week thats feeding 2 big kids plus wife and me, plus we dont have any mortgages, so I cant wait to move there full time. Here in Australia, wife and I dont spend much, and our expenditure would be approx $800 a week . Thats not going out for dinner or any luxuries. Now we have the daughter, who knows, but its gonna be more.

BTW op, your school costs 60k baht a term!..wow thats alot, even for a good school here in Aus.

Edited January 4, 2013 by krisb

[MrRealDeal]

Inflation is rising faster in Asia than the west thats perfectly true , is it rising at a rate so fast Thailand isn't "cheap" anymore ..... depends on your defenition of cheap and on what you buy, but it's factually correct to say the gap is slowly closing over time and will probabbly continue that way into the foreseeable future.

If you really price things apples to apples Thailand is not especially cheap overall ...... you mentioned school expence as not buying a private school for that in the UK .... an apples to apples comparision would be that in the UK you wouldn't need to spend any money on the same school your public school is just as good for free.

Lets face it your house in the UK cost more to maintain because it's bigger and nicer as well as it costing more for the workers and parts to fix things , most people use air conditioning not fans in the west , but compare their fan bill to thier AC bill back home as if it's the same quality of living , another non apples to apples comparision.

A Toyota Camry cost about 42,000 here in America about 23,000 thats a real apples to apples comparision

I looked at a Morgan 42 at the Pattaya yacht broker that was 2 times what it would cost to buy in the US

A nice home in Bangkok with a gated service, swimming pool , teniss court and amentiys is about the same for a nice home as a comparable place in the US however just outside the gate you are in the muck and mire and in the west you would still be in a nice part of town.

You can get by in the cheap here , there are good deals for less than other places but there is also always a trade off of some kind because it's simply a different part of the world where things are different.

I have a little different take on your subject ....... what I have found over the years is that it used to be you got really good value at any price point for most things except cars , if you wanted the cheap room it was cheap and a good value , if you wanted a more expensive room it was still a good value compared to the west both a little cheaper and good service , same for resturaunts and general shopping ..... fast foward to today and the difference is that there are so many more places that are not really a good value but just perhaps an "ok" value that rather then everything being a good value and not having to look for one like the old days , today their are enough places and things that are not a good value that you are well served by taking a little more care in deciding where to shop , eat , stay ect.

So to me whats changed is that the economy has allowed Thailand to be able to raise prices to a point where plenty of places are not a great value but still can attract customers and stay in bisness , however their are also still plenty of places that are a great value as well ...... just have to be a little more selective nowadays

Edited January 4, 2013 by MrRealDeal

[HardenedSoul]

Depends on where in the UK or in the West you're comparing Thailand with.

If it's London - as it is in my case - fergedaboudit!!

Thailand - even central Bangkok - is still far, far cheaper.

Rent, taxis, tube/BTS, food, booze, property tax, petrol but of course, it depends on your individual circumstances, doesn't it?

For a single person with no sprogs, life here is wonderfully cheap. My bottom line here - what I need to cover rent, utility bills, food, drink - is less than half what I'd need in the parts of London that I, personally, would consider living in.

[Beetlejuice]

Depends on how you prefer to live your lifestyle.

Living on Western type foods, having all the mod cons and social can prove more expensive in Thailand than in the West.

It is possible to live on next to nothing here, if willing to eat a 30 baht plate of noodles, just use the occasional fan with no air con, use electricity to the minimum, drink the gut rot Thai alcohol or don`t drink at all, and stay home a lot, as social is now very expensive.

30 years ago, my family and I could live quite comfortably in Thailand on 5000 baht per month and this is no exaggeration.

We still can live fairly comfortable, but although my income has increased substantially over the years, my budget still does not extend that of 20/30 years ago, and had to make many cut backs.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[barefoot1988]

i dont think chicken, pork, fruit and vegetables more expensive in chiangmai than uk . . how can it be? fruits here goes for like a pound per kg, single serving vegetables are like 10 baht

[chiangmaikelly]

I believe this is the 3rd thread running recently and among many in the past month about how cheap it is to live in the West as opposed to Thailand. Do you think it is a conspiracy? Does the UK and US really want all the old guys back?

[MrRealDeal]

It's not a thread of the west being cheaper it's a thread pointing out the rise in Asian inflation is making the value gap shrink over time. Making Thailand less and less of a great value over time.

[chiangmaikelly]

It's not a thread of the west being cheaper it's a thread pointing out the rise in Asian inflation is making the value gap shrink over time. Making Thailand less and less of a great value over time.

Oh that's nice because I read the OP and it stated, "At the beginning pretty much everything here was cheaper than UK.

But we reckon many consumer goods and certainly food are now cheaper in the UK than here." Obviously I got it wrong.

[StreetCowboy]

I believe this is the 3rd thread running recently and among many in the past month about how cheap it is to live in the West as opposed to Thailand. Do you think it is a conspiracy? Does the UK and US really want all the old guys back?

We can only wish...

SC

[MrRealDeal]

It's not a thread of the west being cheaper it's a thread pointing out the rise in Asian inflation is making the value gap shrink over time. Making Thailand less and less of a great value over time.

Oh that's nice because I read the OP and it stated, "At the beginning pretty much everything here was cheaper than UK.

But we reckon many consumer goods and certainly food are now cheaper in the UK than here." Obviously I got it wrong.

Yes he was commenting on food inflation a small part of overall living costs ..... yes obviously you you got it wrong but there is no need to point that out we all knew that already

[stoneyboy]

£ 4.90 at Kings Cross for a large Cornish pastie last night,need I say any more.

[Nana Cowboy]

Most things in the USA are MUCH cheaper than here. I pay a premium to live here because this is where I wanna be. No sense sugar coating it though and trying to kid oneself that somehow everything is perfect here such as cost of living like some other posters are obsessed with doing. Some of said posters are so mind fogged that they will tell you that a 42/1 dollar exchange rate is worse than 30/1 dollar

Edited January 4, 2013 by Nana Cowboy

[MrRealDeal]

As a side note Thailand is not in the newely released top retirement desinations at least not in the top 5 for Americans and Canadians

[HardenedSoul]

Most things in the USA are MUCH cheaper than here. I pay a premium to live here because this is where I wanna be. No sense sugar coating it though and trying to kid oneself that somehow everything is perfect here such as cost of living like some other posters are obsessed with doing.

I doubt anyone's actually lying and saying the cost of living in Thailand is cheaper when it ain't.

No one's saying it's perfect here either but, as your post would seem to indicate, quality of living is just as important as the cost.

[Phronesis]

I don't know where you shop but pork, chicken etc definitely is not more expensive here than in Australia (which is now more expensive than the UK).

I live in Phuket and I shop at Tesco. Yesterday I paid as follows:

Skin on chicken breasts 75THB kg....Australia circa 300THB kg

Minced pork 95THB kg...Australia circa 300THB kg

One egg Circa 4THB...Australia circa 8THB

This one is hilarious: Navel oranges (imported from Australia) 45THB kg....Australia circa 160THB kg

[chiangmaikelly]

It's not a thread of the west being cheaper it's a thread pointing out the rise in Asian inflation is making the value gap shrink over time. Making Thailand less and less of a great value over time.

Oh that's nice because I read the OP and it stated, "At the beginning pretty much everything here was cheaper than UK.

But we reckon many consumer goods and certainly food are now cheaper in the UK than here." Obviously I got it wrong.

Yes he was commenting on food inflation a small part of overall living costs ..... yes obviously you you got it wrong but there is no need to point that out we all knew that already

The OP was" At the beginning pretty much everything here was cheaper than UK." That is everything not just food inflation as you wrongly assumed. Then the OP says, "But we reckon many consumer goods and certainly food are now cheaper in the UK than here.." That is many consumer goods not just food inflation as you wrongly assumed. My advice would be to read the OP again as he is definitely not just commenting on food inflation.

[SteeleJoe]

BTW op, your school costs 60k baht a term!..wow thats alot, even for a good school here in Aus.

It's probably a pretty good school at that price but that won't even come close to paying for a top school in Thailand (not meant as judgmental or snobbish - just a comment on the cost of a first rate education here).

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[MrHammer]

It certainly doesnt' help that 'our' polticians do their best to make us all poorer by printing money like it's nothing. The fact is that Euro people have lost more than 25% in purchasing power in the last 3 years alone. That's a significant loss of wealth if your income is from outside Thailand.

But..no one can say if this will continue. I am quite convinced, as is people in the construction/property business that I've talked with, that there is a massive property bubble in Bangkok and the islands. Bubbles collapse at some point. It's difficult of course to say how much of Thailand's rising prices comes from Chinese investment demand, but China themselves have a property bubble, most noticable in Hong Kong, where parking lots sell for millions.

History is a good teacher. In the 80s, people were scared to death of Japan. Once China slows down, we may encounter some sort of recession in satelite states like Thailand.

[krisb]

I believe this is the 3rd thread running recently and among many in the past month about how cheap it is to live in the West as opposed to Thailand. Do you think it is a conspiracy? Does the UK and US really want all the old guys back?

Depends if your German.

[krisb]

BTW op, your school costs 60k baht a term!..wow thats alot, even for a good school here in Aus.

It's probably a pretty good school at that price but that won't even come close to paying for a top school in Thailand (not meant as judgmental or snobbish - just a comment on the cost of a first rate education here).

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Well 60k baht a term isnt a 2nd rate education here.

You know what, I read these price comparison threads and it makes me wonder.

Op, when you list what you pay out, its the same prices we pay in the west. Which means you live in Thailand(for over 20 years!), doesnt mean you spend like a Thai.

If this makes you think, then after 20 years of living there, YOU should be telling US how to live in Thailand CHEAP!...not the other way round.

[loong]

Everytime that I visit the UK, I am surprised about some things that are cheaper than Thailand.

Often you can buy whole cooked chickens in UK Tesco cheaper than Tesco Lotus.

Low budget clothing and shoes are cheaper in the UK - and you can return them if they fall apart a couple of weeks later.

Stuff like cheese is a lot more expensive in Thailand.

Bread is a lot more expensive in Thailand. What is it? the Farmhouse range of sliced bread? That would be equivalent to a supermarket "value" range. Ie. crap at a cheap price, but in Thailand at double the price.

Tomatoes here in Thailand are generally such low quality that you cannot compare to cost in the UK and that goes for many things.

Generally, it is cheaper to live in Thailand as long as you are prepared to accept low quality in many areas. If you want the best of everything and are not willing to eat Thai food, you will probably find it more expensive.

[krisb]

£ 4.90 at Kings Cross for a large Cornish pastie last night,need I say any more.

How much were the beers beforehand?

[jamescollister]

Live here, 2 kids, make my living here. Have a better standard of living, bigger house, bigger car, but overall not much cheaper.

Difference is you can live cheaply here, where in OZ you would be one of the new breed of urban out doors man. jim

[aussiebebe]

food 400week thats feeding 2 big kids plus wife and me

I live in Bangkok but can't see how you can feed four people for 400b per week. Really? Even if you ate nothing but rice I still can't see that, it's 14baht per meal - the price of a can of soft drink in a Bangkok 7/11. Very impressive.

[MrRealDeal]

food 400week thats feeding 2 big kids plus wife and me

I live in Bangkok but can't see how you can feed four people for 400b per week. Really? Even if you ate nothing but rice I still can't see that, it's 14baht per meal - the price of a can of soft drink in a Bangkok 7/11. Very impressive.

Impressive ? ..... seems more abusive than impressive to me. Would you be as impressed if it was your 2 kids who could never have a soda or pizza or a happy meal ? Frugal is one thing 400 bht per week for 4 people is more like cruel and unusual punishment than anything else.

[chrisinth]

food 400week thats feeding 2 big kids plus wife and me

I live in Bangkok but can't see how you can feed four people for 400b per week. Really? Even if you ate nothing but rice I still can't see that, it's 14baht per meal - the price of a can of soft drink in a Bangkok 7/11. Very impressive.

Impressive ? ..... seems more abusive than impressive to me. Would you be as impressed if it was your 2 kids who could never have a soda or pizza or a happy meal ? Frugal is one thing 400 bht per week for 4 people is more like cruel and unusual punishment than anything else.

Think maybe he has dropped a 0 from that estimate.

If not, then obesity shouldn't be a problem for his kids...............................

[NeverSure]

I have said over and over that I can live a good life cheaper in the US than in LOS, I can't speak for other Western countries.

I would simply choose the climate type I prefer, then move to small rural US in that climate. I can find a good solid liveable home in rural US for under $100k and I own the land. I own the land. I own the land.

There are places like Southern Texas and the Appalachians and N. Alabama and N. Mississipi all with warm weather. There are places like Wyoming and N. Idaho for those who like four distinct seasons. I could go on.

I can't go Thai food 24/7. The food I actually buy and eat would break the bank in LOS. Last week I hit another sale and put another 60 pounds of USDA choice beef in the freezer for $2.99 a pound. I could go on and on about food.

Sundries. Outrageous in Thailand. Just mention laundry detergent. Gasoline, $2.79 a gallon with a coupon last time, and my pickup holds 27 gallons.

Cars? About 1/2 price. Someone mentioned Camry. I can buy one here for $18,000 - an LE model with all the goodies and no sales tax. LOS - more than double that.

If medical is ever an issue, I have $125 per month Medicare Advantage. That could tip the scales in a huge way very quickly as I get older.

I think it's time we quit kidding ourselves. I'm a citizen here, not a guest, and I don't need anyone's leave to be here and move about. The reason to live in LOS is still good, but it's not about money unless I move to a village in Isaan and live like the locals.

[jbrain]

It certainly doesnt' help that 'our' polticians do their best to make us all poorer by printing money like it's nothing. The fact is that Euro people have lost more than 25% in purchasing power in the last 3 years alone. That's a significant loss of wealth if your income is from outside Thailand.

But..no one can say if this will continue. I am quite convinced, as is people in the construction/property business that I've talked with, that there is a massive property bubble in Bangkok and the islands. Bubbles collapse at some point. It's difficult of course to say how much of Thailand's rising prices comes from Chinese investment demand, but China themselves have a property bubble, most noticable in Hong Kong, where parking lots sell for millions.

History is a good teacher. In the 80s, people were scared to death of Japan. Once China slows down, we may encounter some sort of recession in satelite states like Thailand.

China is the biggest bubble, when that one implodes and it will some time in the future, the whole of South east Asia will suffer and Thailand not the least.

[jbrain]

...5millionB spent here wouldn't get you much in the UK,

If you compare quality, real estate is more expensive than in the western world, umless you compare Isaan with the olympic area in London of course.

99% of the + 5 million Baht houses built here would not pass inspection in the western world.

Edited January 4, 2013 by jbrain