Your monthly expense for 1 person(yourself) in CM?

[eden8]

Hello guys,

including rent, food, transport..

how much do you spend for 1 month (approximately) ?

Are you in your 30s, 40s or others?

Edited August 5, 2013 by eden8

[Salapoo]

Was single there in my 20's.

50k p/m was okay.

6 years later, I'd up that to 60k.

Would give you a comfortable life.

You could live on less though.

[NancyL]

Oh dear, we've done this topic many times before. One of the great things about Chiang Mai is that you can have a nice lifestyle and fun with a monthly budget as low as 10,000 baht/month and up. The general consensus was that a single guy with somewhat of a social life would need 30,000-40,000 baht. Someone out in the bars every day, entertaining the ladies, eating western food for every meal is going to need much more. Up to you!

It's really a matter of budget, attitude and lifestyle choices.

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

[eden8]

Oh dear, we've done this topic many times before. One of the great things about Chiang Mai is that you can have a nice lifestyle and fun with a monthly budget as low as 10,000 baht/month and up. The general consensus was that a single guy with somewhat of a social life would need 30,000-40,000 baht. Someone out in the bars every day, entertaining the ladies, eating western food for every meal is going to need much more. Up to you!

It's really a matter of budget, attitude and lifestyle choices.

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

CM is a wonderful city to live in as compare to bangkok.

what kind of 'health' issue do you foresee ?

[CMSteve]

I think she means general health issues like getting sick, but more than a cold or flu. Also, make sure you are well covered for accidents. You can easily spend a couple hundred thousand in the hospital after a motorbike accident or getting hit by a car....

Oh dear, we've done this topic many times before. One of the great things about Chiang Mai is that you can have a nice lifestyle and fun with a monthly budget as low as 10,000 baht/month and up. The general consensus was that a single guy with somewhat of a social life would need 30,000-40,000 baht. Someone out in the bars every day, entertaining the ladies, eating western food for every meal is going to need much more. Up to you!

It's really a matter of budget, attitude and lifestyle choices.

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

CM is a wonderful city to live in as compare to bangkok.

what kind of 'health' issue do you foresee ?

[NancyL]

Minor illnesses can be very cheap to treat here. The big expenses can come with traffic-related accidents, including pedestrian accidents. A few days in ICU, orthopedic surgery with hardware (plates, screws), or those new, imported IV antibiotics to kill a resistant infection (i.e. road rash gone bad) can create big medical bills.

Here is something to think about from 2010 data from the World Health Organization:

Road fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles

Australia 8

U.K. 7

U.S. 15

Thailand 118.8

[Thighlander]

I get 500K USD medical coverage for 2.40 USD per day. 100 USD deductible. They aren't a Thai Visa sponsor, so I won't give their name. Of course they only charge less than half of what our great sponsors charge..........

[elektrified]

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

I would double that. Of course health insurance is the way to go as it's not expensive here.

[NancyL]

Health insurance isn't expensive for younger people here, but all those websites that promote "retire in Chiang Mai on the cheap", neglect to mention how there's no such thing as "free" health care here for foreigners, and how expensive (or impossible to obtain) health insurance is for retired people.

[circusman]

I think your estimating hospital care costs for traffic accidents a bit high. Me and my partner live nicely on 45,000 b per month. Air con home and own car. Seldom eat out and never to bars. To each his own.

[elektrified]

I think she's a bit low actually. Do you have any idea of the costs involved if you get into a major traffic accident? Or, what if you have a heart attack or a stroke? Any idea? I have an idea based on personal experience (accident) and my friend's experience who had a heart attack on an airplane at Suvarnibhumi while waiting to take off on the runway.

If you are not prepared or if you don't have insurance, you could be in for a surprise.

Yes, I understand NancyL. I was talking more about people in their 30's-50's. I realize it is a different situation for people who are older.

Edited August 5, 2013 by elektrified

[market trader]

I think she's a bit low actually. Do you have any idea of the costs involved if you get into a major traffic accident? Or, what if you have a heart attack or a stroke? Any idea? I have an idea based on personal experience (accident) and my friend's experience who had a heart attack on an airplane at Suvarnibhumi while waiting to take off on the runway.

If you are not prepared or if you don't have insurance, you could be in for a surprise.

Yes, I understand NancyL. I was talking more about people in their 30's-50's. I realize it is a different situation for people who are older.

If you have personal experience of yourself and a friend, why not give us a rough idea of how much it cost for each incident.

[habfan]

Wow..... as NancyL has said, this topic coming around again. It all just comes down to what you need to spend to make your life feel fulfilled and complete. We make it work for about 25,000 a month but I'm content with a somewhat less than extravagant lifestyle. That doesn't include rent because we own (I know I know, my wife own's) and if we want to spend more we can, that's the key. Sorry just reread the post. My per month is for my wife my son and myself.

Edited August 5, 2013 by habfan

[eden8]

Wow..... as NancyL has said, this topic coming around again. It all just comes down to what you need to spend to make your life feel fulfilled and complete. We make it work for about 25,000 a month but I'm content with a somewhat less than extravagant lifestyle. That doesn't include rent because we own (I know I know, my wife own's) and if we want to spend more we can, that's the key.

nice budget for couple.

[NancyL]

I've had much experience in seeing hospital bills for accidents -- most at the government (i.e. low cost) hospital, Suan Dok. Those that involve at least one of the three things I mentioned (ICU, orthopedic surgery or newfangled IV antibiotics), ran from a low of 50,000 for a rather simple leg fracture to 3 million baht. Most were in the range of 80,000 - 150,000 baht. Strokes are in that range, too, assuming you get to the hospital pronto. If you wait more than 4 hours, then you can end up in ICU for weeks for another 3 - 4 million baht.

Add another 40-90% for treatment in a private hospital, like CM Ram, Rajavej, Sripat, McCormick, Lanna, etc.

The number I mentioned as recommended cash on hand (50,000-100,00 baht) isn't for the entire treatment, but just the deposit the hospital will request before they do more than simply stabilize you. And it's not comfortable being "stabilized" with a fracture while you try to scrape up the money for the deposit before they'll do the surgery to set your broken bone.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So in short, better add a car to your budget. So 15K a month extra, minimum. (Fuel, payments, then maintenance costs go up after you've paid for it)

Same for a mid range house or OK condo. Now we're up to 30K.

Mascarakatze's Wagyu steak once a week, 8K

Trip home once a year, 8K per month, if you can leach off some remaining family while there.

Health insurance plus minor health stuff: 4K

Booze & Women: 20K

Food: 15K

Phone & Internet: 2K

Clothes, Random Stuff : 5K

Misc: 5K

So you're up to pretty much 100K now, and that's just the basic stuff I can think of right now.

In other words, don't attempt for less than 100K, bare minimum. Only bit of luxury in there is the fancy steak once a week. So maybe you can scrape by on just under 100K if you don't get sick too much. Or lose the car and use a motorbike, but then you can move the difference under health costs for the time you get messed up in some accident.

Edited August 5, 2013 by WinnieTheKhwai

[KRS1]

Single room apartment 30sq mtrs ................5500 baht + 2000 baht electricity (air con)

Thai food 3 meals a day -.............................150 baht day

Farang food 3 meals a day - ........................450 baht day .....600 baht per day (if your the type that can only eat chicken breast and are picky)

Transport scooter rental -..............................2000 baht month

Fuel-..............................................................1000 baht month

Internet - .......................................................1000 baht month

Cell Phone -..................................................300 baht month

Alcohol-.........................................................1000 baht month (light drinker) 4000 baht (drink to get drunk)

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Oh dear, we've done this topic many times before. One of the great things about Chiang Mai is that you can have a nice lifestyle and fun with a monthly budget as low as 10,000 baht/month and up. The general consensus was that a single guy with somewhat of a social life would need 30,000-40,000 baht. Someone out in the bars every day, entertaining the ladies, eating western food for every meal is going to need much more. Up to you!

It's really a matter of budget, attitude and lifestyle choices.

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

I took some foreigner friends out to a Thai bar last Friday.

Leo/ChangC/ChangX were all 140bht for three large bottles inc a bucket of ice.

6 beers and 2 plates of food cost us 450bht, served by university girls and live music ..... 150bht for an evening out!

If you went out every night, that would be 4,500bht per month.

CM is not about drinking expensive drinks in foreigner bars served by ageing hookers, don't be scared to use Thai bars.

As for room costs, 6,000bht/month gets you a two room apartment, 2 air-con with separate kitchen in a new condo block out near the Sri-Lanna hotel.

Edited August 5, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Lizard2010]

Anyone know of good Medical Health Insurance for 65 plus in Thailand

[northernjohn]

Minor illnesses can be very cheap to treat here. The big expenses can come with traffic-related accidents, including pedestrian accidents. A few days in ICU, orthopedic surgery with hardware (plates, screws), or those new, imported IV antibiotics to kill a resistant infection (i.e. road rash gone bad) can create big medical bills.

Here is something to think about from 2010 data from the World Health Organization:

Road fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles

Australia 8

U.K. 7

U.S. 15

Thailand 118.8

Being a fatality is free.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Here is something to think about from 2010 data from the World Health Organization:

Road fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles

Australia 8

U.K. 7

U.S. 15

Thailand 118.8

If you remove teens and pre-teen motorcyclists from the stats, they are wildly different.

Edited August 5, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[elektrified]

Anyone know of good Medical Health Insurance for 65 plus in Thailand

Looks like you can get Thai Health up until your 65th birthday. You would have to be insured by them already to renew at age 66. But there are many, many companies in Thailand. Maybe a broker could advise you what is available in your age range.

[Bung]

This topic comes up about every month...if you do a search you will see a lot of chatter about it but really, how can you ask people what they spend and how that relates to you? Everyone is different and have different budgets, needs and circumstances. Why don't you just live here for a month as you like it, count what you spend every day and add it up at the end of the month? Then you can see easily if you can afford to live here or not. You may be able to spend more or you may have to spend less. It's pretty easy.

I think that most people who ask this question don't really have enough to live here but want to. If you are counting penny's you shouldn't be thinking of moving here.

[sfokevin]

Here is something to think about from 2010 data from the World Health Organization:

Road fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles

Australia 8

U.K. 7

U.S. 15

Thailand 118.8

If you remove teens and pre-teen motorcyclists from the stats, they are wildly different.

Remove Songram weekend, drivers under the influence of alcohol and those without helmets and I bet the number comes close to the comparisons... Edited August 5, 2013 by sfokevin

[Salapoo]

Oh dear, we've done this topic many times before. One of the great things about Chiang Mai is that you can have a nice lifestyle and fun with a monthly budget as low as 10,000 baht/month and up. The general consensus was that a single guy with somewhat of a social life would need 30,000-40,000 baht. Someone out in the bars every day, entertaining the ladies, eating western food for every meal is going to need much more. Up to you!

It's really a matter of budget, attitude and lifestyle choices.

I'd caution anyone trying to live in Thailand on a limited budget to be sure to have ready access to at least 50,000-100,000 baht for a medical emergency and to get health insurance (or a savings account of 500,000) if you plan to live here longer term.

CM is a wonderful city to live in as compare to bangkok.

what kind of 'health' issue do you foresee ?

Anything can happen out of the blue.

28 yr old mate just had serious issues with his knee. Unable to work and almost immobile for 3 months. Private hospital cost was about 150k. He had Bupa insurance (the basic 12k p/a one) which covered most of it. Without that, and a good GF to give him food, shelter and TLC he would have been buggered.

He thinks the root cause was a tackle when playing football a few weeks before.

[thrilled]

i usually spend 1000 baht A day on rent/hotels.And 1000 baht a day on food.so i guess your talking 60000 baht A month.More for travel etc.

[Beetlejuice]

It is possible to live in Chiang Mai for 10000 baht per month for a single person. Depends of what sort of lifestyle you intend to have?

Cheap apartment, 2000 baht a month, food 4000 baht a month, leaves 4000 for other expenses.

If you enjoy to live in a bit of luxury, high end apartment with air con and all mod cons, eat mostly farang food, satellite TV, like to smoke, drink, womanize and socialize regularly, than you could be looking at a monthly expenditure of up to 70000 baht per month, perhaps more.

100 Baht a day in Chiang Mai... is it possible?

This video is a couple of years old, so I would say that 120 baht is a more realistic figure today.

[RaysFan]

Why dont people try the search feature... I feel like we do this 1ce a week...

Its probably POSSIBLE to live here for 5000 per month... sure you can live here for 10000 per month but kiss good bye to AC, farang food, a car, beer, cigs, friends, girlfriend or wife, any form of entertainment (tv, internet, movies, going out).....

I would recommend to save until you can afford 20000 per month.... minimum 15000 per month. That way u can at least get a 5000 baht apt, have ac, have internet, and get 1 beer and farang meal a week (sounds easy to live on thai exclusively. .. I planned on it... but its just not possible. .. maybe only after many years. You need your native food and its nit cheap here).

Sent from my GT-I9500

[KRS1]

2000 baht apartments are ghetto, you wont want to do it. Next door there will be 5 people sharing a room and drinking thai whiskey until 3am.

Instead of a doorknob there will be a padlock on it.

Live close to food to cut down on transportation cost and get your farang food fix at 7-11. Or get an electric hot water pitcher (500 baht) and eat noodles, get some ground pork and some kind of cabbage and eat that to save money, by doing this 200 baht can last 5 days.

Edited August 5, 2013 by KRS1

[habfan]

Single room apartment 30sq mtrs ................5500 baht + 2000 baht electricity (air con)

Thai food 3 meals a day -.............................150 baht day

Farang food 3 meals a day - ........................450 baht day .....600 baht per day (if your the type that can only eat chicken breast and are picky)

Transport scooter rental -..............................2000 baht month

Fuel-..............................................................1000 baht month

Internet - .......................................................1000 baht month

Cell Phone -..................................................300 baht month

Alcohol-.........................................................1000 baht month (light drinker) 4000 baht (drink to get drunk)

Good breakdown KRS1! When I was single living in Chiangmai 10 years ago these were basically my monthly expenses. Of course everything was cheaper back then so it came in at maybe 5,000 less.