What's your monthly cost to live in Thailand?

[HardenedSoul]

I'm astounded at how any Westerner can even begin to consider their existence in this country to be "living" while spending less than ฿500,000 per month.

[Jingthing]

I'm astounded at how any Westerner can even begin to consider their existence in this country to be "living" while spending less than ฿500,000 per month.

Absolutely, snookums!

[yingyo]

Average between 160-240k p/m.

Wow!!!!.....you really know how to live!

And the lifestyle you have in Thailand on that kinda of money.....would have the same, better, or worse lifestyle in your home country?

I was born in Thailand.

[thaicbr]

 

Average between 160-240k p/m.

Wow!!!!.....you really know how to live!

 

And the lifestyle you have in Thailand on that kinda of money.....would have the same,  better, or worse lifestyle in your home country?

 

 

I was born in Thailand.

 

But is that your home country. I was born in Singapore but my home country is England!

I have several friends born in Thailand but their home country is the US.

Sent from my phone with the app thingy.

[lannarebirth]

It's all about the American health care. I retired at 55 after 34 years of work. My pension is $2450 a month. To keep my health benefits after retirement for myself, wife and 7 year old would have cost $1600 a month plus 20% of costs after $500 deductible.

I could not get other insurance because of high blood pressure and heart murmur.

The answer is moving here, renting a car every 2 mos. driving up to Pattaya and seeing my doctors, get all my steroid injections on my blown out shoulder and meds for 2 mos. including hotel and car it runs about $600. Next week I get a complete heart work up for $260.

I live easy here on my pension and can't imagine going back. The general rule I use is the costs here are a third of what I would pay in the US.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yours is a much more believable figure for healthcare for two adults than the $7,500 presented in the OP. Healthcare insurance at any price in America is far less than comprehensive and the cost of the insurance in no way caps your expenses.

Jingthing: While it may be true that pre-existing conditions are no longer a criteria for excluding people from healthcare insurance, which is of course a good and humane thing, costs have not been contained in any appreciable way. Paying even 20% of the costs of a healtcare emergency could bankrupt many people in the US. I suppose once they are bankrupt they then qualify for Medicaid, but that's not really a viable solution, is it?

[beachproperty]

lannarebirth

Your absolutely correct when you state......"Yours is a much more believable figure for healthcare for two adults than the $7,500 presented in the OP."

That figure (and the associated costs of living in America) is based on ONE person, me, before I moved here ....wherein I got married ....so the Thailand costs (and they are the minimum......As I do spend somewhat more....but NOWHERE close to want I spent in America)...of living in Thailand are for My Wife and myself.

Strangely enough for TWO people to live in Thailand is WAY cheaper than my ONE person costs in America.......Go figure

[yingyo]

Average between 160-240k p/m.

Wow!!!!.....you really know how to live!

And the lifestyle you have in Thailand on that kinda of money.....would have the same, better, or worse lifestyle in your home country?

I was born in Thailand.

But is that your home country. I was born in Singapore but my home country is England!

I have several friends born in Thailand but their home country is the US.

Sent from my phone with the app thingy.

First 11 years were spent in Thailand. The next 15 in the Western country of my mother's birth. Family and friends in both and I'm living here.

Home country? You tell me.

Edited October 27, 2013 by yingyo

[beachproperty]

yingyo

11 years Thailand.....15 years in western country (Which?)....and back here for ?????

Does that mean your under 30 and have an allowance of 200,000 baht/month?

Will your Daddy adopt me too????

[Parker123]

I thought American people were generally fairly poor thats why they come to live in the LOS to try and live like a king.

[zydeco]

One of the reasons I brought this topic up AGAIN......is when I left the states .....(and I owned a home) my expenses were as follows.

Property tax...........................................................................450/month

Electric...................................................................................200/month

water......................................................................................100/month

garbage......................................................................................75/month

gardener.....................................................................................85/month

medical ins,.................................................................................750/month

cable tv........................................................................................100/month

telephone......................................................................................75/month

Food.........................................................................................500/month

Transportation (gasoline, car insurance, and car payment)......800/month

miscelaneous............................................................................300/month

Federal Income Tax................................................................1500/month

So an average life in America ....I believe I was middle class.....cost $4935/month.....

The comparison is interesting. In Thailand, for me, monthly:

Rent of 2 story six bedroom 3 bathroom house with large covered veranda: 10,000 baht

Taxis to work: about 2000 baht

Food: 4000 baht

Cable TV/Phone/Internet: 3000 baht

Water: 80 baht

Electric: 1000 to 3000, depending on season

Housekeeper: 7000

Medical: 0

Back in Texas:

Mortgage: $1300, including insurance, property tax

Natural gas: $70-200 depending on season

Electricity: $90-190 depending on season

Water: $60-200 depending on season

Car Insurance: $190

Gasoline: $200

Insurance health: $250

Food: $500-600

Telephone, Cable TV, Internet: $350

This latter list was four years ago and doesn't include house repairs, costs of maintaining the lawn (fertilizers, mowers, trimmers, hedgers, etc) or storm damages). I really think my lifestyle was/is modest in both places, but I experience it a lot more inexpensively here than there.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Home was paid off in America ....so trying to compare apples to apples as much as I can...Home paid off in Thailand

So what are your monthly expenses.? Where do you live?

Thats what this post is about ...trying to compare other peoples costs and expense...NOT to analyze mine...I just posted mine as an example ...that's all....

My point being is that Thailand is less expensive than America to live in!

Really, there's two different issues being thrown around here... and they're NOT at all the same.

1 is the title you chose for this thread: What's your monthly cost to live in Thailand.

That's the kind of question where, to answer it fairly, one needs to build in their housing costs (whether rent or the amortised amount of a purchase), and all the other things such as travel back to one's home country, etc. Because those are real costs, whether paid up front or paid monthly. And to leave them out seriously understates the real costs people will incur living here.

2 is the issue you seem more interested in addressing, which is whether it's less expensive to live in Thailand compared to the U.S. To answer that question, a lot depends on the lifestyle choices and habits one had/has, before in the U.S. and then now here in Thailand. But overall, I do believe it can be cheaper to live here.

And the main reasons for most people probably are big ticket items like housing expense, not paying state income tax, and health insurance expense.

Housing:

Before in the U.S., and this was some years ago, I was paying about $1500 a month in loan payments for a 3/2 1400 sf house, and later about $1000 a month rent for a one bedroom apartment, both in a major West Coast city. Here, some years later, I'm paying about $500 a month for a quite nice two bedroom/two bath 80 sq mt. apartment in BKK that's larger than my old apartment, but obviously smaller than my old house. So my real monthly housing expense now is half of what it was years ago in the U.S.

State /Local Taxes:

Because I live here full time and no longer have any economic ties to my former home state, I no longer pay any state income taxes, which could have been figured at between 5 and 9% of my actual annual income, depending on whether it was based again my working (higher) or retired (lower) annual income. My former home also has a 9% local sales tax, whereas Thailand has a 7% VAT.

Health Insurance:

Before in the U.S., I had a pretty comprehensive 80% coverage medical insurance through my employer for which I paid only a small additional payroll deduction each month. If I had to pay that out of pocket on my own prior to Obamacare, I'm sure it would have cost $300 a month or more. Here, some years older, I'm paying about $110 per month for 100% inpatient/outpatient cover with an annual deductible of about $1000, which I've never yet reached, fortunately. But the Thai policy has a per disability and lifetime expenditure limits, whereas my old U.S. coverage did not, as best as I recall.

Although now, with Obama care, at least in California, there are insurance options that didn't exist back during my U.S. days....

In checking their website today, I see they have bronze plans that cover on average 60% of covered expenses, silver plans that cover 73% on average of covered expenses and gold plans that cover 90% of expenses. Picking a midpoint policy as a comparsion, for me as a 54 year old, the Anthem Blue Cross silver plan would cost $437 a month, but would have a $293 per month tax credit for me, so my net payment supposedly would be $144...

The Covered California calculator website for all that is here:

https://www.coveredca.com/shopandcompare/

And obviously, the pricing depends on the plan chosen, age of the person covered, and annual income, as a basis for determining the extent of any available tax credits.

So at least for the medical insurance issue, the cost gap seems to have narrowed considerably with the arrival of Obamacare... But not for housing or taxes, of course.

Edited October 27, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[waynerooney]

so it is possible to live cheap here, but if your the average thai on the average wage its a different story.

300bt per day compared to 300bt per hour in most western countries does not really make for a fair comparison.

[kikoman]

I'm astounded at how any Westerner can even begin to consider their existence in this country to be "living" while spending less than ฿500,000 per month.

Your Value judgement, it may be surprising to you that other people may not consider your stated lifestyle as appealing.

If you choose to pay $100 for some silk/satin under wear, while I perfer to pay $7 for a pair of pima cotton briefs, both do the exact same job, keep your butt covered.

How would that type of decision be considered a better "existence" simply because you choose to waste your money in that fashion.

Cheers:

Edited October 27, 2013 by kikoman

[yingyo]

yingyo

11 years Thailand.....15 years in western country (Which?)....and back here for ?????

Does that mean your under 30 and have an allowance of 200,000 baht/month?

Will your Daddy adopt me too????

Allowance?

[yingyo]

I honestly can't fathom those living here on an income of 20-30k p/m.

Life must be an endless struggle.

[AYJAYDEE]

I honestly can't fathom those living here on an income of 20-30k p/m.

Life must be an endless struggle.

obviously not everyone needs what you need to enjoy their life.

[yingyo]

True, some people are happy in prison watching their budget of 100b so that they don't go over it. Odd World, isn't it.

[AYJAYDEE]

True, some people are happy in prison watching their budget of 100b so that they don't go over it. Odd World, isn't it.

i dont know anyone in prison.

[yingyo]

Look around.

Edited October 27, 2013 by yingyo

[AYJAYDEE]

Go to the local 4k p/m apartment complex and look at the farang retirees counting out the 12b for a morning Birdie coffee.

we dont have a local 4k p/m apartment complex

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Transport is another area of potential savings:

Living in BKK, I can get around as a retiree for everything I need through a combination of walking, BTS and MRT passes and occasional taxi trips... Total monthly cost, probably $30 a most.

In the U.S. where I lived, you really couldn't get by on public transit alone. A car was a necessity. So figure $300 a month for a modest car payment during the life of the loan, then maybe $100-$150 per month for car insurance plus $50-$100 a month for gasoline (depending on a work vs. retiree schedule). Not including maintence and repairs, that's getting toward $200 to $500 a month, depending.

Of course, in Thailand, these days, I pretty much won't take any van, tour bus or train due to safety concerns/fear of losing my life. And if I was living upcountry, I wouldn't have the same easy mass transit options as exist in BKK. But I'm pretty sure even the costs of owning/maintaining a car or motorcycle here would be less by comparison.

A couple years ago, when I was back for a visit, my car had to be in the repair shop for a day...and I needed to take a cross town trip, most likely by taxi... Here, the trip would have cost perhaps 100 baht or $3+... When I told the U.S, taxi company where I needed to go for the perhaps 20-30 minute drive, their quoted price was about $35 one-way.

Edited October 27, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[leggo]

40000 bht all in including rent -easy - it's a lot cheaper than UK or USA - I don't know why this topic keeps coming up- it' so obviously cheaper to live here than in both countries. And please don't quote median salaries etc -they are totally inconsequential -50000 us and nearly the same in the UK include all those people earning 100000 - they just average it out. I could easily live in both countries for for far less!

[yingyo]

Go to the local 4k p/m apartment complex and look at the farang retirees counting out the 12b for a morning Birdie coffee.

we dont have a local 4k p/m apartment complex

Sure you don't.

In Sisaket. Try the 2,000b one downtown.

I remember talking to an English teacher up in Udon, he was saying that he makes 30k a month and I asked how much was his housing, as it must be cheap up there and can probably get a liveable house outside the city for 15k a month. Oh, no he says, he was living in small room for 1,000b p/m.

[colinp]

Electric (air on 8 hours a day everyday)............3000 baht

Water.................................................................400 baht

Internet...............................................................400 baht

TV....................................................................free

Transportation (taxis for one month).................3000baht

Food (for 2).......................................................9000 baht

Miscelaneous ...................................................6000 baht

One of the reasons I brought this topic up AGAIN......is when I left the states .....(and I owned a home) my expenses were as follows.

Property tax...........................................................................450/month

Electric...................................................................................200/month

water......................................................................................100/month

garbage......................................................................................75/month

gardener.....................................................................................85/month

medical ins,.................................................................................750/month

cable tv........................................................................................100/month

telephone......................................................................................75/month

Food.........................................................................................500/month

Transportation (gasoline, car insurance, and car payment)......800/month

miscelaneous............................................................................300/month

Federal Income Tax................................................................1500/month

So an average life in America ....I believe I was middle class.....cost $4935/month.....

Doesn't seem a fair comparison. You paid for a gardener in US but here I assume you have no garden or no need for a gardener, you have no telephone, car, insurance (car or medical) in Thailand. Your free tv in Thailand is comparable with the 'paid for' cable tv in the states? Why is miscellaneous more expensive?

Aside from taxes (income and property) it suggests you live more frugally here then you did in the US rather than a comparable costs of living standards.

Is your income the same in Thailand as the US?

[AYJAYDEE]

Go to the local 4k p/m apartment complex and look at the farang retirees counting out the 12b for a morning Birdie coffee.

we dont have a local 4k p/m apartment complex

Sure you don't.

In Sisaket. Try the 2,000b one downtown.

I remember talking to an English teacher up in Udon, he was saying that he makes 30k a month and I asked how much was his housing, as it must be cheap up there and can probably get a liveable house outside the city for 15k a month. Oh, no he says, he was living in small room for 1,000b p/m.

i never go to sisaket its an hour away

[skorchio]

I spend about 4000 GBP per month in Thai. But fork me I do a lot for that 4K. I think I will spend that same amount, give or take, wherever I am. But in terms of what how much I enjoy the time, Thailand is the winner, and I have lived in many places.

[slipperylobster]

Yes...many places are cheaper than America. Also many places are inconvenient, as well. We all live here with our pants down...(no joke)..meaning more precisely that most of us have no emergency plan/government bailout, assistance, rights or privileges. So If it was not cheaper, we would be damn foolish to stay. Thats is why, exactly, people pay more in America...however unhappy they are with the present government.

[abrahamzvi]

...Have a 5 bedroom townhouse in Bangkok that cost me $92,000. (no property taxes as there are in America.) and my monthly bills are

Electric (air on 8 hours a day everyday)............3000 baht

Water.................................................................400 baht

Internet...............................................................400 baht

TV....................................................................free

Transportation (taxis for one month).................3000baht

Food (for 2).......................................................9000 baht

Miscelaneous ...................................................6000 baht

Quite frankly, I think I ought to take a course on cost of living from you. However before doing so may I ask few questions regarding the above costs which I have copied fro your mail:

1) Where in Bangkok can one get a 5 bedroom Townhouse for less than Baht 3 Million ($92,000). Even in places like Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, leaving aside the more expensive places like Hua Hin, Phuket and Chiang Mai, one would pay double that price , provided the property is not in a slum, which I am sure it is not in your case.

2)with 5 bedrooms and I assume a living room , kitchen etc., aircoditioned for 8 hours a day - how do you manage to cut your electricity bill to baht 3,000?

3)Even using the BTS and /or MRT by two, let alone Taxis in the Bangkok traffic, would cost more than baht 100 a day, bringing the total to much more than Baht 3,000 a months. Of course, one can do it even for less if one wishes to stay home or walk most days.

4) Food - Baht 300 per day. If one likes eating cheap food , either in small cheap and not too clean restaurants, or buy ready food from stalls in the market or streets, then I can imagine living on Baht 300 a day. If one is satisfied with such nourishment, I don't think one would spend more than $10 - 15 in the US, or Europe.

4) What do you include in "Miscellaneous"? Theater, Cinema, Toiletries, simple medicines, clothing? I can hardly imagine that one could cover any of these items for Baht 6,000.

Having asked the above questions, even before getting the answers, I think that here one compares apples to oranges. On the other hand, I still think that if one leads a normal life here in Thailand, it is cheaper than in most western countries. I would estimate that a couple can lead a comfortable life here for app. Baht 100,000 p.M. a standard that would cost at least 50% to 100% more in western countries.

All this applies only to expatriates or Thais occupying top jobs (or very rich people). The average middle class Thai earns far less than in most western countries. Comparing cost of living and salaries in Thailand to western countries, results in the conclusion that Thailand is by far more expensive for the middle class Thais.

Edited October 27, 2013 by abrahamzvi

[maxx58]

I figured out that I spend about 60K a month. That includes rent on a nice condo in Bangkok, electric, water, internet, and food from the supermarket. I use the condo cable for free. I go to Western restaurants three or four times a week, Thai restaurants two or three times a week. Most of the time my girlfriend is with me. She works, so a few of the times I eat out alone. The rest of the time she cooks or I'll cook something for myself. I am also including other ancillary costs in my calculation. I like to have a couple of pints with my meals but don't really partake in the nightlife.

I live very comfortably on this spending. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.

I could never live this kind of lifestyle on 60K back home in NYC.

Life is good in Thailand!

[abrahamzvi]

Yes...many places are cheaper than America. Also many places are inconvenient, as well. We all live here with our pants down...(no joke)..meaning more precisely that most of us have no emergency plan/government bailout, assistance, rights or privileges. So If it was not cheaper, we would be dam_n foolish to stay. Thats is why, exactly, people pay more in America...however unhappy they are with the present government.

Just one remark. Most Americans seem to be happy with their government, otherwise President Obama would not have been reelected last November!