Cost of living

[viking123]

Hi.

I am a writer, and plan to live in BKK for 2 months this summer. I was in Thailand 1 month last year, and honestly prefer BKK over the less-central areas for a couple of reasons I'm not going to go into in this thread. Stupidly enough, I did not record my spendings properly and I am honestly confused about how much I should budget with to have an "ordinary western standard"; meaning good and varied food, enough to socialices (I love going to the cinemas in BKK) and room for more "tourist" activities (I think I have done most of it, but who knows - maybe I will discover something I want to try). To keep it easy, I would very much like to keep accomodation out of the picture, as short-term rent is significantly higher than long-term contracts (obviously), and I am afraid including this will give the wrong impression of my intentions and my over-all standing.

I was originally thinking something along the lines of budgeting the easy way; 1000 bhat a day - 30 000 a month + accomodation, but after reading this article (http://www.ajarn.com/help-and-guides/articles/thailand-on-30k-a-month/) at Ajarn.com, I am worried that it might be too low. Have in mind the article is written by someone who seems to have the advantage of "know how" of the city, and who also seem to be significantly cheaper (with all due respect) and money minded. The authoer did however include rent and utilities (I think so at least?) in his budget, wich would leave about a third of the budget free. Still though, it does seem like a tight fight - even for a non-smoker like me...

So how much should I budget? I would rather go home with cash in the bank, than a bad experience. After all, I would rather spend 10 000 extra to make it all worth it, than save it and feel that the whole trip was a bad experience... Some advices would be nice.

[thepool]

Your budget is what ever you decide can be afforded.

Live with that budget or go broke !

No one , in my opinion , can or should , provide advice based on your post.

[paz]

I don't see why it would be so difficult to give advice as long we're talking about regular people with regular money.

Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric, not a big difference anyway.

Food and small expenses, make it another 10,000.

Treat yourself with another 5 or 10K monthly, and 30,000 is plenty, all included.

[thepool]

"Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric"

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I don't see why it would be so difficult to give advice as long we're talking about regular people with regular money.

Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric, not a big difference anyway.
Food and small expenses, make it another 10,000.
Treat yourself with another 5 or 10K monthly, and 30,000 is plenty, all included.

A description of this "decent apartment" and in which location ?

Does this place have a kitchen or air conditioner ? Is it near major transport links ?

Some links/information as to where this place is to be found ?

​300 Bht a day for food, travel and ALL other incidental expenses ?

​Advise lacking substance is wanting !

[Diplomatico]

"Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric"

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I don't see why it would be so difficult to give advice as long we're talking about regular people with regular money.

Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric, not a big difference anyway.

Food and small expenses, make it another 10,000.

Treat yourself with another 5 or 10K monthly, and 30,000 is plenty, all included.

A description of this "decent apartment" and in which location ?

Does this place have a kitchen or air conditioner ? Is it near major transport links ?

Some links/information as to where this place is to be found ?

​300 Bht a day for food, travel and ALL other incidental expenses ?

​Advise lacking substance is wanting !

The OP stated 30K + accommodation.....not 30K including accommodation. So it would be 1000 baht per day for food, travel, and incidentals (not 300 baht/day as you stated.)

Edited April 17, 2014 by Diplomatico

[viking123]

I have made a budget, please give feedback if you find any of the posts unrealistic low. I would rather budget too much, than too little. I have for instance calculated the final amounts in the different categories based on 5 weeks in a month, and 31 days in both months.

This is my monthly budget:

Food - 21 700 THB

Breakfast per day: 150 THB

Lunch per day: 200 THB

Dinner per day: 300 THB

Snacks per day: 50 THB

Social - 9 500 THB

Cinema per week: 400 THB

Drinks etc. per week: 1500 THB

Other - 2 200 THB

Other per week: 1 000 THB

BTS&MRT per week: 200 THB

Taxi per week: 1 000 THB

[Diplomatico]

I have made a budget, please give feedback if you find any of the posts unrealistic low. I would rather budget too much, than too little. I have for instance calculated the final amounts in the different categories based on 5 weeks in a month, and 31 days in both months.

This is my monthly budget:

Food - 21 700 THB

Breakfast per day: 150 THB

Lunch per day: 200 THB

Dinner per day: 300 THB

Snacks per day: 50 THB

Social - 9 500 THB

Cinema per week: 400 THB

Drinks etc. per week: 1500 THB

Other - 2 200 THB

Other per week: 1 000 THB

BTS&MRT per week: 200 THB

Taxi per week: 1 000 THB

You can eat for a lot less than 700 baht/day if you eat mostly Thai food. (You can stuff yourself for 100/baht per meal if you eat from street vendors.)

Taxis are really cheap in Bangkok and unless you are aimlessly riding around all day in a taxi, I think you'd be hard pressed to spend 1000 baht/week on taxis. BTS and MRT will take you most places you'd want to visit.

1500 baht for drinks would be a good Friday night for me (at 250 baht/Guinness).

[Fookhaht]

Our school gives teachers a stipend of 300 baht a day for food when we visit The Big Mango.

We do just fine.

[viking123]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I have made a budget, please give feedback if you find any of the posts unrealistic low. I would rather budget too much, than too little. I have for instance calculated the final amounts in the different categories based on 5 weeks in a month, and 31 days in both months.

This is my monthly budget:

Food - 21 700 THB

Breakfast per day: 150 THB

Lunch per day: 200 THB

Dinner per day: 300 THB

Snacks per day: 50 THB

Social - 9 500 THB

Cinema per week: 400 THB

Drinks etc. per week: 1500 THB

Other - 2 200 THB

Other per week: 1 000 THB

BTS&MRT per week: 200 THB

Taxi per week: 1 000 THB

You can eat for a lot less than 700 baht/day if you eat mostly Thai food. (You can stuff yourself for 100/baht per meal if you eat from street vendors.)

Taxis are really cheap in Bangkok and unless you are aimlessly riding around all day in a taxi, I think you'd be hard pressed to spend 1000 baht/week on taxis. BTS and MRT will take you most places you'd want to visit.

1500 baht for drinks would be a good Friday night for me (at 250 baht/Guinness).

Yes, 1500 was the most expensive night I had last summer, and it was pretty wild!

Our school gives teachers a stipend of 300 baht a day for food when we visit The Big Mango.

We do just fine.

Again, I know it's possible to east street food and at cheap restaurants for a lot less than I have budgeted, but it's possible to eat for a lot more too. I would go mad if I was forced to eat cheap every day. A flexible budget is a sound budget! :-D

[Fookhaht]

I have made a budget, please give feedback if you find any of the posts unrealistic low. I would rather budget too much, than too little. I have for instance calculated the final amounts in the different categories based on 5 weeks in a month, and 31 days in both months.

This is my monthly budget:

Food - 21 700 THB

Breakfast per day: 150 THB

Lunch per day: 200 THB

Dinner per day: 300 THB

Snacks per day: 50 THB

Social - 9 500 THB

Cinema per week: 400 THB

Drinks etc. per week: 1500 THB

Other - 2 200 THB

Other per week: 1 000 THB

BTS&MRT per week: 200 THB

Taxi per week: 1 000 THB

You can eat for a lot less than 700 baht/day if you eat mostly Thai food. (You can stuff yourself for 100/baht per meal if you eat from street vendors.)

Taxis are really cheap in Bangkok and unless you are aimlessly riding around all day in a taxi, I think you'd be hard pressed to spend 1000 baht/week on taxis. BTS and MRT will take you most places you'd want to visit.

1500 baht for drinks would be a good Friday night for me (at 250 baht/Guinness).

Yes, 1500 was the most expensive night I had last summer, and it was pretty wild!

Our school gives teachers a stipend of 300 baht a day for food when we visit The Big Mango.

We do just fine.

Again, I know it's possible to east street food and at cheap restaurants for a lot less than I have budgeted, but it's possible to eat for a lot more too. I would go mad if I was forced to eat cheap every day. A flexible budget is a sound budget! :-D

You're needlessly limiting yourself.

Try the upscale Terminal 21 shopping mall at Asoke. Food court. Delicious and healthy meals for under 100 baht each. Hundreds of menu choices. ...If you don't mind eating with working-class Thais who know how to economize.

[paz]

"Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric"

I don't see why it would be so difficult to give advice as long we're talking about regular people with regular money.

Very decent apart in BKK 10,000 a month may or may not include electric, not a big difference anyway.

Food and small expenses, make it another 10,000.

Treat yourself with another 5 or 10K monthly, and 30,000 is plenty, all included.

A description of this "decent apartment" and in which location ?

Does this place have a kitchen or air conditioner ? Is it near major transport links ?

Description, in a brand new condo with gym and and all the amenities. I remember it was near Bang Na. Went to see and it was as described, owned by a nice English speaking guy.

Found with the usual website.

Some links/information as to where this place is to be found ?

​300 Bht a day for food, travel and ALL other incidental expenses ?

​Advise lacking substance is wanting !

I find 10,000 Bath monthly for food to be plenty, probably too much. And the other 10,000 for incidental.

Edited April 17, 2014 by paz

[phuketrichard]

you forgot;

internet

phone

cable tv

visa

washing clothes

buying things ( shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc etc etc)

are you ONLY eating out every day? your figures are more than i spend for 2 people eating/dining out

If your living in Bangkok, where are you going that it costs you 1,000 baht/week?

[thrilled]

I live good,do A little traveling.I spend about 100000 baht A month.I don't budget.But I don't buy everything I see.A little over A million baht A year

[paz]

I live good,do A little traveling.I spend about 100000 baht A month.I don't budget.But I don't buy everything I see.A little over A million baht A year

That's very good for you but I hope you understand that you are spending 3 or 4 times more what can be considered average for a foreigner, so when the conversation goes to this subject keep in mind the next person is likely less lucky than you.

[viking123]

I live good,do A little traveling.I spend about 100000 baht A month.I don't budget.But I don't buy everything I see.A little over A million baht A year

100 000 a month? How much of that is rent? And do you drink a lot and/or pay for sex?

[cooked]

Nobody mentioned health/accident insurance yet. Apart from wondering why anyone in his right mind should wish to live in Bangkok, 30000 Bt is a lot for a single guy's apartment.

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[bkkjames]

I live good,do A little traveling.I spend about 100000 baht A month.I don't budget.But I don't buy everything I see.A little over A million baht A year

100 000 a month? How much of that is rent? And do you drink a lot and/or pay for sex?

If you have 2 kids and a wife, car payment and a wife, 100k is about right. Did I say wife 2x....oops meant to say mia noi in the car payment part.

[DP25]

enough to socialices (I love going to the cinemas in BKK)

If you're socializing consists of going to the movies, 1000 baht a day spending money plus rent is fine. Remember a lot of foreigners have expenses they don't bother to mention when they post their budget, like going to Gogo bars in Nana all the time, or wife and kids and mistress they have to pay for. If you plan on shacking up with some gogo dancer, or hitting RCA every night, your budget is inadequate. For a single guy with simple tastes it is fine.

Edited April 18, 2014 by DP25

[N47HAN]

Car payments 19k

Morgage 27k

Ubc 2.5k

Electric 3k

Internet 1k

School fees 10k

Gas 5k

Food 15k

Insurance car 2k

Health insurance 5k

Accident insurance 1k

House insurance 1k

Going out 20k

General household stuff 3k

It soon adds up if yoy have a family.

Fine if your single and wanna live in a room getting by , but for someone to say 30k if fine is completeley wrong. To get by yes 30k can cut it , but dont expect to have many extras bar rhe normal essetials

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[RAZZELL]

Yes, 1500 was the most expensive night I had last summer, and it was pretty wild!

I think your definition of "wild" might be a bit different to mine

At 80-120 baht for a small Singha, 225-265 a pint of Guinness - 1500 is not much of a night out!

RAZZ

[N47HAN]

Maybe he meant $ and not Thb

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[N47HAN]

Otherwise im doing something wrong

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[viking123]

Otherwise im doing something wrong

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Haha... I will be the first to admit I'm not a big drinker, so a few rounds of B52, some drinks and a bucket - and I would consider that "wild" :-)

[DP25]

I think your definition of "wild" might be a bit different to mine

At 80-120 baht for a small Singha, 225-265 a pint of Guinness - 1500 is not much of a night out!

RAZZ

Not everyone goes to overpriced farang bars. A lot of Thais bars you'd need to call an ambulance if you drank 1500 baht worth of alcohol.

[N47HAN]

I think your definition of "wild" might be a bit different to mine

At 80-120 baht for a small Singha, 225-265 a pint of Guinness - 1500 is not much of a night out!

RAZZ

Not everyone goes to overpriced farang bars. A lot of Thais bars you'd need to call an ambulance if you drank 1500 baht worth of alcohol.

A "wild" night is not just about how much alchohol you consume is it ?

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[HardenedSoul]

Nobody mentioned health/accident insurance yet. Apart from wondering why anyone in his right mind should wish to live in Bangkok, 30000 Bt is a lot for a single guy's apartment.

Why does anyone live in the big city?

Not everyone wants to drive for 10 minutes to the local Mom & Pop store or find themselves stuffed if they need something in an emergency.

Ok so there's a bit of traffic in BKK, so what? BTS & MRT are world class public transport services at very cheap prices.

The pros outweigh the cons so convincingly, it's no contest.

I live in buzzing Asoke smack bang in between the Emporium & Terminal 21 shopping malls, a choice of the Aspire Fitness, True Fitness & Fitness First gyms, 2 multiplex cinemas, several banks with full international services, BTS & MRT stations within 2 minutes walk and if the party absolutely, positively must go on, I can step out to one of 2 local Family Marts and pick up a bottle of Smirnoff at 4 am.

Oh and I spend ฿50K all in every month on rent, bills, food and comprehensive medical insurance.

The rest, I save

[Thainess]

Nobody mentioned health/accident insurance yet. Apart from wondering why anyone in his right mind should wish to live in Bangkok, 30000 Bt is a lot for a single guy's apartment.

Why does anyone live in the big city?

Not everyone wants to drive for 10 minutes to the local Mom & Pop store or find themselves stuffed if they need something in an emergency.

Ok so there's a bit of traffic in BKK, so what? BTS & MRT are world class public transport services at very cheap prices.

The pros outweigh the cons so convincingly, it's no contest.

I live in buzzing Asoke smack bang in between the Emporium & Terminal 21 shopping malls, a choice of the Aspire Fitness, True Fitness & Fitness First gyms, 2 multiplex cinemas, several banks with full international services, BTS & MRT stations within 2 minutes walk and if the party absolutely, positively must go on, I can step out to one of 2 local Family Marts and pick up a bottle of Smirnoff at 4 am.

Oh and I spend ฿50K all in every month on rent, bills, food and comprehensive medical insurance.

The rest, I save

You're obviously partying REALLY hard and living the high life if your monthly spend is ฿50,000 all in. My rent alone is more than that. My entertainment expenditure is about the same. I'm not even including food or any non-entertainment expenses and I'm already well over 100,000. You guys must lead pretty tedious lives if you limit yourselves to spending no more than 50,000 a month!

[DP25]

I think your definition of "wild" might be a bit different to mine

At 80-120 baht for a small Singha, 225-265 a pint of Guinness - 1500 is not much of a night out!

RAZZ

Not everyone goes to overpriced farang bars. A lot of Thais bars you'd need to call an ambulance if you drank 1500 baht worth of alcohol.

A "wild" night is not just about how much alchohol you consume is it ?

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You're the one who brought up alcohol prices and how he couldn't have much of a night out on 1500 because Guinness costs 200+ a pint. I'm just letting you now, there are lots of options in Thailand. I can get an entire bottle of whiskey plus mixers at a Thai club (non high end) for 500-1000 baht. 1500 baht can certainly afford a great night out in Thailand.

Of course if 'wild night' is code word for hookers, than no, you can't have a wild night on that. But some people don't like hookers

[HardenedSoul]

Nobody mentioned health/accident insurance yet. Apart from wondering why anyone in his right mind should wish to live in Bangkok, 30000 Bt is a lot for a single guy's apartment.

Why does anyone live in the big city?

Not everyone wants to drive for 10 minutes to the local Mom & Pop store or find themselves stuffed if they need something in an emergency.

Ok so there's a bit of traffic in BKK, so what? BTS & MRT are world class public transport services at very cheap prices.

The pros outweigh the cons so convincingly, it's no contest.

I live in buzzing Asoke smack bang in between the Emporium & Terminal 21 shopping malls, a choice of the Aspire Fitness, True Fitness & Fitness First gyms, 2 multiplex cinemas, several banks with full international services, BTS & MRT stations within 2 minutes walk and if the party absolutely, positively must go on, I can step out to one of 2 local Family Marts and pick up a bottle of Smirnoff at 4 am.

Oh and I spend ฿50K all in every month on rent, bills, food and comprehensive medical insurance.

The rest, I save

You're obviously partying REALLY hard and living the high life if your monthly spend is ฿50,000 all in. My rent alone is more than that. My entertainment expenditure is about the same. I'm not even including food or any non-entertainment expenses and I'm already well over 100,000. You guys must lead pretty tedious lives if you limit yourselves to spending no more than 50,000 a month!

OK well hang on a sec and I'll see if we can locate a suitable dignitary or celebrity to pin a medal on your puffed out chest for spending more than everyone else.

Personally, I spend what I do because it's hard for me to spend much more. The clubs and bars I frequent (rather too frequently) are run by friends and I hardly ever pay for drinks or cover charges

I don't indulge in the hooker thing as a rule - that's what giks are for, right?

Frankly I'm puzzled as to why someone would rock up in a thread expecting to be lauded because he pays for things that others get for free but hey, this IS Thailand.

There are all sorts here.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

you forgot;

internet

phone

cable tv

visa

washing clothes

buying things ( shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc etc etc)

are you ONLY eating out every day? your figures are more than i spend for 2 people eating/dining out

If your living in Bangkok, where are you going that it costs you 1,000 baht/week?

These are very real things that PR lists. I once did a budget comparison between BKK and Pattaya. BKK's was 52,000/mo. If you removed the female equation, which means not only P4P but drinks and related expenses, I'd think you can get to 40,000 no problem. Anything less than that can be done but I don't think you'd call that a varied and flexible lifestyle. My budget, BTW, did not include medical/lab expenses or insurance for that and accidents. Then there's the odd air trip and maybe a bargain 32 inch LED TV. One-off expenditures can bust your 30K/mo budget and you'd just keep falling behind as each month passed by.