Is the cost of living in Bangkok today really cheaper than a year ago?

[webfact]

Is the cost of living in Bangkok today really cheaper than a year ago?
STAFF WRITER



BANGKOK: -- Most of Bangkok’s long term expats would probably agree that they’ve seen a gradual increase in prices since arriving in Thailand.

Even over the past year, small pricing increments for various goods and services have been evident: it would certainly be hard to argue that Bangkok has become cheaper to live in, at any rate.

Yet, The Economist‘s ‘Worldwide cost of living survey 2015’ is attempting to say just that.

Bangkok is ranked in 62nd place, alongside Hanoi, Buenos Aires and Lexington, out of 200 global cities for cost of living – which is measured by comparing prices across 160 products and services.

2014 saw Bangkok ranked in 57th place, according to Dot Property, meaning that the city has become relatively cheaper in the past year.

But a cheaper Bangkok is not something the majority of expats or locals are likely to have experienced in reality.

This is because The Economist‘s survey is calculated using the cost of living in New York as a base rate and thus comparing all global cities to the Big Apple. Take a look at this screenshot from the index:

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/is-the-cost-of-living-in-bangkok-today-really-cheaper-than-a-year-ago/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-03-18

[steven100]

Is the cost of living in Bangkok today really cheaper than a year ago?

No ...... of coarse not !! what a silly article ...

[nikmar]

^^ Exactly what he said.

Everything's gone up. Except my bloody wages!!

[trogers]

^^ Exactly what he said.

Everything's gone up. Except my bloody wages!!

Thank God you still have wages...

[Thian]

Only fuel is cheaper now, food costs a lot more or has smaller portions. Cigarettes also cost a lot more.

[mesterm]

By cost of living for most expats here... do you also mean to include the barfines?

[zaphod reborn]

The CPI numbers are skewed by the drop in oil prices. Everything else is going up, and wages are not keeping pace.

[Pinot]

As a US retiree, it has definitely gotten cheaper for me, not much but a little.

[ljd1308]

As a US retiree, it has definitely gotten cheaper for me, not much but a little.

I think that is the key.

I am pretty sure this is compared in US dollars, so the exchange rate plays a part too.

Does $1 buy you more baht now?

[fusion58]

It's still roughly half as expensive as Southern California was for me. That's my own personal yardstick.

[johnh869]

Look at this link...http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=United+States

[wow64]

Wages have gone up and my condo is the same price as 4 years ago...if not cheaper (2 free months per year)

I guess it depends on where you spend money... Beer and bfs have gone up so this is hurting some bad.

Paying expats a lot more to come here now.. Very hard to get GOOD IT people.

There is a shortage of labour here.

Sent from my c64

Edited March 19, 2016 by wow64

[gemguy]

Is this one of those question answer posts where eventually it is determined that the basis for the cost of living here in Thailand is formulated by way of the current costs of beer and alcohol and cigarettes and the price of paid for pussy in and around the entertainment areas????

Deemed as expensive by grumpy old Curmudgeons who long for the good ole days when entertainment and booze and the price of the girls was said to be cheap....while complaining about the current costs to entertain themselves in the same manner as they are used to.......but they forget that the prices back then were considered expensive at the time ...back then....because 20 years previous to back then it was even cheaper...further back then.

So, it is not really the cost of living in that sense rather the cost of maintaining ones semi charmed lifestyle to each persons satisfaction while often enough not so satisfied such that they think it is too expensive to get the satisfaction they used to get ...back then...in the good ole days...when the cost of satisfaction seemed to be less.

Cheers

[Agent Sumo]

Same old debate over the official rate of inflation and the real rate.

Pointless getting into it because governments will always massage the numbers to fit in with their agenda

Real world inflation, however, will always depend on individual spending habits but, for sure, if you pay for food, shelter, utilities and healthcare, prices have definitely gone up

To hell with what government figures show

[thaihome]

The author missed the point of the survey :

"The survey itself is a purpose-built internet tool designed to help human resources and finance managers calculate cost-of-living allowances and build compensation packages for expatriates and business travellers. "

TH

[taony]

It must mean the cost of living in new york rose even more.

[jmd8800]

The cost of living anywhere in the world will always be .. 'whatever you make plus 10%'

[smokie36]

Krapow moo is still 60 Baht.

Cost of living or enjoying?

[iamjack]

Other than fuel i don't sense a difference.

[Thainess]

I don't know if it's cheaper, but it is very cheap indeed. I get by easily and enjoy a good lifestyle spending around 4,000 baht a week including rent, food and entertainment. If possible, I try to keep it in the high 3 thousands. I'm not poor as I'm retired on an approx. $6,000 monthly income, but I prefer to live frugally.