Phuket Vs Farangland in price

[steelepulse]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

I also use numbeo along with expatistan.

OC, I just checked Sydney vs Perth and Sydney came up cheaper.

[Old Croc]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

I also use numbeo along with expatistan.

OC, I just checked Sydney vs Perth and Sydney came up cheaper.

Not really surprised, isolation and distance from producers, force up costs of a lot of consumables for Perth.

Although, housing costs usually keep Sydney ahead.

[falang khinok]

U should also consider the after sale service / guarantee ,/consumer right that u have here and in Aussie...let's say gym...qualified teachers. What happens when u encounter an injury... Etc etc..buy an imported technical part and it breaks after a week , do they have to take it back /exchange and or repair it or are u left alone ? also taxes that founds social and other infrastructure..this subject has many aspects not only the figure shown on the price tag ...

[masuk]

You could play the game of, this is cheaper here, that is cheaper there, all day long, but I have found that, for me, general living in Phuket averages out at about 1/3 of what it does Australia. I actually listed all my final year expenses in Australia, including such things as lawn mowing, internet, water rates, shire rates, satellite tv, electricity, gas, rubbish collection, etc., etc.

There were many times when I spent more than what came in.

As a retiree here on private income streams I now feel quite rich, and don't worry about the price of anything, with the possible exception of good Aussie wine! I've yet to pick up coins from a restaurant table and don't readily know coin denominations by sight.

If ever I get concerned about money, I remind myself that my pool villa here cost about AUD $310,000 less than I sold my crappier place for in Australia. That's a lot of money to prop up the rest of my life with!

A recent article in the Oz press on how to save money showed electricity at 30cents a unit! A bit different to here at less than 4 baht a unit (15cents)

[masuk]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

I also use numbeo along with expatistan.

OC, I just checked Sydney vs Perth and Sydney came up cheaper.

Even tho I'm from Perth, I have to say that it's amazing how everything is absolutely centred around the metro area. It's one heaving mass of traffic now, and the price of land is totally absurd.

3 phone books for the entire state - 2 for Perth. one thin one for the rest of the state!

[masuk]

Wine and cheese are expensive in Thailand, not just on Phuket, but other alcohol, Eg. beer, is quite cheap.

As ande47 says, you should try to compare "like for like" goods and services for a comparison.

There was a recent thread about the price of a Big Mac in Patong, compared to McDonald's elsewhere in Thailand.

Thinking of a "like for like" comparison, cinema tickets are good value here.

On a recent visit to Pattaya, I was surprised to find quite reasonable Aussie red wine selling for half the price it costs in Chiang Mai.

A glass of red in a restaurant was 60baht, a 2 litre bottle of red in the condo shop was 385baht. It's double the cost here in Chiang Mai!!

Cheese is expensive everywhere, but MAKRO has a good range and cheaper than most.

What was the name of the 2 litre bottle of wine selling for 385 baht?

it was on sale at one of the little stores on the ground floor of Talay 2.

The German restaurant in the same building had a pleasant red for around 60baht a glass. It's 150 in Chiang Mai.

[williet98248]

Been here, done this. Have too many T shirts.

[DrTuner]

Thailand is around 1/2 - 1/3 in prices, 1/3 - 1/4 in wages. Translates to lower purchasing power if you're locally employed, if your income is derived from outside it seems cheap. Numbeo will have the stats.

Edited May 24, 2016 by DrTuner

[Peterocket]

"imported items attracting a big tax" - from my observations, basically, everything desired by foreigners in Thailand is highly taxed.

Can you give some examples of these mystery items people are desiring? Maybe I need to desire them too!

[bkk6060]

Phuket is generally a rip off place I think maybe #1 in Thailand for high prices.

More then USA it seems for many things.

[NamKangMan]

"imported items attracting a big tax" - from my observations, basically, everything desired by foreigners in Thailand is highly taxed.

Can you give some examples of these mystery items people are desiring? Maybe I need to desire them too!

No mystery, Peterocket. Many items desired by foreigners are more expensive here. I've already posted a few examples, if you care to scroll back. Cars (other than those manufactured in Thailand) wine and cheese are the examples I gave.

If you have a closer look at what you consumed / used in your home country, and then buy the same item here, you may find it more expensive here than back home.

As I said, "like for like goods and services" that you "like" from your home country.

I also gave an example of something cheaper - cinema tickets. It's the same movie and environment for watching as in my home country, but is cheaper here.

Like I said, one must assess if they have changed their lifestyle to suit their finances here. Eg. if you were a Guinness beer drinker, which is more expensive here, do you start drinking Singha, Tiger, Leo etc?

[grumpyoldman]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

I also use numbeo along with expatistan.

OC, I just checked Sydney vs Perth and Sydney came up cheaper.

Off topic, but to steelepulse and OC (as I have never been to OZ) I am currently reading Bill Bryson's (humorous travel writer) "In a Sunburnt Country" and OC, I know you are "sunburnt" on the place but steelepulse pick it up if you can, it's cool history-travelogue-humor, really makes you want to tour around there.

Back on topic, OP it's apples vs. oranges, some things cheaper, some things not. IMO exchange rates play into it too i.e the fluctuations of currency you earn or live on.

[Felt 35]

Following www.numbeo.com I will need approximately Thb 200xxx,- monthly to maintain the same lifestyle back home as I can have for approximately Thb 85xxx,- here

Now that`s not special or what amuse me but the few times I visit Central, mostly to look for sport shoes /clothes in Supersport I wonder which countries the tourist comes from who find anything cheaper there than where they come from......original brand name that is.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Felt 35

[Andrew65]

Many years ago one of my friends worked for Unilever here in Thailand.

He said that such big corporations were starting to pursue a policy of "global-pricing".

In other words, the same product costs pretty much the same where-ever one purchases it.

[stevenl]

"imported items attracting a big tax" - from my observations, basically, everything desired by foreigners in Thailand is highly taxed.

Can you give some examples of these mystery items people are desiring? Maybe I need to desire them too!

No mystery, Peterocket. Many items desired by foreigners are more expensive here. I've already posted a few examples, if you care to scroll back. Cars (other than those manufactured in Thailand) wine and cheese are the examples I gave.

If you have a closer look at what you consumed / used in your home country, and then buy the same item here, you may find it more expensive here than back home.

As I said, "like for like goods and services" that you "like" from your home country.

I also gave an example of something cheaper - cinema tickets. It's the same movie and environment for watching as in my home country, but is cheaper here.

Like I said, one must assess if they have changed their lifestyle to suit their finances here. Eg. if you were a Guinness beer drinker, which is more expensive here, do you start drinking Singha, Tiger, Leo etc?

That is comparing lifestyles, not like for like. Western lifestyle in Thailand will be more expensive than western lifestyle in farangland.

[bearpolar]

Following www.numbeo.com I will need approximately Thb 200xxx,- monthly to maintain the same lifestyle back home as I can have for approximately Thb 85xxx,- here

Now that`s not special or what amuse me but the few times I visit Central, mostly to look for sport shoes /clothes in Supersport I wonder which countries the tourist comes from who find anything cheaper there than where they come from......original brand name that is.

A country where exchange rate is a concept too complicated to grasp

[4MyEgo]

Phuket is expensive when comparing to other parts of Thailand, you can't really compare Phuket to Australia as Australia (Sydney) where I am from is ridiculous.

Hotels, rental accommodation, taxi's, beer and food (not imported) are cheaper in Phuket.

I live on 10,000 baht a week ($400AUS) in Issan which includes 4 kids going to school, uniforms, electricity, water, petrol, rego, insurance, etc etc, this amount is a weeks accommodation in Phuket for a good hotel, and was my weekly shopping bill in Sydney, so Thailand is cheaper, Phuket is cheaper when comparing to Australia, but Phuket is more expensive when compare it to the rest of Thailand.

Pays to shop around, Phuket Town has some good bargains, but as you are seen as a farang there is a farang price and a Thai price for us, if you have a Thai partner, sit back and let them do the bargaining.

[bearpolar]

I live on 10,000 baht a week ($400AUS) in Issan which includes 4 kids going to school, uniforms, electricity, water, petrol, rego, insurance, etc etc, this amount is a weeks accommodation in Phuket for a good hotel, and was my weekly shopping bill in Sydney, so Thailand is cheaper, Phuket is cheaper when comparing to Australia, but Phuket is more expensive when compare it to the rest of Thailand.

If you sent them to a school that allowed them to learn to point thailand on a map by the age of 18, you would be spending 20k extra per week thus making it more expensive or similar to Australia.

Mortgage+car+school fees for the equivalent of what a lower-middle class person would have back home costs me 55-60k~ baht yet 60k is the salary lower-middle class people have back home.. thats not including food, clothes, expensives, visas, gas, electricity etc etc

Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style. That's it. You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal, you need to get used to subpar quality housing and education. Personally i would prefer your cheaper lifestyle but having been born in affluence means that it would be child abuse not to offer the same quality of education and lifestyle that i received to my kids.

This also speaks to the overpricedness of houses in phuket.. Yeah its a nice house but it was completely empty and the build is shitballs so even after putting a ton of money in it its still feel unfulfilled.. Ahh the life of consumerism Really wish i could just live in isaan

Edited May 25, 2016 by bearpolar

[Old Croc]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

I also use numbeo along with expatistan.

OC, I just checked Sydney vs Perth and Sydney came up cheaper.

Off topic, but to steelepulse and OC (as I have never been to OZ) I am currently reading Bill Bryson's (humorous travel writer) "In a Sunburnt Country" and OC, I know you are "sunburnt" on the place but steelepulse pick it up if you can, it's cool history-travelogue-humor, really makes you want to tour around there.

Back on topic, OP it's apples vs. oranges, some things cheaper, some things not. IMO exchange rates play into it too i.e the fluctuations of currency you earn or live on.

Bryson's books on Australia (he wrote several) became popular reads about 10 or 12 years ago in Oz.

He certainly has an amusing writing style.

After reading some, I thought they would have been more appropriately rated as fiction. Some of his experiences (!) were OTT. Others thought his writing was more about the author than the subject.

Nevertheless, his books were popular and sold like hotcakes.

[NamKangMan]

"imported items attracting a big tax" - from my observations, basically, everything desired by foreigners in Thailand is highly taxed.

Can you give some examples of these mystery items people are desiring? Maybe I need to desire them too!

No mystery, Peterocket. Many items desired by foreigners are more expensive here. I've already posted a few examples, if you care to scroll back. Cars (other than those manufactured in Thailand) wine and cheese are the examples I gave.

If you have a closer look at what you consumed / used in your home country, and then buy the same item here, you may find it more expensive here than back home.

As I said, "like for like goods and services" that you "like" from your home country.

I also gave an example of something cheaper - cinema tickets. It's the same movie and environment for watching as in my home country, but is cheaper here.

Like I said, one must assess if they have changed their lifestyle to suit their finances here. Eg. if you were a Guinness beer drinker, which is more expensive here, do you start drinking Singha, Tiger, Leo etc?

That is comparing lifestyles, not like for like. Western lifestyle in Thailand will be more expensive than western lifestyle in farangland.

Like I said, one must assess if they have adjusted their lifestyle to suit their finances here, and if so, sure, they will find it more cheap here, however, if they were to live the same lifestyle as back in their home country, they may find it more expensive here.

Basically, as another general example, if you have swapped steak for rice every night, it will be cheap living here. Continue eating steak every night, you may find it more expensive. (by steak I don't mean a piece of old Thai buffalo)

So, the steak is the "like for like" and is "liked" or desired by the expat.

I now get regular wine deliveries from back home, but prior to the arrangements I have in place, I was drinking terrible wine at a more expensive price than back home, so I adjusted my choice because I could not justify the price demanded for a comparable decent bottle of wine here.

Perhaps many expats have done similar, so now they say things are cheaper here, but have they forgone things from back home to be able to say this?

Edited May 25, 2016 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

I live on 10,000 baht a week ($400AUS) in Issan which includes 4 kids going to school, uniforms, electricity, water, petrol, rego, insurance, etc etc, this amount is a weeks accommodation in Phuket for a good hotel, and was my weekly shopping bill in Sydney, so Thailand is cheaper, Phuket is cheaper when comparing to Australia, but Phuket is more expensive when compare it to the rest of Thailand.

If you sent them to a school that allowed them to learn to point thailand on a map by the age of 18, you would be spending 20k extra per week thus making it more expensive or similar to Australia.

Mortgage+car+school fees for the equivalent of what a lower-middle class person would have back home costs me 55-60k~ baht yet 60k is the salary lower-middle class people have back home.. thats not including food, clothes, expensives, visas, gas, electricity etc etc

Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style. That's it. You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal, you need to get used to subpar quality housing and education. Personally i would prefer your cheaper lifestyle but having been born in affluence means that it would be child abuse not to offer the same quality of education and lifestyle that i received to my kids.

This also speaks to the overpricedness of houses in phuket.. Yeah its a nice house but it was completely empty and the build is shitballs so even after putting a ton of money in it its still feel unfulfilled.. Ahh the life of consumerism Really wish i could just live in isaan

"Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style." - and this is the point I make in a few posts on this thread.

"You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal" - I used swapping steak for rice in a previous post.

How many expats have adjusted to live "Thai style" and then say "it's cheaper here than back home" but if they were to live here as they did back home, they very well may say it's more expensive to live here.

[LivinginKata]

"Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style." - and this is the point I make in a few posts on this thread.

"You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal" - I used swapping steak for rice in a previous post.

How many expats have adjusted to live "Thai style" and then say "it's cheaper here than back home" but if they were to live here as they did back home, they very well may say it's more expensive to live here.

For sure if live 'Thai style' then it's super cheap here. But I don't live 'Thai style', don't even eat Thai food. Mind you I don't eat steaks either. I prefer pork which is cheap here.

Back home I did not have a large swim pool, sea views, and lovely beaches within a few minutes drive. And petrol is much cheaper than back home, income tax is only 10%, no tax or rates at all on a private home, other than rubbish collection fee.

[NamKangMan]

"Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style." - and this is the point I make in a few posts on this thread.

"You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal" - I used swapping steak for rice in a previous post.

How many expats have adjusted to live "Thai style" and then say "it's cheaper here than back home" but if they were to live here as they did back home, they very well may say it's more expensive to live here.

For sure if live 'Thai style' then it's super cheap here. But I don't live 'Thai style', don't even eat Thai food. Mind you I don't eat steaks either. I prefer pork which is cheap here.

Back home I did not have a large swim pool, sea views, and lovely beaches within a few minutes drive. And petrol is much cheaper than back home, income tax is only 10%, no tax or rates at all on a private home, other than rubbish collection fee.

I agree that accommodation is cheaper here than comparable accommodation in most western countries, based on location, with build quality aside.

[4MyEgo]

I live on 10,000 baht a week ($400AUS) in Issan which includes 4 kids going to school, uniforms, electricity, water, petrol, rego, insurance, etc etc, this amount is a weeks accommodation in Phuket for a good hotel, and was my weekly shopping bill in Sydney, so Thailand is cheaper, Phuket is cheaper when comparing to Australia, but Phuket is more expensive when compare it to the rest of Thailand.

If you sent them to a school that allowed them to learn to point thailand on a map by the age of 18, you would be spending 20k extra per week thus making it more expensive or similar to Australia.

Mortgage+car+school fees for the equivalent of what a lower-middle class person would have back home costs me 55-60k~ baht yet 60k is the salary lower-middle class people have back home.. thats not including food, clothes, expensives, visas, gas, electricity etc etc

Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style. That's it. You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal, you need to get used to subpar quality housing and education. Personally i would prefer your cheaper lifestyle but having been born in affluence means that it would be child abuse not to offer the same quality of education and lifestyle that i received to my kids.

This also speaks to the overpricedness of houses in phuket.. Yeah its a nice house but it was completely empty and the build is shitballs so even after putting a ton of money in it its still feel unfulfilled.. Ahh the life of consumerism Really wish i could just live in isaan

Kids go to a, I suppose you can call it semi-private schools (Catholic) with English teaching, education to me for the kids is not that important apart from Math, English and Thai as they have lots of ways to derive an income in the future, rubber plantation, rice fields, sugar cane and palm oil, but "up to them" as they say in Thailand.

No mortgage payments, build a 364m2 single level house for 1.5 ($60,000) and of very good quality and build, having a building and valuation background, would cost you $600,000 minimum back in Sydney if your lucky, 6 beds, 3 baths, plenty of living rooms and very well designed, car purchased cash, so with no major outgoings like back home for the norm, e.g. house and car payments (the trap), life's good here in Thailand.

Agree, Thailand is cheaper if you live Thai style, but also have a wife that can cook, and satisfy the kids and myself, its perfect that she is not lazy, a good shopper and doesn't buy no frills, also am not a big meat eater, although when I holiday with the boys in Phuket twice a year for a week each time, I will have some meat, salmon is my alternative and I can get a good piece for 60 baht, so I stock up and freeze them, nice with a fresh salad and a cold Leo in a glass full of ice.

Why I chose to live in Issan, is because I fell in love with the life, Sydney is too far paced and the tax system sucks, Phuket is enough after 7 days, if not 5, in and out, have your fun and away from the merry-go-round IMO.

Plenty of room in Issan if you can handle the quiet life, Phuket is an hour 50 flight and about $100AUS return, you can go as often as you like.

[sanuk21]

This site has been used on the forum a number of times over the years. I've done a COL comparison between Phuket and my home town.

Try your home town.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=Australia&city1=Phuket&city2=Perth

For me, it's cheaper here, but as mentioned, you need to compare "like for like" goods and services.

If you like to drive a BMW, for example, you may find they are more expensive here than back home, due to higher taxes, so, you buy a Toyota. It may have very little to do with whether you live in a "tourist town" or not, because for the BMW, anywhere in Thailand, you may have to pay more than back home.

So, another question is, do we adjust our lifestyles more towards living like a Thai, in Thailand, and buy the Toyota, or do we pay the higher money for the fully imported items and live like we did back home. If so, you may find prices are considerably more expensive here than back home for the same goods and services.

When I say "like for like goods and services" - I am also talking about goods and services that we all "like" from our various home countries.

Are you suggesting that buying a Toyota in Thailand might be cheaper than buying one in your home country? Actually a comparable Toyota Altis in Oz sells under 25,000 AUD and includes 7 air-bags whereas in Thailand closer to 40,000 AUD now...

[bearpolar]

"Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style." - and this is the point I make in a few posts on this thread.

"You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal" - I used swapping steak for rice in a previous post.

How many expats have adjusted to live "Thai style" and then say "it's cheaper here than back home" but if they were to live here as they did back home, they very well may say it's more expensive to live here.

For sure if live 'Thai style' then it's super cheap here. But I don't live 'Thai style', don't even eat Thai food. Mind you I don't eat steaks either. I prefer pork which is cheap here.

Back home I did not have a large swim pool, sea views, and lovely beaches within a few minutes drive. And petrol is much cheaper than back home, income tax is only 10%, no tax or rates at all on a private home, other than rubbish collection fee.

Depends what you consider a view. If a nice forest with trails and lakes and tons of bike paths going around it and then city is something you call a view then back home for me has tons more than here.

A nice house in my city was the same as here, around 10mil, not the same style of nice though as here "nice" is "tropical nice"

Let's all agree that Phuket is definitive value for someone who's into the Californian lifestyle. Restaurants, beach and more beach but terrible value for everybody else.

[Felt 35]

Following www.numbeo.com I will need approximately Thb 200xxx,- monthly to maintain the same lifestyle back home as I can have for approximately Thb 85xxx,- here

Now that`s not special or what amuse me but the few times I visit Central, mostly to look for sport shoes /clothes in Supersport I wonder which countries the tourist comes from who find anything cheaper there than where they come from......original brand name that is.

A country where exchange rate is a concept too complicated to grasp

Must be something like that. Trough the better half we have some Thai friends & acquaintances which will be well of even after Western standards and also they complaining about overpriced original sports brands at Central.

[Felt 35]

I live on 10,000 baht a week ($400AUS) in Issan which includes 4 kids going to school, uniforms, electricity, water, petrol, rego, insurance, etc etc, this amount is a weeks accommodation in Phuket for a good hotel, and was my weekly shopping bill in Sydney, so Thailand is cheaper, Phuket is cheaper when comparing to Australia, but Phuket is more expensive when compare it to the rest of Thailand.

If you sent them to a school that allowed them to learn to point thailand on a map by the age of 18, you would be spending 20k extra per week thus making it more expensive or similar to Australia.

Mortgage+car+school fees for the equivalent of what a lower-middle class person would have back home costs me 55-60k~ baht yet 60k is the salary lower-middle class people have back home.. thats not including food, clothes, expensives, visas, gas, electricity etc etc

Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style. That's it. You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal, you need to get used to subpar quality housing and education. Personally i would prefer your cheaper lifestyle but having been born in affluence means that it would be child abuse not to offer the same quality of education and lifestyle that i received to my kids.

This also speaks to the overpricedness of houses in phuket.. Yeah its a nice house but it was completely empty and the build is shitballs so even after putting a ton of money in it its still feel unfulfilled.. Ahh the life of consumerism Really wish i could just live in isaan

"Let's call it like it is, Thailand is cheaper if you want to live thai style." - and this is the point I make in a few posts on this thread.

"You need to get used to low-filling food for every meal" - I used swapping steak for rice in a previous post.

How many expats have adjusted to live "Thai style" and then say "it's cheaper here than back home" but if they were to live here as they did back home, they very well may say it's more expensive to live here.

I dont understand the above sentiment Namkangman. Even paying the same or more for a Western product here dont give you the same standard, I dont even want to start mention examples.

[Walkabout Man]

U should also consider the after sale service / guarantee ,/consumer right that u have here and in Aussie...let's say gym...qualified teachers. What happens when u encounter an injury... Etc etc..buy an imported technical part and it breaks after a week , do they have to take it back /exchange and or repair it or are u left alone ? also taxes that founds social and other infrastructure..this subject has many aspects not only the figure shown on the price tag ...

Gyms are cheaper in Australia for walk in prices

[Walkabout Man]

Following www.numbeo.com I will need approximately Thb 200xxx,- monthly to maintain the same lifestyle back home as I can have for approximately Thb 85xxx,- here

Now that`s not special or what amuse me but the few times I visit Central, mostly to look for sport shoes /clothes in Supersport I wonder which countries the tourist comes from who find anything cheaper there than where they come from......original brand name that is.

I need 80000 baht just to break even here. In saying that i live a very good life with a wife and infant, I also have a live in maid.The baby drinks about 6000 bahts a month worth of milk...the dog eats about the same value. Work permit, electricity, mortgage...it all adds up