cheaper to live in USA or Thailand?

[sirineou]

26 minutes ago, Gary A said:

 

Just off hand, I can't imagine anything imported from the west that I would need. I do have a lot of imported items but they usually come from China or Taiwan. I am self insured and am confident that I could pay for any serious problem. Since we have no children and my wife is financially self sufficient, I would have no hesitation spending even all of my nest egg. Whether Thailand is more or less expensive, this is my home and I intend to stay if at all possible.

I thought you said you has a son.

I am glad you are financially independent , as I said in my reply "i don't know you financial situation" I know some medical situation can be very costly and could wipe you out financially.

I had a congenital heart defect discovered during a routine doctor visit, that cost close to $200,000.  if I did not have insurance in the US or a way back I would had being screwed. 

But this is not about individual personal situations, but conditions in Thailand in general.

we all have different stories.

Everything not produced in Thailand is imported , usually from the same places it is imported in the US.

Do to the scale of economies, things imported in the US , is cheaper and of better quality.

Many things dependant on Thai wages, is less expensive except on things that government taxes make them more expensive such as cars in Thailand. 

That's not to say that life cannot be less expensive in Thailand, but IMO, that's because we can do with less .

If we were to buy the same quality consumer goods,and demand the same services in Thailand , life there would be just as expensive if not more so as in the US.

 

[Naam]

56 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Stereo equipment. Pool stuff. Music gear. Cars! Wine and single malt scotch. Quality travel gear. Quality clothes. Bedding. Towels. Etc. Etc. Etc. All expensive here and limited stock.

but all paid for double, triple, quadruple, quintuple and "n-tuple" if you are financially well-off and possess neither U.S. nor Eritrean citizenship. then there is a long list of things and services which are completely out of reach in a developed country (assuming you are neither Bill Gates or Walid bin-Talal al-Saud) but affordable in Thailand without bending backwards.

[Naam]

7 hours ago, sirineou said:

That's not to say that life cannot be less expensive in Thailand, but IMO, that's because we can do with less .

If we were to buy the same quality consumer goods,and demand the same services in Thailand , life there would be just as expensive if not more so as in the US.

sorry, but i have to disagree. i buy the same quality of goods either in Thailand or abroad. yes of course, i pay through my nose flying to Hong Kong or Europe to buy underwear and socks. but how often do i buy underwear, socks or a car? i pay for imported food stuff or a top quality portwine fancy prices but this disadvantage is peanuts compared to the savings living in and maintaining a home no matter what size not to mention property taxes.

 

how much does it cost in Thailand to have one or perhaps two fulltime caretakers for an elderly person, e.g. a parent, a sibling or yourself? how much for domestic helpers (maid, gardener, etc.)? a fortune in a developed country! but pretty much affordable if your income is above 'cheap Charly number 10'. our individual demands are different, generalising and trying to find a common denominator is a futile undertaking.

 

there's only one general rule that applies. the higher your disposable income the bigger the difference in cost.

[sirineou]

56 minutes ago, Naam said:

sorry, but i have to disagree. i buy the same quality of goods either in Thailand or abroad. yes of course, i pay through my nose flying to Hong Kong or Europe to buy underwear and socks. but how often do i buy underwear, socks or a car? i pay for imported food stuff or a top quality portwine fancy prices but this disadvantage is peanuts compared to the savings living in and maintaining a home no matter what size not to mention property taxes.

 

how much does it cost in Thailand to have one or perhaps two fulltime caretakers for an elderly person, e.g. a parent, a sibling or yourself? how much for domestic helpers (maid, gardener, etc.)? a fortune in a developed country! but pretty much affordable if your income is above 'cheap Charly number 10'. our individual demands are different, generalising and trying to find a common denominator is a futile undertaking.

 

there's only one general rule that applies. the higher your disposable income the bigger the difference in cost.

Hi Naam, good to see you in this forum, I have not seen you for a while and I was worried you might not be well, and meant to send you a PM but had not gotten around to it yet.

I get your point,If one in the US required domestic help . (maid. gardener. etc) the cost could more than make up for the cost of obtaining better quality consumer goods in Thailand.

Making the costs comparable

Point well made 

I think I made the same point, without getting specific , when I said that Thai wage dependant services and good were less expensive.

I am certainly no cheap charly. Though not the brightest lightbulb in the christmas tree,

serendipitous, I enjoy a six figure yearly income,

but I am a hands on guy, and like to do things by self, perhaps this will change when I get older

.Most of as don't require maid and gardener service etc ,so for as these services don't offset the higher cost of consumer goods.

So as you very well said, for some it is less expensive for others , not so much

For me this is an academic exercise, I am not in Thailand for the cost. In fact I am not in Thailand at all, I am in the US working. Will be there in May for a few months and then back to the rat race for two more years. I guess when I live there full time , I might change my tune

 

Edited November 14, 2016 by sirineou
typo , one of many I am sure (maid, not made, LOL)

[jimmyyy]

In my situation, the USA is definitely cheaper.  The 500.00 or so USD a month I save on mortgage payments here, is dwarfed by the school fees for my three kids.  Food is more expensive as 2 of my three kids are on farang food only.   We are trying to convert them, but no luck as of yet.  In the USA i had 2 paid off cars, a bike and a ATV all paid for.  Here we have a motorbike and a car.  Our house here is smaller, and the Air Con bills equal the heating bill back home.  

 

I like it here, i guess that is why we are here.  Its not cheaper, but quality of life is better for me.  Hope that makes since.  

 

 

[StefanBBK]

I think this is not going anywhere. Perhaps best to go back to basics and compare costs item by item. Suggest to make an effort and limit to few item that favours thailand and some that favors USA.
Let me start:
1 gallon Milk:
USA $ 2.30
Thai $ 7.00

1 gallon Diesel
USA $ 2.24
Thai $ 2.44

1 lb Chicken breast
USA $ 1.88
Thai $ 0.92

[craigt3365]

8 hours ago, Naam said:

but all paid for double, triple, quadruple, quintuple and "n-tuple" if you are financially well-off and possess neither U.S. nor Eritrean citizenship. then there is a long list of things and services which are completely out of reach in a developed country (assuming you are neither Bill Gates or Walid bin-Talal al-Saud) but affordable in Thailand without bending backwards.

My reply was to his comment that there isn't anything from the west he needs.  I was just pointing out a few things that I do need and can't get here unless paying a fair amount of extra cash! LOL  Not sure what US or Eritrean citizenship has to do with it...

[Naam]

6 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Not sure what US or Eritrean citizenship has to do with it...

both countries levy income tax no matter where their citizens live.

[craigt3365]

6 minutes ago, Naam said:

both countries levy income tax no matter where their citizens live.

And as you know, there are ways around this...my effective tax rate last year was very low.

[Naam]

25 minutes ago, StefanBBK said:

I think this is not going anywhere. Perhaps best to go back to basics and compare costs item by item. Suggest to make an effort and limit to few item that favours thailand and some that favors USA.
Let me start:
1 gallon Milk:
USA $ 2.30
Thai $ 7.00

1 gallon Diesel
USA $ 2.24
Thai $ 2.44

1 lb Chicken breast
USA $ 1.88
Thai $ 0.92



 

again a generalisation with examples that might or might not apply to individuals. the cost of basic food stuff is relevant when it represents 35% of the disposable income. it is irrelevant for those where food expenses amount to 5% of income. and completely irrelevant for those who hate milk, chicken and drive a gasoline powered vehicle.

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Naam said:

sorry, but i have to disagree. i buy the same quality of goods either in Thailand or abroad. yes of course, i pay through my nose flying to Hong Kong or Europe to buy underwear and socks. but how often do i buy underwear, socks or a car? i pay for imported food stuff or a top quality portwine fancy prices but this disadvantage is peanuts compared to the savings living in and maintaining a home no matter what size not to mention property taxes.

 

how much does it cost in Thailand to have one or perhaps two fulltime caretakers for an elderly person, e.g. a parent, a sibling or yourself? how much for domestic helpers (maid, gardener, etc.)? a fortune in a developed country! but pretty much affordable if your income is above 'cheap Charly number 10'. our individual demands are different, generalising and trying to find a common denominator is a futile undertaking.

 

there's only one general rule that applies. the higher your disposable income the bigger the difference in cost.

Add in property taxes and caregivers and your costs skyrocket in the US.  Though we did have a live in caregiver in Nevada for $1,500/month.  About double what we are paying here.

[Naam]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

And as you know, there are ways around this...my effective tax rate last year was very low.

tax saving loopholes, e.g. in my home country Germany, are rare like sabre-toothed chicken. the bottom line VAT and other indirect taxes included would be to hand over an amount exceeding 50% of my income if we lived in Germany. i knows this thread compares US and Thailand but i could prove that an identical lifestyle in the US would be much more expensive for us.

[Naam]

50 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

In my situation, the USA is definitely cheaper.  The 500.00 or so USD a month I save on mortgage payments here, is dwarfed by the school fees for my three kids.

an example par excellence that the individual circumstances can be completely different.

[craigt3365]

10 minutes ago, Naam said:

tax saving loopholes, e.g. in my home country Germany, are rare like sabre-toothed chicken. the bottom line VAT and other indirect taxes included would be to hand over an amount exceeding 50% of my income if we lived in Germany. i knows this thread compares US and Thailand but i could prove that an identical lifestyle in the US would be much more expensive for us.

I think that's the bottom line here.  If you live like a Thai, it's cheap here!  If you live like you did back home, it's not cheap here.  Right?  Everybody has a different paradigm.  For me, it's cheaper here.  Though I do go without a fair amount of stuff.  I can't afford to fly to Singapore to buy undies! LOL

[Naam]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

I think that's the bottom line here.  If you live like a Thai, it's cheap here!  If you live like you did back home, it's not cheap here.  Right?  Everybody has a different paradigm.  For me, it's cheaper here.  Though I do go without a fair amount of stuff.  I can't afford to fly to Singapore to buy undies! LOL

NO, not right! i couldn't afford to live back home how i live in Thailand.

[Gary A]

I don't listen to much music and when I do, it comes from the speakers plugged into my computer. The only pool I have is at the condo and they take care of that. I'm certainly not a musician so no need for music gear. In my opinion, anyone who buys a foreign car has more money than they know what to do with. I seldom drink wine and I don't like Scotch. The only travel stuff I use is a backpack and luggage that I have had for over ten years. My wife buys all my clothes and household stuff. I don't know where it comes from but I can assure you that none of it is overpriced designer stuff.

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, Gary A said:

I don't listen to much music and when I do, it comes from the speakers plugged into my computer. The only pool I have is at the condo and they take care of that. I'm certainly not a musician so no need for music gear. In my opinion, anyone who buys a foreign car has more money than they know what to do with. I seldom drink wine and I don't like Scotch. The only travel stuff I use is a backpack and luggage that I have had for over ten years. My wife buys all my clothes and household stuff. I don't know where it comes from but I can assure you that none of it is overpriced designer stuff.

That makes my point.  Different lifestyles.  So hard to say whether it's cheaper in the US or here unless you look at lifestyles.  For some, absolutely cheaper here, for others, not so much.

[Gary A]

10 hours ago, sirineou said:

I thought you said you has a son.

I am glad you are financially independent , as I said in my reply "i don't know you financial situation" I know some medical situation can be very costly and could wipe you out financially.

I had a congenital heart defect discovered during a routine doctor visit, that cost close to $200,000.  if I did not have insurance in the US or a way back I would had being screwed. 

But this is not about individual personal situations, but conditions in Thailand in general.

we all have different stories.

Everything not produced in Thailand is imported , usually from the same places it is imported in the US.

Do to the scale of economies, things imported in the US , is cheaper and of better quality.

Many things dependant on Thai wages, is less expensive except on things that government taxes make them more expensive such as cars in Thailand. 

That's not to say that life cannot be less expensive in Thailand, but IMO, that's because we can do with less .

If we were to buy the same quality consumer goods,and demand the same services in Thailand , life there would be just as expensive if not more so as in the US.

 

 My son lives in the US and he is past middle aged. I did help my daughter once in awhile but she passed away earlier this year from from years of battling leukemia. My son needs no financial help. My big ticket things are vehicles, the condo and house are paid for and I pay no taxes. The vehicles are made in Thailand and except for the Ford car have been amazingly trouble free. Other than a battery, both motorbikes are trouble free. If I have to dress up to go somewhere, I don't go. Shorts, sandals and T shirts suit me just fine. I'm not sure where my Dell computer was made but I'm sure it wasn't made in the US. I don't know where my wife buys my clothes but I wear whatever she buys me. I do have a diesel four wheel drive Yanmar tractor. It may have been made in Japan. It's a great toy for me that I don't need but I wanted it. Same with my workshop. I seldom use everything but it's there when I want it.

 

I'm quite content here and if I want something, I can usually find it. The past few years it has gotten easier to buy things. A Tesco Lotus Super store, Makro, Big C and Home Pro are now easily within driving distance.

[JAFO]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I think that's the bottom line here.  If you live like a Thai, it's cheap here!  If you live like you did back home, it's not cheap here.  Right?  Everybody has a different paradigm.  For me, it's cheaper here.  Though I do go without a fair amount of stuff.  I can't afford to fly to Singapore to buy undies! LOL

 

Actually I do not find that to be completely true. While I have adapted to many Thai living styles, I do not live typical Thai standards in most regards. However my COL and the way I live is significantly cheaper then it was in the US. In fairness though, being this debate always surfaces, where one lives in the US before they move to Thailand will have a huge impact on those actual savings. I am from Calif so me moving here was dramatically lower cost versus say someone who lives or lived in Utah, Ariz, Kansas etc. Yes its relative moving around in the US but not so much here because if you have a good cash plan you can make your dollar work for you here. But in the end you have to want to live outside the US. It cannot just be about it being lower cost.

 

 

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, JAFO said:

 

Actually I do not find that to be completely true. While I have adapted to many Thai living styles, I do not live typical Thai standards in most regards. However my COL and the way I live is significantly cheaper then it was in the US. In fairness though, being this debate always surfaces, where one lives in the US before they move to Thailand will have a huge impact on those actual savings. I am from Calif so me moving here was dramatically lower cost versus say someone who lives or lived in Utah, Ariz, Kansas etc. Yes its relative moving around in the US but not so much here because if you have a good cash plan you can make your dollar work for you here. But in the end you have to want to live outside the US. It cannot just be about it being lower cost.

California is definitely not cheap!  Arkansas is! LOL  The rural community I came from in Nevada is also quite cheap.  And no income tax.

[Gary A]

It's strange that underwear was mentioned. I looked everywhere and could find nothing here that suited me. That was the main thing I stocked up on when in the US. I then searched on AliExpress and found at least two brands that suited me perfectly. I bought a couple pairs of each and was impressed. I have since bought enough to last me several years.

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

California is definitely not cheap!  Arkansas is! LOL  The rural community I came from in Nevada is also quite cheap.  And no income tax.

 

Absolutely so when I state it's cheaper for me, it really is but again California is not the normal. So what would be great to see would be a table by state of what people see their savings or their comparison.

 

 

[Naam]

1 hour ago, Gary A said:

I then searched on AliExpress and found at least two brands that suited me perfectly.

how does that work with Thai customs Gary?

[Gary A]

Just now, Naam said:

how does that work with Thai customs Gary?

 

No problem and no tax. The Thai postal service delivered them right to my door.

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, Naam said:

how does that work with Thai customs Gary?

I now get a fair amount of stuff off Lazada that comes in from China.  Takes up to 3 weeks for delivery, but never a problem.  All small stuff that fits in a small box or so.

[Gary A]

5 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I now get a fair amount of stuff off Lazada that comes in from China.  Takes up to 3 weeks for delivery, but never a problem.  All small stuff that fits in a small box or so.

 

Lazada didn't have any underwear for me. I tried a couple pair of WAY overpriced underwear and gave them to my wife's nephew. My tools kept falling out the sides.

[craigt3365]

6 minutes ago, Gary A said:

 

Lazada didn't have any underwear for me. I tried a couple pair of WAY overpriced underwear and gave them to my wife's nephew. My tools kept falling out the sides.

But this is one of the advantages of the US.  The best shopping pretty much anywhere.  What ever your price range, you can find a store that fits your needs.

[Dtrump]

Driver picked me and my lady up at 10 AM in a newer ac pickup truck (furniture shopping).  He took us around all day and loaded everything in the truck and unloaded it at home and waited for us whenever we went into a store or to eat at a restaurant.  I paid him 1000 baht to include tip and gas.  Try hiring a car and driver in the States for $34 a day.  You can get the underwear at Marks and Spencer or Central online. 

[mania]

1 hour ago, Dtrump said:

Try hiring a car and driver in the States for $34 a day.  

 

It is true anything involving Thai labor will be way cheaper than US labor of course

But then again in the USA it is a get it yourself culture. My wife was surprised when she first pumped her own gas heheh

 

Also most furniture stores near us in USA offer free delivery after low min purchases.

 

But if you want you can usually rent a car/ Harper truck for yourself cheaper in the US for a day than here

 

More importantly if you did hire a driver in The US you would never have to worry of him crashing the car then running away as happens here fairly often as read in papers. Or silver van drivers jacked on M150 or worse wiping out while driving insanely.....This is not to say there are not good drivers here ....but there is a very high ratio of nuts...making it the 2nd worse in the world I have read behind Libya

 

 

Edited November 14, 2016 by mania

[Dtrump]

41 minutes ago, mania said:

It is true anything involving Thai labor will be way cheaper than US labor of course

But then again in the USA it is a get it yourself culture. My wife was surprised when she first pumped her own gas heheh

 

Also most furniture stores near us in USA offer free delivery after low min purchases.

 

But if you want you can usually rent a car/ Harper truck for yourself cheaper in the US for a day than here

 

More importantly if you did hire a driver in The US you would never have to worry of him crashing the car then running away as happens here fairly often as read in papers. Or silver van drivers jacked on M150 or worse wiping out while driving insanely.....This is not to say there are not good drivers here ....but there is a very high ratio of nuts...making it the 2nd worse in the world I have read behind Libya

Known driver and family for 4 years.  I don't like to drive anymore.  In the States I'd need a chauffeur paid more than I make.  Here I have a car and driver for peanuts.  I rented an elephant once to go bar hopping.  It was an attention getter and not too expensive.