Cost of living in Thailand

[fekman]

11 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

You can save loads by eating those noodle pots in 7/11 for 19 baht.. you get the hot water as well there. 

 

And wake up the next morning looking bloated like Jaba the Hut due to the 700,000 mil of salt.......

[bwpage3]

How many farangs in their own country are living in a one room flat, similar to what they will be living in when they move to Thailand?

 

You cannot compare apples to oranges.

 

Most farangs move to Thailand and seriously downgrade their quality of living then marvel at how cheap it is to live there. What?

 

Why would a foreigner resort to eating Thai street food the rest of his life? Where is the quality of life in That?

 

If you were eating steak, dining out in  the fancy restaurants of the same quality and doing the same exact things you do in your own countries, of course Thailand will not be cheaper

 

Any one can leave cheap, but who the hell would want to live like that?

 

 

[bwpage3]

3 hours ago, borrfors said:

EvenSteben!

 

You state that the cost of living and food is almost the same as in America. Well I do not know what prices you have in amrica by personal knowledge, but when I check for rental- and condo/house prices on the Internet they seem way higher than here in Thailand.

 

In Hua Hin, where we live, you can rent a condo (small 1 room) for as less as 3000 Baht a monts, wich is under 85 Dollars. It would be interesting to see what you can get for 85 US$ a month in the states. 

 

Me and my Thai wife have built a 210 Square meter (2260 Square feet) housxe with a land plot of about 3800 square feet which set us back 74 000 US$ (And this was in the more expensive areas in Hua Hin). Considering then, that you don´t have to pay any house or property tax for a house in this size makes it way more interresting.

 

Internet, electrics and water bills cost an average of 75 US$ a month (High speed fiber Internet of 40/mBit). Me and my lwife have a comfortable living, including a nice car (Nissan Juke) for about 23 000 Baht or 650 US$ a month. Could you live on that sum in America?

 

The food, compared for examnple my homecountry Sweden, which is one of the cheaper countries in the Eu, is about a fourth chepaer here in Hua Hin. If I don´t cook by myself I can have a nice meal at a streat vendor, or a small outdor restaurant for about 1.5 US$. But If you go to restaurants and eat fancy european meals, they are of course more expensive, but still much chepaer. The price I pay for a regular McDonlads menue in Sweden can give me a nice dinner for 4 - 5 people here in Hua Ahin.

 

So If you think the prices in Thailand is to high, maybe you have looked at the wrong places.

 

Good luck on your new price hunting in Thailand.

Do you, yourself own the house and land? No it is in your wife's name.

 

You spent $74,000 for land you will never own.

 

There is always 2 truths to every story

[sirineou]

This type of thread, appears with frequent regularity, as new people arrive and find themselves confronted with reality, as it should .

It is really very simple. Labor costs in Thailand is less than in the west, and  things dependant on that factor will be less expensive by their  proportion of that component.

On the other hand  Thailand is a smaller market and does not enjoy the privileges that scale of markets affords larger markets in the west, such as better quality and lower prices of imported products, and mass production.

The good news is that lifestyles in Thailand can allow one , to do less with, that that necessary in the west, and live a good life.

So for those who have a lifestyle more dependant on Thai labor and less in imported products, life is much less expensive.

For those who want to maintain a lifestyle equal to that in the west but want to do that in Thailand , I would say not cheap.  

 

[Naam]

57 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Do you, yourself own the house and land? No it is in your wife's name.

You spent $74,000 for land you will never own.

There is always 2 truths to every story

he does not have to own the land to enjoy living on it. nobody owns anything forever. not in Thailand and not in Farangland. ownership stops when on the way to the graveyard or crematorium. the last shirt has no pockets. period!

[NeverSure]

14 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 Uaagggghhhhh  I prefer my noodle soup to a hotdog. 

 

      P.S. Please don't watch the movie before any meal.

 

         

 

 

Please tell me what's wrong with that? I didn't see anything gross. If that's in the US you can bet the surroundings, people and equipment are sanitary as they would get surprise visits from the health department who would shut them down in a heartbeat.

 

I saw real and clean meat that was trimmings from other butchering. I saw it ground up and water added and made into a slurry. I saw a variety of normal spices that we would use on our own food. I saw it pressed into sleeves to shape it and I saw it being cooked. I saw it removed from those sleeves and vacuum packed. All of this in sterile conditions.

 

The bottom line is that it is just meat that is processed in such a way that it can become cooked hot dogs. Knowing US food standards and audits that didn't bother me at all. I trust that a lot more than Thai noodle soup about which I know nothing.

 

Cheers.

[Pilot3Boz]

I looked a buying a home in a decent but low cost area of Florida and The house I wound up buying in Hua Hin area... Both were on golf courses, both in good year round warm climates... Both houses were in gated communities and comparable in price, USD.... I did a comparison on "Fixed Costs"... electric, pool boy, gardener, insurances (home, car, motorcycle and Health for both wife and I), phones, internet, common fees, water, property taxes, golf annual membership dues... so that leaves, Food, fuel, clothing, eating out.... The numbers were amazingly different, with Florida being -$35KUSD annually with taxes going up every year ... Hua Hin is amazingly cheaper at ~$12.5K annually no property taxes... Health insurance cost will continue to rise with age and cost increase, but USA would go up at a faster rate until Medicare kids in... With being 52 when I made the decision, the health insurance savings will still break even after Medicare figured into the equation... So I definitely made the right choice for my Thai wife and I... I do use Makro for most of my western food needs, and eat some local foods at lower cost restaurants, along with mall food places too... Fuel prices are higher in Thailand, electric a little higher in Thailand, water has been higher also up to now, but Petchaburi will be supplying our water in the near future at about 1/3 of current cost so that will equalize that... We don't skimp but are aware of our spending... IMHO I think Thailand is a great affordable place to retire and with a decent savings and/or pention you can have a very good quality of life... 

[pattayalover]

in Europe I can not go out anymore. food is so expensive that most people eat at home.

in Thailand I have a very simple life because I want stretch my money the longest as possible.

I have seen too many guys coming to Thailand with over 1 millions dollars and they had a very good life. they bought nice house and went whiskey parties all night and invited many friends(suckers) to show them how generous they were... they made babies with Thai gf and then sent them to international private schools.

now these "no more millionaires" are back working shit jobs around after maxing out their credit cards. they ask money everywhere they can like friends, family,... because these guys are fully broke and desperate to have the same life style when they got their 1 million dollar years ago.

they still stay in Thailand because they can not afford to come back with their half farang children . their own country don't want them as they have no income. is Thailand cheap? well in this situation that I describe above has been a disaster for some of us so you need to be damn smart with your money to live well in Thailand because money is easy to spend but hard to make.

[HampiK]

..... We don't skimp but are aware of our spending... IMHO I think Thailand is a great affordable place to retire and with a decent savings and/or pention you can have a very good quality of life... 

I would like to know your average monthly spendings.

[HampiK]

in Europe I can not go out anymore. food is so expensive that most people eat at home.

in Thailand I have a very simple life because I want stretch my money the longest as possible.

I have seen too many guys coming to Thailand with over 1 millions dollars and they had a very good life. they bought nice house and went whiskey parties all night and invited many friends(suckers) to show them how generous they were... they made babies with Thai gf and then sent them to international private schools.

now these "no more millionaires" are back working shit jobs around after maxing out their credit cards. they ask money everywhere they can like friends, family,... because these guys are fully broke and desperate to have the same life style when they got their 1 million dollar years ago.

they still stay in Thailand because they can not afford to come back with their half farang children . their own country don't want them as they have no income. is Thailand cheap? well in this situation that I describe above has been a disaster for some of us so you need to be damn smart with your money to live well in Thailand because money is easy to spend but hard to make.

You have to know how much money you can spend per month, else you scrued.

With 1m$ about 30m baht you could use every month 100'000 baht for the next 30 years.

But of course there are always people who want too show how rich they are, abd therefor spend to much

[Elkski]

But if your 56 ' like me, hopefully 30 years isn't long enough.    And do you have 1 mill USD in gold, 401k, real estate?   What tax changes will occur? Earnings rate? What inflation?, Exchange rates? Visa requirements?   Airline costs?

[Pilot3Boz]

10 hours ago, HampiK said:

I would like to know your average monthly spendings.

My monthly fixed cost are ~34,500B (budgeted including monthly break down of all insurances and expenses) ... Using my highest monthly electric running AC more often... another 3000-4000B for fuels depending on how much I ride the motorcycle. Food varies but I will use 25K for both in and out eating that being the upper number I have seen... Another caveat; We don't drink, smoke or use drugs and zero gambling (except the occasional golf course bets nothing to concern)...  So on a high month ~63K baht for a large house with pool all in... 

[Pilot3Boz]

4 minutes ago, Elkski said:

But if your 56 ' like me, hopefully 30 years isn't long enough.    And do you have 1 mill USD in gold, 401k, real estate?   What tax changes will occur? Earnings rate? What inflation?, Exchange rates? Visa requirements?   Airline costs?

Yes but your million dollars continue to earn as investments... Not snap shot look... So inflation and such can be covered or at least mitigated... By the time you age out your expenses should curtail also... Medical insurance in patient  is a must to cover any large exposures you may get hit with... 

 

[cheapskatesam]

This guy JC (Retire Cheap Asia) Says you can live in Thailand on 500usd a month - http://retirecheap.asia/category/retirement-income/budget-cheap-cat-1/

 

And when i say i have 700 GBP.. people go crazy on Thaivisa and say i'll starve to death 

[HampiK]

29 minutes ago, cheapskatesam said:

This guy JC (Retire Cheap Asia) Says you can live in Thailand on 500usd a month - http://retirecheap.asia/category/retirement-income/budget-cheap-cat-1/

 

And when i say i have 700 GBP.. people go crazy on Thaivisa and say i'll starve to death 

 

It's mostly depends where you stay in Thailand. But BKK, Phuket are the most expensive places in Thailand to stay.

At the end, it's depends what you want in Thailand. You also have to see, that a lot of members here think if you can't buy a girl or can't go out several times a week this not a life. Sometimes I also have my problems to understand some of the posters. Some think when stay in Thailand have to be like a 2 week millionaire holiday.

 

And the most important thing, never believe everything what you read in the Internet... Many like to tell not 100% the truth.. doesn't matter in better or worse quality....

[jolive]

This guy JC (Retire Cheap Asia) Says you can live in Thailand on 500usd a month - http://retirecheap.asia/category/retirement-income/budget-cheap-cat-1/
 
And when i say i have 700 GBP.. people go crazy on Thaivisa and say i'll starve to death 

Nah, if u have 700GBP (30k plus baht) per mth shouldn't be a problem.. street stall noodle ard 30-50b, groceries either u get it from makro or tesco should be cheaper, accommodation below 10k should be fine, transportation cheap as well.. but try not to go high end restaurant, disco or anything that came out with bills of thousands should be ok.. 30k baht actually can be quite comfort if u dun anyhow spend and have no commitment in your own country.. compare to those locals that work as waiter or waitress, their salary range was from 8k - 15k per mth and yet they can survive why not u..


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[mcfish]

It seems that inflation has eroded the advantage Thailand had at one time.  To be sure the cost of living in Thailand does vary but in general I find that even outside of BKK the cost of living doesn't vary enough for me to pack up and move from America to a studio or 1bedroom condo in Thailand for 3 to 6 months of the year, let alone year round.  The cost of groceries is often more in Thailand and eating out is not significantly different.  I can buy a hotdog on the street in America for the same price as street/cart food in Thailand and have less chance of falling ill.  I can drink water out of the tap in my country and not fall ill either.  It seems Thailand is losing its advantage as a cheap retirement destination.

Don't be silly. Everyone came here for the street meat if you know what I mean and that is still the main reason why most are still here. No way you can compare that to your home country

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[EvenSteven]

On 11/26/2016 at 11:51 PM, lostinisaan said:

  I can buy a hotdog on the street in America for the same price as street/cart food in Thailand and have less chance of falling ill.

 

     A hotdog that contains 85 fat, water, and some other stuff you don't wanna know about?

 

       What you're missing are the eye candies, the climate, culture, smiles, the beaches, plus a lot more.

 

         Enjoy your hotdog, sir. 

 

       

 

        

Nothing quite like hijacking a thread.

[EvenSteven]

On 11/27/2016 at 5:11 AM, khunPer said:

Compared to Northen Western Europe, Thailand is still cheaper; howeer it's always a question of living standard, adjustment to local life-style – i.e. eating local dishes instead of imported home-land food – and knowledge of where to find the right shops.

 

The Cost of Living Index is probably the best comparison, even it may count different for various kind of life-style. The index set Praque (Czech Republic) as 100, Bangkok has index 114...

 

For comparison:
New York 292
San Fransisco 285
Washington DC 269
London 252
Oslo 245
Copenhagen 231
Singapore 229
Los Angeles 227

 

I'm an economic refuge from Copenhagen area, and it fit quite well to my own feeling, that I in general average have a "double-up", living here.

 

If you look for cheap places to live, then the best quotes, based on Cost of Living Index are places like Kiev (Ukraine) 70, or Madras (India) 68, or Cairo 53...

Alternatively you may prefer Colombo (Sri Lanka) with 81 only...

 

Some things are more expensive, while others are less.  These international comparisons are a starting point but often those differences often belie the whole truth.  Let's compare the cost of a beer in the US and Thailand.  In the US, I can buy a bottle of beer in a nice place for $3-4 USD, sometimes less.  In Thailand I've paid up to twice that amount in some places, and some of those places are absolute dumps, sometimes without a wash room and if there was one, they are ghastly.  Or try a bottle of water in a 7-11 in both countries.  Sure I'm cherry picking, but if it was so cheap in Thailand as many claim, such differences would never arise.

 

Today, the difference between the two countries is largely a matter of quality: you get what you pay for.  You want a spend $10K baht/month on a room in Pattaya, you get one room with a fan.  That 10K baht flop house in Thailand where you might have to share a communal bathroom and cook on a hot plate, if your one room has a plug-in, can also be found in the US for the same price.  But we call them ghettos and dumps here.

[anotheruser]

I am considering going back to the USA but to a smaller market city. My take on it is you can live as cheaply in a small town or small city as anywhere I would want to live in Thailand.

 

I spend around 150,000 Baht on a normal month. Probably more like 250,000 on a month 
if I go on a short vacation. I don't need lectures on how to do it cheaper I know you can. My point is for some people a place like the USA works out reasonable. Not everybody is holed up in Thailand because it is cheaper.

 

The food I eat i way cheaper in the USA I probably spend around 9,000 a week at Villa and another 5,000 from Passiondelivery. Yes, it includes a couple of bottles of wine. The price for the quality of which is atrocious. 

 

Weekend trips about the same. Probably cheaper in the states as higher end resorts are not much different in price in either place. 

 

In the USA I would  buy a house so yeah it is a bit different but I can own it there so hard to put a price on that. 

 

So I like drinking wine, eating nice meals mostly at home. The occasional trip maybe every 2 or 3 months for a long weekend. A holiday once a year that is more major. So for me I can live the same at home as I can here without altering my life. 

 

Though the quality of many things would be much higher back home. For Villa prices back home you are shopping at a higher end supermarket. The stuff in Villa is considered junk back home. Even the bottom end American supermarkets have Villa out gunned by a country mile. 

 

The 50K a month on a decent condo in Bangkok would pay all of my basic expenses in the USA. If I own a house it does anyway. So that would leave around 3,333 Baht a day for eating out and recreation etc. The types of recreation I enjoy may change but it is plenty. 

 

I would probably save money in the USA actually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HampiK]

2 hours ago, jolive said:

...compare to those locals that work as waiter or waitress, their salary range was from 8k - 15k per mth and yet they can survive why not u..

 

But this girls mostly stay together in one room and share, so they need less money. Additional what about health care.. As a thai you can do the 30 baht scheme... as a foreigner this will not work... and there is the biggest problem... with 30'000 baht and a bigger health Issue..... wooooowww

[landslide]

My thai wife and I live in a medium sized city on the West Coast.  Rent for our 830 sf, one bedroom apartment is $1276 per month (about average for the area, clean but nothing special), utilities including electric, gas and internet, cable and phone is $242 per month and health insurance for the two of us is $1153 per month with a $3000 annual deductible.    Auto and renters insurance is $96 per month.  Gasoline for the car is approximately $60 per month.  Taxes, state and federal, average $710 per month.  So before we spend a dime on food, entertainment, clothes, prescriptions and doctor's visit we are out of pocket $3527 each month.  We have budgeted for our eventual move to the Hua Hin area the following amounts.  $800 house rental (2 to 3 bedroom house), utilities $200, health insurance $500 per month, auto expenses of $100, and taxes (US) of $400 per month  (no state income tax due).  So the budget for Thailand is $2000 per month before food, entertainment, prescriptions and any doctor's visits, 57% of our budget in the USA.  I think this is a reasonable projection of the cost difference between the two countries.  Could we be more frugal?  Sure.  Could we end up spending more?  Possibly.  But there is a definite cost advantage,  in our case.  

[ukrules]

2 minutes ago, landslide said:

My thai wife and I live in a medium sized city on the West Coast.  Rent for our 830 sf, one bedroom apartment is $1276 per month (about average for the area, clean but nothing special), utilities including electric, gas and internet, cable and phone is $242 per month and health insurance for the two of us is $1153 per month with a $3000 annual deductible.    Auto and renters insurance is $96 per month.  Gasoline for the car is approximately $60 per month.  Taxes, state and federal, average $710 per month.  So before we spend a dime on food, entertainment, clothes, prescriptions and doctor's visit we are out of pocket $3527 each month.  We have budgeted for our eventual move to the Hua Hin area the following amounts.  $800 house rental (2 to 3 bedroom house), utilities $200, health insurance $500 per month, auto expenses of $100, and taxes (US) of $400 per month  (no state income tax due).  So the budget for Thailand is $2000 per month before food, entertainment, prescriptions and any doctor's visits, 57% of our budget in the USA.  I think this is a reasonable projection of the cost difference between the two countries.  Could we be more frugal?  Sure.  Could we end up spending more?  Possibly.  But there is a definite cost advantage,  in our case.  

 

I've just arranged the rental of a 4 bedroom 3 storey house on the outskirts of Hua Hin for 15,000 Baht per month so there are bargains to be had. This house has no garden or pool (tiled front parking area and tiled back yard) but I don't want or need those things so for me it's perfect - zero maintenance required !

 

[IMA_FARANG]

As usual this topic depends on what you think is required for your comfort.

That determines more than anything what you think is expensive.

You will find certain items are more expensive than in your home country.

Cheese is a good example.

if you insist on a "good" wedge of Cheese like you might find in your home country, you will find it very expensive here.

Cheese is a foriegners item, many Thais don't eat Cheese or particularly like it.

It often  leaves them feeling gassy and bloated.

If you live here you will soon learn what is "expensive" and what is not based on what you think is "reasonable".

 

 

 

[landslide]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

I've just arranged the rental of a 4 bedroom 3 storey house on the outskirts of Hua Hin for 15,000 Baht per month so there are bargains to be had. This house has no garden or pool (tiled front parking area and tiled back yard) but I don't want or need those things so for me it's perfect - zero maintenance required !

 

Yes, there are bargains to be had.  I used the $800 ($B28000) figure as a safe bet for a decent, well furnished home with a small garden.  We will eventually buy a house in the B$4 to B$5 million range once we are sure we want to stay permanently and know what area we really want to live.  My wife is comfortable in the US, but financially, Thailand is the better choice for us, and I actually am looking forward to getting out of the US.  Despite Trump's election, I live in an extremely liberal state which is raising taxes on anything they can, and expanding government at an alarming rate.  Even the rent on my apartment has gone up 36% in the last 4 years, and with no end in site for increases in the future, due to severe restrictions on building new housing..

[james1995]

4 hours ago, landslide said:

My thai wife and I live in a medium sized city on the West Coast.  Rent for our 830 sf, one bedroom apartment is $1276 per month (about average for the area, clean but nothing special), utilities including electric, gas and internet, cable and phone is $242 per month and health insurance for the two of us is $1153 per month with a $3000 annual deductible.    Auto and renters insurance is $96 per month.  Gasoline for the car is approximately $60 per month.  Taxes, state and federal, average $710 per month.  So before we spend a dime on food, entertainment, clothes, prescriptions and doctor's visit we are out of pocket $3527 each month.  We have budgeted for our eventual move to the Hua Hin area the following amounts.  $800 house rental (2 to 3 bedroom house), utilities $200, health insurance $500 per month, auto expenses of $100, and taxes (US) of $400 per month  (no state income tax due).  So the budget for Thailand is $2000 per month before food, entertainment, prescriptions and any doctor's visits, 57% of our budget in the USA.  I think this is a reasonable projection of the cost difference between the two countries.  Could we be more frugal?  Sure.  Could we end up spending more?  Possibly.  But there is a definite cost advantage,  in our case.  

 

$1276 for a 1 bedroom?!  I can get  a super luxury apartment in my home town for that amount.  Budget apartment is about $500/month.

[landslide]

1 hour ago, james1995 said:

 

$1276 for a 1 bedroom?!  I can get  a super luxury apartment in my home town for that amount.  Budget apartment is about $500/month.

I moved here from the Bay Area in California.   I was paying $2000 per month for a small one bedroom apartment.  Clean and safe, but by no means "super luxury".  Even this apartment is decent, but no one would call it "super luxury".  I suppose I could uproot and move to the midwest for a cheaper apartment, but I don't want to live in the midwest.  Here on the West Coast, even small towns are seeing a dramatic increase in the cost of housing. 

[roo860]

After a couple of years l found out that grub here was not for me....I did try....NOW, my food regime is sorted and am happy, no more hours on the big white telephone, no more visits to the pharmacy,  unless it was self inflicted, soooo, l am a happy bunny, except there are no Indian restaurants where l live....Damn, they would be well worth an hour on the lav...

What it is about Indian food that you prefer over Thai?

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[pattayalover]

I live on 120 bahts a day for food and 100 bahts for my room and I can tell I m even getting weight.

starving? yeah maybe in the USA you will starve with 10x more money.

[transam]

13 minutes ago, roo860 said:

What it is about Indian food that you prefer over Thai?

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It is totally different, well it must be cos my Thai Mrs.Trans hated it in England...