Cost of living in Thailand

[roo860]

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

I spent two and a half years based in South India, travelled up to Kashmir and numerous other states, the difference in styles of cooking was incredible.
I am a meat eater but the variation of vegi food was amazing.
But, just the mention of Indian food to my wife gets a big thumbs down, tried it once!

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[Naam]

4 hours ago, roo860 said:

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

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much more variety!

[Naam]

4 hours ago, pattayalover said:

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

anybody would gain weight wasting that much money on food

[EvenSteven]

10 hours ago, pattayalover said:

I live on 120 bahts a day for food and 100 bahts for my room.

 

Third world conditions too.

[anotheruser]

7 hours ago, Naam said:

anybody would gain weight wasting that much money on food

 

Stop talking to sockpuppets Naam.

[Naam]

3 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

Stop talking to sockpuppets Naam.

i want to find out where he buys his caviar and smoked salmon. there' is also the question whether the penthouse he rents is direct waterfront (which i doubt).

[anotheruser]

Just now, Naam said:

i want to find out where he buys his caviar and smoked salmon. there' is also the question whether the penthouse he rents is direct waterfront (which i doubt).

 

Give me a moment let me ask my butler and I will phone you directly. 

[Get Real]

On 2016-11-27 at 4:17 AM, Don Mega said:

I find it incredibly cheap here, all in my monthly costs are less than $400, back home that number would be $4000.

Okey, you big jet! That it´s cheap here is not question about. I just wonder how you can have costs on 4000 dollar a month back home?
Sunds like a little bit of overspending there. However, it´s your life, and if you are okey with that all is fine.

[Get Real]

Comparing a price for a hot dog between US, (the united sausage and homefries country), and Thailand is just not a fair thing to do. If you should make a fair comparision you must take a popular kind of food in both countries.
A great example would be hot dog in the US, and khao neo with moo ping in Thailand. Ther eyou pay around 10 bath for almost a full meal in Thailand and more for a small little insignificant hot dog in the US. That´s the reality, Mr OP.

[EvenSteven]

2 hours ago, Get Real said:

... you pay around 10 bath for almost a full meal in Thailand ... Mr OP.

 

I'd like to see where I can get this full meal for 10 baht in Pattaya, Phuket or Bangkok, Mr. Get Real.

[chiang mai]

2 hours ago, Get Real said:

Comparing a price for a hot dog between US, (the united sausage and homefries country), and Thailand is just not a fair thing to do. If you should make a fair comparision you must take a popular kind of food in both countries.
A great example would be hot dog in the US, and khao neo with moo ping in Thailand. Ther eyou pay around 10 bath for almost a full meal in Thailand and more for a small little insignificant hot dog in the US. That´s the reality, Mr OP.

"you pay around 10 bath for almost a full meal in Thailand" -  only in your dreams, not in the real world!

[JB300]

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.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Always makes me smile when I hear Thailand is cheap, then come across somebody who spends more pm than I do living in Singapore.

My average monthly spend Is around approx 200k THB (s$8k) & this includes approx 85k for my Condo & at least 25-50k on some random spend, the remaining 65-90k more than covers my living costs including a few bottles of reasonable wine (anywhere in Asia the quality you get for what you pay is terrible).

[Naam]

2 hours ago, EvenSteven said:

 

I'd like to see where I can get this full meal for 10 baht in Pattaya, Phuket or Bangkok, Mr. Get Real.

 

[chiang mai]

4 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Ok! It´s not a full meal. It´s still more food than you get in a hot dog. 5 bath Khao Neo and a barbecued stick of pork.
In that case I dream every time I go to the market morning, to buy food for my 4 year old daugther.
I sincerely think you are dreaming, or maby just not took the time to get to know things in this country. Good Luck!

 

"Ok! It´s not a full meal" - there was no need for the insults, you could have stopped after you'd written that because we both agree you can find something to eat of some description for 10baht, not a full meal however!

 

 

[JAFO]

These threads are quite interesting in that there will be the poster who has extremely high expectations and pays a premium to sustain that lifestyle . Then there are some that are living on a shoe string budget.  Bottom line The COL in Thailand is totally individual dependant and if that makes the individual happy it's all good. Additionally where one lives in Thailand will have a significant impact on that COL as it does anywhere in the world.  

 

[thehelmsman]

21 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Ok! It´s not a full meal. It´s still more food than you get in a hot dog. 5 bath Khao Neo and a barbecued stick of pork.
In that case I dream every time I go to the market morning, to buy food for my 4 year old daugther.
I sincerely think you are dreaming, or maby just not took the time to get to know things in this country. Good Luck!

 

I hope for your daughter's sake you feed her better than you do yourself.

[meatboy]

6 minutes ago, thehelmsman said:

 

I hope for your daughter's sake you feed her better than you do yourself.

a bbq.d stick of pork?mostly fat covered in ?

[Ahab]

6 hours ago, Get Real said:

Okey, you big jet! That it´s cheap here is not question about. I just wonder how you can have costs on 4000 dollar a month back home?
Sunds like a little bit of overspending there. However, it´s your life, and if you are okey with that all is fine.

$4000 a month breakdown for Hawaii

rent $2500 per month

license fees for two vehicles $80 per month

Gasoline for two vehicles $250 per month

Utilities $200 per month

food $600 per month

Health insurance $220 per month

Eating out $200 per month (three times)

Cable TV, Phone, Internet $160

Cell phones (3 with data plans) $220

 

That works out to $4430 (150.620 baht per month) and does not include life insurance, saving for retirement or things such as alcohol. We could get rid of the cell phones TV and internet and eating out which would cut out a couple hundred, but it is very easy to spend $4000 where we live.

 

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Ahab said:

$4000 a month breakdown for Hawaii

rent $2500 per month

license fees for two vehicles $80 per month

Gasoline for two vehicles $250 per month

Utilities $200 per month

food $600 per month

Health insurance $220 per month

Eating out $200 per month (three times)

Cable TV, Phone, Internet $160

Cell phones (3 with data plans) $220

 

That works out to $4430 (150.620 baht per month) and does not include life insurance, saving for retirement or things such as alcohol. We could get rid of the cell phones TV and internet and eating out which would cut out a couple hundred, but it is very easy to spend $4000 where we live.

 

Okey! Just sounded expensive. never had any experience of Hawaii.

[Get Real]

2 hours ago, chiang mai said:

 

"Ok! It´s not a full meal" - there was no need for the insults, you could have stopped after you'd written that because we both agree you can find something to eat of some description for 10baht, not a full meal however!

 

 

The important thing was the difference between a hot dog and the same amount of thai food. That you missed completely. Maybe it´s a lazy day, and nothing to do? What do I know.

[Naam]

3 minutes ago, Get Real said:

What do I know.

now you know that 10 Baht don't buy a full meal.

[vukovar77]

On 11/29/2016 at 1:17 AM, anotheruser said:

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is crazy to live in Thailand on western style!!!

Pay for rent 50K???So stupid!!!

I think that you have very poor life indeed,cos. you must pay so much for everything!!!

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Ahab said:

$4000 a month breakdown for Hawaii

rent $2500 per month

license fees for two vehicles $80 per month

Gasoline for two vehicles $250 per month

Utilities $200 per month

food $600 per month

Health insurance $220 per month

Eating out $200 per month (three times)

Cable TV, Phone, Internet $160

Cell phones (3 with data plans) $220

 

That works out to $4430 (150.620 baht per month) and does not include life insurance, saving for retirement or things such as alcohol. We could get rid of the cell phones TV and internet and eating out which would cut out a couple hundred, but it is very easy to spend $4000 where we live.

 

Very easy to spend $4,000 (142k Baht) here also.  Very easy.  Plus, Hawaii is a very expensive place to live. 

[JAFO]

2 hours ago, vukovar77 said:

It is crazy to live in Thailand on western style!!!

Pay for rent 50K???So stupid!!!

I think that you have very poor life indeed,cos. you must pay so much for everything!!!

 

Stupid seems a bit harsh vukvar77 when you consider its the posters life and expectations. Sure to some that's a lot but I know a few colleagues spending upward 100K baht to live in a plush condo in BKK. They come with a ton of perks. Would I do it...no way but Its their choice for sure. 

[JAFO]

I had some time  today so I thought I would toss in this comparison for the thread'

 

Here was my SF Bay Area COL ( all noted are per month)

 

• Mortgage $2,850 for 3 bdr 2 bath, 1500 sq ft in a older neighborhood centrally located and convenient for my wife.
• Property Tax $566
• Home owners ins $108
• Car payments $538 for both
• Car Insurance $167
• Fuel for cars: $250 
• Cable/internet $ 138
• Cell phone in 2 year contract with ATT : $152
• Utilities (Gas, electric water) $140
• Food and supplies $500 to $600
• Entertainment $ 500 on avg (But can go way up for trips and special events) 
• Medical ins $296 (Taken out of my check bi weekly)

My cash burn rate was appx $6,300 a month. (Appx 222K bt). In speaking with numerous colleagues this is pretty standard COL. This is why people in SF Bay Area have to make $100K or more a year salary or you have no "Fun" money. You work to survive or you max out credit cards.

 

Thailand COL:

 

• Mortgage $0 (3 Br 4 bath house appx 2900 sq ft) ( we can argue the cost of what it took me to build the house but I will say it was a FRACTION of what it cost to buy one in the SF Bay Area not even taking into acct the interest one pays over 30 years of the mortgage. Most people never look at that number. Its down right scary)
• Property tax $ 1 ( not a typo, Last assessment was 38 bt, why even bother)
• Homeowners ins $18
• Car payments $0 (Paid for them in full because with no mortgage and other housing costs it made good sense and why pay interest) 
• Car insurance $0 (First year is free, do not know what it will be next year)
• Fuel for cars $ 135 (Use Scooters a lot for local stuff)
• Cable/internet $58 ( I do not have the big True vision package, I DL my content but I do have NFL game pass and included the $16 a month in total. Like in the US there are hundreds of worthless channels on bundled cable packages)
• Cell phones, $45
• Utilities (Water and electric) $83 on avg. Again my wife and I do not use AC much and water is very little
• Food and supplies: $400
• Entertainment: $250 (But can go way up for trips and special events) 
• Medical: $0 Company pays 100%. 

 

Cash burn rate is $1000 (appx 35K bt) without car insurance yet. If I guess on auto insurance as my wife thought it would be it adds about $66 extra per month taking the total to $1100 (38K bt)

 

 I live very well for $38K bt as I did in the US for 220k bt. So clearly the COL  in Thailand is incredibly less for us. 

 

[anotheruser]

9 hours ago, JB300 said:

 

 

Always makes me smile when I hear Thailand is cheap, then come across somebody who spends more pm than I do living in Singapore.

My average monthly spend Is around approx 200k THB (s$8k) & this includes approx 85k for my Condo & at least 25-50k on some random spend, the remaining 65-90k more than covers my living costs including a few bottles of reasonable wine (anywhere in Asia the quality you get for what you pay is terrible).
 

 

 

 

Thailand is cheap if you have very low standards.

[transam]

1 minute ago, anotheruser said:

 

Thailand is cheap if you have very low standards.

Not so......Some of us have standards even if we have problems....You cannot take take away ones standards or principles...Or in my case even an angels voice...

[Naam]

15 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

Thailand is cheap if you have very low standards.

i [not so] humbly beg to differ. for some people (like me) a very comfortable lifestyle doesn't cost a single penny because all my cost plus ~50% more (in 2016 ~250% more) are covered by this noble gentleman who can't take (including hidden taxes) more than half of my income to be wasted. he is the German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble. look at his futile gesture

 

 

[Naam]

23 minutes ago, transam said:

Not so......Some of us have standards even if we have problems....You cannot take take away ones standards or principles...Or in my case even an angels voice...

or your hair

[anotheruser]

1 hour ago, JAFO said:

 

Stupid seems a bit harsh vukvar77 when you consider its the posters life and expectations. Sure to some that's a lot but I know a few colleagues spending upward 100K baht to live in a plush condo in BKK. They come with a ton of perks. Would I do it...no way but Its their choice for sure. 

 

I won't bother even replying to Vulgar about a nice place to live being stupid. However in my case a nice condo saves me money going out. Bangkok is a harsh, hot, sweaty, smelly city. The only thing that makes living here tolerable is a nice condo and a healthy pay package. 

 

Some people get cheap places so they can afford to go out all the time. I chose something more comfortable so I stay in more often than not. This saves me money. 

 

So what occurs to me is Thailand is cheap if you are in the lower income brackets or miserly. If you have a certain lifestyle that you want to keep it is expensive as anywhere else.

 

In one way Thailand is cheap is if you aren't after hookers and drinking every night, there isn't a lot to spend money on. Think of all the money I save by not going to symphony orchestra, regular concerts, baseball or hockey games...

 

Some guys own a house (well sort of) and a truck and live in the woods cheaply. They say they spend no more than 30K a month or whatever. They will have spent more money than I ever will in Thailand. Anyway as long as each day I go to bed with more money than I woke up with I am not bothered about the cost of renting a moderately nice condo.