Cost of living in BKK... USD 640 a month!

[RBOP]

For a family of 3 spending 100K per month. Not including car and health insurance and school tuition. 

[Pat in Pattaya]

One could easily slit their wrists reading stuff like this.

[bangkokairportlink]

Why renting at 15000 when you can rent at 5000.

 

You over spend.

 

 

 

 

[dansbkk]

That's not the cost of living in Bangkok, that;s the cost of surviving in Bangkok.

[Foozool]

it's all about life style.

To some people life without drinking 3 bottles of beer every night is just "existing", 

I used to live in a nice and clean room with a small balcony  (no kitchen) and paid 5000, close to Fashion Island. Now I live at my girlfriend's house and just pay for utilities.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2017 by Foozool

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

฿700/day = Not much fun.

For a condo you will need to pay rent in advance, deposit and utility bills, electric is biggest and then wi-fi I'm sure you can't live without. Then you have visa trips if you are actually here longer than one month.

You can get a SMALL studio in the suburbs for half of what you budget if you are not going out.

If you really want cheap, live in  a Thai "apartment" room with a fan for ฿5000 out of "town"  (see post above #36).

What I don't understand is why?

Sounds like you are expecting a serious loss of income?

Edited July 1, 2017 by George FmplesdaCosteedback

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

53 minutes ago, Foozool said:

it's all about life style.

To some people life without drinking 3 bottles of beer every night is just "existing", 

I used to live in a nice and clean room with a small balcony  (no kitchen) and paid 5000, close to Fashion Island. Now I live at my girlfriend's house and just pay for utilities.

 

 

Good post, I lived near Fashion Island before.

But only 3 beers?

[Jim Turner Mad Punx]

We'll I'm a man. Always getting off. Also renting some affordable digs in bangers and eating some cheapo eats. I have dreadlocks and smell like a sewer and don't know what deodorant is. I also speak fluent French.

[nasanews]

10 hours ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

One could easily slit their wrists reading stuff like this.

Unfortunately the OP will do someday with that kind of budget.

I barely make it on my own to the end of the month with 2000$ and I own my condo+motorbike but with 640$ a month I think you might read about me committing suicide on TVF.

[Monkeyrobot]

Your condo rent is a bit high, if you go out near on nut or further you can get a nice condo 10,000 

[bbi1]

29 minutes ago, Monkeyrobot said:

Your condo rent is a bit high, if you go out near on nut or further you can get a nice condo 10,000 

I'd rather pay more and live in the middle of the action and have transport at my door but that's me.

[tonboy]

move to Chiang Mai, life is more relaxed and cheaper. Together with my wife (and dog) we spent about 80K each month. And that included a real house (3 sleepingrooms + 3 bathrooms, kitchen. living, parking, garden ) in a secured moo baan on 400m2 ground, electricity (6500 baht/month), own car + insurance, food, Tv and fiberinternet (200/200), mobiles and so on. When shopping we almost always go to a Big-C supermarket where there is a foodcourt, you can eat there for 150 baht (meal+drink for 2 persons). 

 

Edited July 2, 2017 by tonboy

[smotherb]

On 7/1/2017 at 6:20 AM, bbi1 said:

It is a lot but who wants to live in the middle of nowhere? Maybe you do but most peeps don't. My rent is over $1,000 per month but it's well worth it for the location & amenities.

What difference does it make where you live if you do not go out?

 

On 7/1/2017 at 8:14 AM, FritsSikkink said:

"Maybe i'm missing something."

Toilet paper, aftershave, razors, deodorant, and most important a life better than eating low grade food and drinking water.

You don't need toilet paper--it's a filthy habit anyway, just wash your butt. It seems if you do not shave, you don't need razors or aftershave, and if you shower often you may get away with no deodorant; just make sure to buy soap, it's cheaper anyway.

[smotherb]

On 7/1/2017 at 0:21 AM, Bang Bang said:

Nice calculations. One comment: for long-term stay a water purifier pays for itself, reducing a whole bunch of hassle on the way.

 

Decent ones are to be had for 5000b which, at 250b/mth for hydration per your estimate, is paid for in 20mths. Of course, there is the cost of periodic filter replacement but even so a purifier should come out ahead in the long run.

You can simply drink the public water; many Thais do and manage to live.

[bbi1]

4 minutes ago, smotherb said:

What difference does it make where you live if you do not go out?

 

You don't need toilet paper--it's a filthy habit anyway, just wash your butt. It seems if you do not shave, you don't need razors or aftershave, and if you shower often you may get away with no deodorant; just make sure to buy soap, it's cheaper anyway.

If someone is living the lonely hermit lifestyle 24/7 at home then it doesn't matter.

[smotherb]

On 7/1/2017 at 0:36 AM, shadowofacloud said:

Well, if you are really trying to cut to the bone, 17k for an apartment is a lot. I follow a few real estate groups on FB and it seems that as long as you are ready to live south along the BTS (Bang Chak, Punnawithi or even further - they say there is life down there), you could easily cut this item by half. If you speak some Thai and don't need a condo, then you can reduce it even more, see: https://migrationology.com/cost-of-living-in-bangkok-thailand/

 

You also did not factor in the cost of transportation, utilities and internet. 

Certainly, you can get cheaper accommodations. If you are serious about cutting expenses, the soles of your shoes would do for transportation costs and there is no need for the internet or phone loads. Utilities could be minimized by no a/c, no fan, no refrigerator, no stove or cooking gas, no lights--just go to sleep at night. Primarily just your water bill. You can buy street food much cheaper than shopping and cooking--you can get by on plain rice and fish sauce and drinking the public water.

[smotherb]

7 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

If someone is living the lonely hermit lifestyle 24/7 at home then it doesn't matter.

Well, maybe you can, but I need to be able to stand my own smell.

[Bung]

I find it fascinating that there are foreign people living here that are so poor they actually have to take into account the cost of drinking water into their monthly budgets. What's the point? Just admit you need to keep working where you came from! God help them if they need hospital treatment. I guess in that case we will see the go fund me pleas. 

[smotherb]

23 hours ago, buick said:

i have never bought toilet paper in bkk.  just use the butt spray, it is great.  i think the OP needs to add health insurance and possibly visa run cost depending on type of visa. plus as noted above, transport and internet.  

If you are living this cheap, I would hope it is because you have no more money; consequently, I do not imagine insurance is anywhere on their list.

[smotherb]

19 hours ago, little mary sunshine said:

BKK.  Absolute minimum "To Live" 65,000/month

to "exist or just survive " B 25,000-30,000

Those figures are most certainly one's own opinion.  I would not want to exist on that little money unless that was all I had--in which case I would get a job.

[smotherb]

Why is it this topic seems to arise so often? I can only think there are so many skint farangs trying to eek out a living. While for some their lack of funds may be rationalized to be the fault of someone else; however, I cannot subscribe to that chain of thought.

[FritsSikkink]

15 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Then how you clean your mouth after dinner?

or his nose when sneezing?

[FritsSikkink]

13 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

i'm sure he has a butt towel like i do - both in thailand and canada. so civilized not to be rubbing poop around with paper.

Isn't in his budget

[FritsSikkink]

11 hours ago, Foozool said:

it's all about life style.

To some people life without drinking 3 bottles of beer every night is just "existing", 

I used to live in a nice and clean room with a small balcony  (no kitchen) and paid 5000, close to Fashion Island. Now I live at my girlfriend's house and just pay for utilities.

 

 

Pay halve the rent for a change too

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, bbi1 said:

I'd rather pay more and live in the middle of the action and have transport at my door but that's me.

live in the middle of action and stay home while drinking water and eating 35 thb food?

[bbi1]

34 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

live in the middle of action and stay home while drinking water and eating 35 thb food?

If that's your thing then go right ahead. Personally I like to get out of condo every day but that's me.

[Jim Turner Mad Punx]

15 hours ago, Chou Anou said:

The calculations in the OP sound like a truly dismal existence.  And to be honest, your calculations don't even truly cover survival. What about health insurance?  Utilities?  Visa [runs]? Drinking something other than water once in a while?  New clothes from time to time?  Internet?  Cellphone (calls + data)?  Non-insurance medical expenses?  Travel within the city?  Wanting to get out of the city once in a while?  Emergency travel back to your country (relatives sick/funeral)?  Wanting to eat something other than Thai street food once in a while?  Everyone needs some form of entertainment/leisure: cable? Books? The occasional movie?

Could be he is unemployable in home country and just trying to stretch savings? Or just stretching money on vacation?

 

either way most people only live on a minimal budget by necessity, not by choice.

[RachaRob]

So many threads about how to live the cheap Charlie lifestyle.

Should have one about how to spend up big every month!

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, RachaRob said:

So many threads about how to live the cheap Charlie lifestyle.

Should have one about how to spend up big every month!

agree ....  not sure if I'm on the big side but my budget allows 4000 baht a day for spending.

[impulse]

Guy gets on and in his first (and only) post has a link to a site that probably generates money for somebody.

 

Call me skeptical, but I won't be clicking...

 

Which means I'm not qualified to argue his numbers, nor to disagree with anyone else's.  It can cost peanuts, or a fortune to live in BKK.  With happy and miserable people on both ends of the spectrum.