How Much Does It Cost to Live in Thailand?

[JamesE]

6 minutes ago, kerryd said:

(Got to run - I see the som tam guy coming down the street ! Maybe I can con him into adding an extra tomato into the salad today and then I can pick it out later to save for supper !)

Wins the internet today.

[dmacarelli]

We can always tell when you are baiting us! Yeah, you can live on $800 a month here, if you want to spend every single day of you life, counting every single baht. You might be able to get by on $500 a month, if you really had to.

Let's see, should I have more pad see yew, at 50 baht, or just save some money, and have Mama noodles again, for 12 baht? Fun, fun. Thrilled to death to not have to be in that position, and endure that kind of daily stress. 

 

[GMoney2312]

800?

Cutting it close it you like the night life and chasing girls.

But is is possible.

[HiuMak]

How big is a gap in living costs say in expensive cities like Bangkok & Phuket compared to cities like Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai? 

[kerryd]

I'd say living in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai probably isn't that much cheaper than Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket. 

One reason I settled in Pattaya many years ago was because it had everything I could want in Bangkok, without the traffic, crime and cost.

Well, the traffic and cost have changed since then (until covid kicked the crap out of the local population that is - driving around here now is a breeze).

To find a noticeable difference, you'd need to move to a small city/large village, where most of the population is "local" and they don't see many foreigners.

But of course, those places don't have everything the "big cities" have and aren't as convenient.

So again, you have to consider what you are willing to give up/put up with and what you aren't. 

Give up the traffic noise of the city for roosters crowing non-stop from 4:30 am onwards, with dogs barking and people driving their iron buffaloes past your home on their way to the rice fields at 5  am, walking out to the road and waiting for one of the many herds of cattle to pass on their way to a grazing area, then gingerly stepping between the piles of cow crap to get to the one local "market" in the village to buy some (cheap) veggies and your daily beer, then wait for the monks to go by before making your way back to your rickety wooden home on stilts so you can check your email on your spotty internet connection and hope there's a "footie" match showing on one of the free TV channels.

I hear you can live a lot cheaper in a place like that !

But if you want (need) or aren't willing to give up on the "luxuries", then you will need to live in a large city and pay more for just about everything.

I guarantee there are a lot of foreigners living in villages in places just like this:
(pic of a house in the g/f's village in Sa Kaeo)

[MrStretch]

When I was single and having fun, I did quite well on 40,000baht a month.

Now that I'm married it's a minimum of 60,000 just for mortgage, family, kids, school, etc.

It's surely not a life of luxury.

[LoongFred]

On 9/13/2021 at 6:13 AM, kerryd said:

I'd say living in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai probably isn't that much cheaper than Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket. 

One reason I settled in Pattaya many years ago was because it had everything I could want in Bangkok, without the traffic, crime and cost.

Well, the traffic and cost have changed since then (until covid kicked the crap out of the local population that is - driving around here now is a breeze).

To find a noticeable difference, you'd need to move to a small city/large village, where most of the population is "local" and they don't see many foreigners.

But of course, those places don't have everything the "big cities" have and aren't as convenient.

So again, you have to consider what you are willing to give up/put up with and what you aren't. 

Give up the traffic noise of the city for roosters crowing non-stop from 4:30 am onwards, with dogs barking and people driving their iron buffaloes past your home on their way to the rice fields at 5  am, walking out to the road and waiting for one of the many herds of cattle to pass on their way to a grazing area, then gingerly stepping between the piles of cow crap to get to the one local "market" in the village to buy some (cheap) veggies and your daily beer, then wait for the monks to go by before making your way back to your rickety wooden home on stilts so you can check your email on your spotty internet connection and hope there's a "footie" match showing on one of the free TV channels.

I hear you can live a lot cheaper in a place like that !

But if you want (need) or aren't willing to give up on the "luxuries", then you will need to live in a large city and pay more for just about everything.

I guarantee there are a lot of foreigners living in villages in places just like this:
(pic of a house in the g/f's village in Sa Kaeo)

Village  life as not all that way. Although there are rosters it's not a problem for me. Farm animals aren't allowed in our village but they can graze by the river. Thais start early  so if you're a late sleeper you might have a problem.  I typically rise with the sun around 6AM. Typically the only noises are village anouncements and monks collecting alms. Schoolkids leave for school abouts 6:30 afterwhich it's quiet. Although we live in a small village one can get most things and Big C and Macro are 10-15 minutes away.

Neighbors frequently  leave vegetables from their gardens. Your picture looks like our farm, but noone stays there on a regular basis most everyone have homes in the village. Ours is average plus, but some are super nice. We could live cheaper but we usually spend about 100k/month. 

 

[Rain]

On 9/11/2021 at 7:14 PM, HiuMak said:

How big is a gap in living costs say in expensive cities like Bangkok & Phuket compared to cities like Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai? 

Or Mae Sot...or NKP....or Sukhothai. 

It still comes down to one's lifestyle. 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, LoongFred said:

Village  life as not all that way. Although there are rosters it's not a problem for me. Farm animals aren't allowed in our village but they can graze by the river. Thais start early  so if you're a late sleeper you might have a problem.  I typically rise with the sun around 6AM. Typically the only noises are village anouncements and monks collecting alms. Schoolkids leave for school abouts 6:30 afterwhich it's quiet. Although we live in a small village one can get most things and Big C and Macro are 10-15 minutes away.

Neighbors frequently  leave vegetables from their gardens. Your picture looks like our farm, but noone stays there on a regular basis most everyone have homes in the village. Ours is average plus, but some are super nice. We could live cheaper but we usually spend about 100k/month. 

You spend 100k/mo in the village? That seems exorbitant and I am a spender.

Assuming the house is paid for(most, if not all, are) I can't imagine spending more than 60k

But maybe more if I take 3 nights or so out in Singpuri at pub/restaurant

[HiuMak]

On 9/13/2021 at 7:13 AM, kerryd said:

I'd say living in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai probably isn't that much cheaper than Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket. 

One reason I settled in Pattaya many years ago was because it had everything I could want in Bangkok, without the traffic, crime and cost.

Well, the traffic and cost have changed since then (until covid kicked the crap out of the local population that is - driving around here now is a breeze).

To find a noticeable difference, you'd need to move to a small city/large village, where most of the population is "local" and they don't see many foreigners.

But of course, those places don't have everything the "big cities" have and aren't as convenient.

So again, you have to consider what you are willing to give up/put up with and what you aren't. 

Give up the traffic noise of the city for roosters crowing non-stop from 4:30 am onwards, with dogs barking and people driving their iron buffaloes past your home on their way to the rice fields at 5  am, walking out to the road and waiting for one of the many herds of cattle to pass on their way to a grazing area, then gingerly stepping between the piles of cow crap to get to the one local "market" in the village to buy some (cheap) veggies and your daily beer, then wait for the monks to go by before making your way back to your rickety wooden home on stilts so you can check your email on your spotty internet connection and hope there's a "footie" match showing on one of the free TV channels.

I hear you can live a lot cheaper in a place like that !

But if you want (need) or aren't willing to give up on the "luxuries", then you will need to live in a large city and pay more for just about everything.

I guarantee there are a lot of foreigners living in villages in places just like this:
(pic of a house in the g/f's village in Sa Kaeo)

Definitely residing in a village will be the most economical. I have the impression that smaller cities like Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai would be cheaper in terms of housing and food. Definitely lifestyle plays a part but trying to compare apples to apples, prices for a small apartment in CM/CR against BKK and a bowl of noodles in the same comparison would come in lower? 

[WilliamG]

15 hours ago, LoongFred said:

Village  life as not all that way. Although there are rosters it's not a problem for me. Farm animals aren't allowed in our village but they can graze by the river. Thais start early  so if you're a late sleeper you might have a problem.  I typically rise with the sun around 6AM. Typically the only noises are village anouncements and monks collecting alms. Schoolkids leave for school abouts 6:30 afterwhich it's quiet. Although we live in a small village one can get most things and Big C and Macro are 10-15 minutes away.

Neighbors frequently  leave vegetables from their gardens. Your picture looks like our farm, but noone stays there on a regular basis most everyone have homes in the village. Ours is average plus, but some are super nice. We could live cheaper but we usually spend about 100k/month. 

I am the same as you describe, but get by admirably on 50k a month. (House & car paid for, no health insurance!)

[Rain]

16 minutes ago, WilliamG said:

I am the same as you describe, but get by admirably on 50k a month. (House & car paid for, no health insurance!)

We can get on quite comfortably on B40K - largely self-sufficient, extended family and houses on the property......mostly we don't live like Farang might.

[Marc26]

100k/mo still seems a lot if you aren't paying for housing

 

Take away my mortgage and car insurance here in Vancouver and I probably spend 50k/month

And that's with going to nice dinner once/with

Ordering takeout a fair bit

Meeting friends for beers 

[WilliamG]

2 hours ago, Rain said:

We can get on quite comfortably on B40K - largely self-sufficient, extended family and houses on the property......mostly we don't live like Farang might.

My 50k a month includes a lot of Falang food, beer & wine, fast internet, 2 x phones, no vegetable/fruit gardening or pig/chicken raising. 

[LoongFred]

2 minutes ago, WilliamG said:

My 50k a month includes a lot of Falang food, beer & wine, fast internet, 2 x phones, no vegetable/fruit gardening or pig/chicken raising. 

Well we live well and not like  falang.  We have done a number of upgrades to out home, but all Thai style things. Our home is mostly Teak and requires maintenance and  we had it restrained this year. We also as in the past support a couple of relatives at the university. We have also increased our support at the temple because of covid. Our house and car are free and clear. 

However we don't budget  much. So money isn't a problem with us. 

For those that get by on less, it's good for them. I however am not just getting by.