Bangkok Cost of Living
Thailand is like anywhere else, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. If you plan on eating western food, sending your laundry out, having a maid and a nice 2 bedroom condo, a car, and partying then you will easily spend as much in Bangkok as you would anywhere else. If however you can economize a bit and blend in with the culture you can indeed live very cheaply in Bangkok and even more so in the provinces of Thailand.
Golf lived pretty well on just 16,000 baht a month when she was working in Bangkok although I think a farang (foreigner) would need a bit more to be comfortable. Based on my experiences and what I’ve been reading lately I would say that anything over 40,000 baht a month would make you quite comfortable in Bangkok. If you can add a bit to that and reach 60,000 baht a month you’ll be doing very well, especially by Thai standards. Keep in mind the Thai’s won’t make nearly what you do in most cases. Golf is a nurse and made just 16,000 baht a month. Compared to Western standards that is very low indeed. And you should easily more than double that working as an English teacher for as few as 20-25 hours a week.
Here are some guidelines to current living expenses in Bangkok, mostly taken from forums about and for English teachers.
Housing: A studio or one bedroom condo can be had for as little as 8000 baht a month if you are willing to do some searching and live a bit away from the BTS. The closer to the BTS you get the higher the rents become. 15,000-20,000 baht a month will get you a very nice place indeed. If you’re one of the lucky one’s here in Thailand on an expat package then the sky’s the limit. Condo’s around the Silom/Sukhumvit area can go as high as 250,000 baht per month and include fitness centers, pools, daily maid service, on site restaurants and room service and amazing views of Bangkok.
Utilities: Water is a nominal charge and shouldn’t run you more than a couple hundred baht a month and may even be included in the rent. Electricity is a different matter. If you like it cool and plan on running the A/C non-stop then you’ll pay up to 3000 baht a month.
Cable TV is available through UBS and costs 1500 baht a month which includes 25 channels including BBC news, CNN, ESPN, Star sports, several football feeds, the History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel and at least four movie channels, among others.
Broadband internet can be had in the built up areas of Bangkok and will run you a bit over 1000 baht a month. Alternatively you can get dial-up access for 400 baht a month with the pre-paid internet cards or use the internet cafes which typically charge about ½ baht per minute.
Cell Phone: Cell phone rates are pretty darn reasonable and the rechargeable SIM cards in Thailand are a good value. You can easily pick up a used cell phone for a couple thousand baht at MBK (or even less) and the SIM cards can be recharged with a prepaid card from any 7-11. Or if possible you can buy just the SIM card for like 200 baht and you’re on your way. This only works with unlocked phones from AT&T or T-Mobile for U.S. based people.
Food: Food is very reasonable in Bangkok and Thailand, especially if you adopt a Thai diet. If you are really on a budget you can very likely get by on 5000-6000 baht a month for food living in Bangkok and even less in the provinces. Any of the open air restaurants (of which there are thousands) will get you lunch or dinner for less than 50 baht. On the other hand there are restaurants where you can easily spend in excess of 1500 baht for dinner as well. Some of the great deals I like are iced coffee for just 10 baht, fresh pineapple for 10 baht, grilled sausages (I like the spicy ones) 20 baht for two, fried chicken for 15-20 baht a piece and roti with banana for 15-25 baht.
Transportation: Transport is also very reasonable in Bangkok. If you can take the BTS to your destination expect to pay anywhere from 10-40 baht for the ride, same goes for the subway. Buses and ferries are a wonderful deal ranging anywhere from 8 baht to 25 baht again depending on the length of your trip. Taxi’s will run you about 120 baht for a trip all the way across town. Shorter trips of 15-30 minutes shouldn’t cost more than 60-70 baht. I haven’t yet gotten up the courage to try riding on the back of a motorcycle, but they are also very cheap….I think Golf told me just 6 or 8 baht.
Entertainment: This is another category that can run very high depending on your tastes. If you’re a party animal and butterfly expect to spend upwards of 10,000 baht a month clubbing. I’ve actually spent that in one night already. On the other hand if you’re moderate and go out just weekends without getting completely looped or availing yourself of the horizontal entertainment you can keep this within reason. Say 2000-4000 baht a month for a moderate party lifestyle. Cigarettes are just 40 baht a pack and a large Singha or Leo beer can be had for 60-80 baht at bars and half that from the supermarket.
I think that pretty much covers it. If you add up my numbers you’ll find that 40,000 baht a month is quite sufficient for a pretty good lifestyle in Bangkok. Anything above that is gravy and will make your life correspondingly more comfortable. Let me know if I skipped anything or missed anything or if you know where to find good bargains on anything within Bangkok. Or if you think I’m out of my mind to suggest that you can live on 40,000 baht/month in Bangkok let me know that too.
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I live in ChiangMai, apartment 2500B (A/C, tv, free internet,hot water, parkinglot)+ water/electricity bills- that would be around 300baht.
My daily food expenses 60-100Baht.
So food is not a problem, cigarettes won’t be a problem too if you think smart: 690Baht per month (3boxes; each ten packs-they’re called SMS 55555+)
Gasoline – IF motorbike then 150Baht a week MONTH =450baht
IF car (i use it just on weekends) – 600Baht a month.
I am not including insurance because my employer pays for it and I have another one from bank where I have my account.
I live alone and don’t waste cash.
I always spend around 40k per month but at the end there was nothing left… and if suprises came I would eat my savings
I think of you want to live a normal western life it should be around 60k atleast… and then you are not living in the expensive area’s 
It’s interesting… for those posting here..almost no one is including any kind of medical, dental or eye care expenses or insurance premiums in their lists… Nothing about liability insurance protecting them if something happens while they’re living in a rented place. Nothing about car or motorcycle insurance for those who drive. Likewise nothing on taxes paid here in Thailand or their home country… Nothing on travel back to a home country…. And of course, having a real spouse has its own expenses, as well. Or are you guys really doing without all those things?
HI Thaiguy,
For Thais there is national health insurance where they can be seen for 30 baht…at least they use to be able to be seen for that amount. My girlfriend has been to teh MD once since I have known her in 3 years. I on the otherhand am seen regularly. My costs are covered by the Veterans Administration of the U.S. My dental costs are out of pocket and deductible. I can get a good cleaning every 4 months for around $35.00. I get a free diabetic eye exam annually and if my prescription changes that is on me as well. I can get a decent pair of glasses for about $100.00 and go up form there. Car insurance in compulsory and is included in your annual registration and the first class insurance (the good stuff) runs $600.00 a year for full coverage. Motorbike insurance is the same deal but the first class insurance is only about $40.00.
I live with my girlfriend of 3 years and I was last in the states 2.5 years ago. I have access to a free car, inexpensive accommodations and food would be the major expense….not to mention the hassles of the visa for my lady. Travel costs would be in the area of $1500.00 per person round trip.
For those who work here the first $84.5K is tax exempt. That has changed some as you use to be able to write off your rent and associated expenses from that amount too. I am not versed in the aspects of those earning in baht here and having to pay at home.
I can just about guarantee we are not doing without much of anything!
Jim, my point simply was, most posters weren’t including or mentioning the kind of expenses you acknowledged above…
Likewise, I believe you’re mischaracterizing the income tax exemption a bit…. That doesn’t mean you can earn $84,000 in Thailand without paying any taxes… You’re either going to pay tax in the U.S. or in Thailand, but I don’t know of any legal way to avoid both.
You are correct and i apologize for any confusion. If you are an American being paid in USD your tax liability is to the U.S. On the otherhand if you are being paid in baht and you are a U.S.citizen there is tax liability to Thailand but also a chance of USD tax liability also. Since this matter does not affect me personally, I am not well versed and will defer to one more knowledgeable and with first-hand experience.
Right on….
Just think, if Americans could earn their first $84,000 a year tax free living in Thailand either in baht or U.S. $, the immigration queue would reach to China…
If you’re single – then yes, it’s relatively cheap to stay here.
But the cost of schooling for your kids isn’t cheap… if you send them to an International school, so that if you are forced to “go home” at some point, they can transfer into a school there with no problems…
I pay over a million baht a year in school fees (3 kids).
So, about 30,000 baht per month per kid? No need for me to worry about it yet, but it is on the distant horizon (Alivia is just 7 months old). Interestingly 30k a month is about what I was thinking of for the school costs, however since it is 5 years off I may up that to 35-40k per month. Never hurts to plan ahead.
Yes Mike,
You have hit the nail on the head here. While I can find inexpensive options for home, food and entertainment, there is no alternative when it comes to schools.
I have found this is a mafia-like arrangement as well. Schools in Bangkok are not nearly up to the standards of other countries and the people that run the schools charge up the nose for everything. (school fees, clothes, books, transport, food, etc.).
I have 3 kids and this is by far, the largest living expense I have to deal with and I am not entirely sure I am getting my money’s worth.
@Keith Stone
(isn’t that the hillbilly character that drinks the cheap beer “Keystone”?)
We aren’t talkin’ about living in a trailer park full of crack heads inbreeding with your 200+ pound sister for entertainment….
Steve, as an American who has lived in BKK for the past four years, I’d say your numbers are a bit on the low side…when adding everything together…
Rent is going to tend to be the largest single item for most people (except butterflies, perhaps)… Yes, there certainly are rooms (I wouldn’t call them apartments) available for 5,000 baht or so a month. Common housing in BKK for typical Thais. But they’re basically four walls and a bathroom on the balcony… Sometimes no Air Con, always no kitchen or kitchen facilities. Not much else.. Not much to come home to.
For a more western style apartment or condo in a central area of BKK, and reasonably close to the BTS or MRT (so one can avoid having to maintain a car), I’d say 20,000 a month or more is typical. My Thai wife and I are fortunate to have an air conditioned two-bedroom, two bath, 80 sq mt place within 500 meters of a BTS station for 15,000 a month, the same price when I first rented it 4 years ago. I feel very fortunate about that. And it wasn’t easy to find originally, either.
Electric for that runs about 3,000 a month during the cooler seasons, and closer to 5,000 a month during the hot season, mainly because my wife insists to keep the bedroom air con on all night while we sleep.
Don’t forget about health insurance, which most retirees are paying for themselves. Depending on your age, coverage and any existing conditions, that can easily run $1,000 to $2,000 per year (2500 to 5000 baht per month).
Internet prices have been coming down lately, with home broadband DSL starting at about 599 baht per month for supposed 6 MBits speeds and going up to 1,500 baht or more for higher speeds (though they won’t be of much benefit since international connections will remain much slower regardless).
TrueVisions TV (no longer really called UBS) has come down in price as well lately, with their Silver Package going for 599 baht plus tax per month. Their Gold Package, with more western channels like CNN and HBO, is more than double that price.
Mobile phone service can be relatively cheap, but can add up if you have a Thai in your family who, like most women, talks on the phone a lot. Figure a monthly phone bill of 600 baht or more for a woman… and about 300 baht a month for myself.
Then there’s periodic travel back to one’s home country, assuming someone needs to do that at least sometime. For me, a week trip back to the U.S.A. each time ends up costing close to $2,000 — adding up the airfare, cost of a hotel while there, renting a car and then shopping to stock up on things to bring back to BKK.
Food really depends on whether you want to stick to Thai staples or need more western variety in your diet… I really wouldn’t want to live on 30 to 40 baht streetside meals every day, though I guess I could. We do more of our own grocery shopping and cook at home, and then eat out on my wife’s days off work. Needless to say, anything imported or western is going to be markedly more expensive in BKK than if you were buying the same thing back home.
Then you’ve got to figure in income taxes, whether on money taxed back home or income earned here in Thailand. On a very modest $24,000 income ($2,000 per month or your 60,000 baht figure) U.S. per year, you could easily have $1800 U.S. in taxes, $150 or 4500 baht per month.
Then of course, there is eating out, travel upcountry to visit relatives from time to time, and all the misc. things of life… But if you start adding up the big pieces, 40,000 baht for any kind of reasonably western lifestyle in BKK is really stretching it…
Yes, I agree with thaiguyinla, his figures are correct.
A few things that people here fail to mention:
- Clothes, linen, towels, etc
- Furniture (even though I rent a condo, I did buy a few items)
- Kitchenware
- Going out to the cinema
- Hobbies (gym/music lessons/martial arts/language/ anything else you like to do)
All these things add up – for me it’s over 10,000 baht per month
I think you may have missed the point in general. The topic was the basic cost of living. Those items that are fixed expenses. Clothes and linens are on an as needed basis and I usually have some with me when I move (I hope those days are finished). Furniture is also as needed and the stuff I have bought has been as needed, i.e. washing machine. Kitchenware is a fixed one time expense then added to as needed.
Entertainment certainly falls into the monthly expenses but the original topic covered basics and while no one is advocating sitting at home in front of the TV every night it was not included since it is not a fixed expense unless you go to the movies XX times per week every week or if you are a gym rat. In which case add them in by all means. The topic was cost of living and doing so cheaply. No one is going to fit any particular mold as to spend XXX every month. These were our average monthlys for fixed expenses.
We live on B6,000 per month, 2 people, all expences. Stuff the fun!
I live in Patong, Phuket. Spend about 11,000฿ / month on living and between 10-20,000฿ on fun. The living expenses include a guesthouse room (all inclusive: water, power, internet, basic cable), petrol for my honda scooter, mobile phone recharge and basic food & drinking water. I used to pay about 2 times the basic cost of living in Thailand on rent alone living in Australia.
Wow, you guys must be living fat! I lived in BKK in 2008-2009 less than 0.8 kilometers from BTS and Tesco Lotus. My rent for a decent size furnished studio with A/C, balcony, washer, bathroom, hot water, TV, fridge, phone, etc. Was 6000 baht per month, plus 300 for cable TV, 250 for Internet, 700-2400 for power if I ran the A/C 24-7 everyday for the month, 100 for landline I never used, and 300-1000 for mobile phone, including using it for mobile internet for my computer. Generally about 10,000 Thb a month. Food was easy to eat out everday at the small local restaurant for 3000 a month. My BTS pass was about 800 a month and my yamaha mio used in perfect condition cost me 25000 baht and a yamaha motorcycle I bought in perfect running condition for 8000 baht both got me most anywhere I needed to go. Figure another 5000 baht for eating out, movies, some beers, and a few taxi’s, and maybe another 3000 for a little cushion, total being 20000 baht. Same month outside BKK in Chumphae was half that using just motorbike for transit locally and included a brand new studio in a new building with new furnishings and appliances.
Whatever crap you are gonna buy that you don’t need is extra. Exchange rate doesn’t matter cause it’s all figured in baht. I would be homeless and malnutritioned on that much in 90% of the U.S. and unable to pay for other basics, like taxes!
Like another guy said, a smaller or crappy place could be got for 3000-4000 in BKK, even less if you had to, no A/C is absolutely necessary and if you had to budget, you could still eat out for less than 2000 baht per month. That means you COULD hide out with food and shelter for around 6000 baht per month.
John
HELLO BOONSONG. WHAT IS THE SCORE WITH THESE AIR CARDS, I HAVE NEVER
HEARD OF THEM
Coincidence that your 40k ballpark figure is the amount I budget on every month.
My 8,000b/month 54 sq m studio is a short 10-min walk to the BTS.
And I live in a very nice and convenient neighbourhood too.
But the ladies are on top of that …
Just for S&Gs…I just ran my last 3 months bills for an average and it was a bit of a surprise. These costs are for ONE MONTH.
15,000 rent
650 TOT/internet
250 Village security
30 trash pick up
2,155 UBC Platinum
3,600 electric
850 Girlfriend’s mobile
3,300 MY mobile
4,000 Diesel for the truck
10,000 Shopping at Carrefour/Villa/Tesco ect.
3,000 massages (2X weekly)
6,000 dinners out on the g/f day off
3,000 meals out in the Thai eatery next door
50,835 total
That is just over $1700 per month. I did not include any extras in my original post (massages, dinners with the g/f and eating out.)…
Hi Jim,
Thanks for adding that…it looks strikingly similar to my own proposed budget which is now coming in at about 55-65k a month for me, Golf and Alivia. One thing I see missing from yours that is in mine is insurance costs. Overall though they are very close, even line by line.
Hi Steve, Normally that would be an expense but in my case not so. My girlfriend has insurance through her employer and mine is covered by the U.S. Veterans Administration. If I had to pay for my own it would indeed be running me an additional B13,000 per month or more ($500.00) due to my health issues.
All things being equal, it is still less expensive here than in most other countries.
Yes I am budgeting $300-400 a month, but that is for a family of 3 and includes maternity coverage. If we are fortunate we won’t need the coverage though as Golf is a nurse and plans on working when we return…I can only hope she is offered or can negotiate for decent health insurance from her employer as it isn’t the norm. And yes it is far less expensive than the U.S. for healthcare/insurance for sure.
Steve, re Golf and her potential eventual return to working here….
For the first time, I had a long and detailed discussion with my Thai wife last night re her medical insurance, as she works as a nurse’s aide at one of the private hospitals in central BKK…
I’m assuming different private hospital employers may handle it differently, but this is how her hospital does… As my wife explained it, she has about 5% of her base salary deducted by the hospital to pay into the government’s health plan for employed persons (not the 30 baht scheme for low income or unemployed).
She then was issued a government health insurance card and had to choose a hospital (among publics and privates) that participate in the government’s health plan. Her own private hospital does not accept or participate in the government’s health plan for general patients. Neither do most of the bigger privates in central Bangkok, she said.
However, and this was the interesting part, for my wife’s hospital’s employees, her hospital has agreed to cover its own employees under the terms of the government’s plan, and then her hospital apparently seeks reimbursement from the other hospital that the employee is assigned to under the government plan.
So essentially, while my wife’s private hospital won’t accept regular patients using the government’s regular health coverage, it does cover its own employees under the terms of that coverage.
But, as she noted, if an employee of her hospital seeks treatment at their own hospital under that government scheme, then the hospital will tend to mandate the cheaper/cheapest treatment option if different options are available. Like putting a broken collarbone in a sling/cast vs. doing surgery to repair it, etc etc…
And the employee has no choice in those kinds of situations, other than to pay the bill out of their own pocket, or go out and pay for a private insurance policy to either replace or supplement the hospital provided government scheme.
Boy you guys are dumb i live in USA in Kentucky i pay about 400 dollars a month for everything what is so good in thailand that is what i would like to know the GOOD USA is were it is at live in kentucky i will show you how to live good and cheap
@ Kieth,
Just like Kentucky, there are more and less affluent areas in which to live. This thread pertains to Bangkok which is not even in the same category as any major city in Kentucky to include Frankfort, Covington, Bowling Green and Louisville. Having grown up in Indiana I am sure you live no where near the larger cities or you would indeed be paying more. Living in Bangkok would be comparable to living in Chicago, New York, Dallas or Atlanta where costs are indeed higher.
I have lived in Thailand for the last 5 and a half years and am willing to bet you there is a large difference. I live in a 3br, 3ba townhouse 3km from the BTS (Skytrain). I own a truck, support my girlfriend who also has a job (her money is her money) and my total monthly expenses average $800.00 USD. I can eat a good hot meal for one dollar 3x a day. I am not referring to the $1 menu at McDonalds either.
Healthcare here is a good as ANY I have received in the U.S. also. It is also less than 1/3 the cost of the states. I recently had appointments with 3 different doctors, had lab tests too and this was all done in the hospital for around $200.00 You can’t walk into a hospital for that small an amount anywhere in the states. I had my teeth cleaned in this same hospital and the total bill was $35. Your co-pay is more than that in most cases where you have dental insurance.
So before you go running your pie hole and telling us how dumb we are, you need to close it and come here. As the original post said you can live as cheaply or as extravagantly as you want or as your wallet will allow. Even with the exceptionally strong baht (29.7-1 currently) You can live damn well on $1000.00 to $1500.00 per month.
I have a friend here whose income is on the very low side even by stateside standards ($1700.00) and he lives very well here and has money left at the end of each month.
Can you go to a decent restaurant and feed 20 people for under $60.00 and have leftovers for 2 days! I can do it here, I know you are not gonna do it there.
Now Kieth, its time for you to get on a plane, come here and prove me wrong!
Hi Steve, thanks for your reply, yes i have been a yearly visitor since 2004, going to phuket, pattaya and bangkok,as one of the ‘two week millionairs’ i have spent broadly anything from 2000 to 5000 per day, but i know now you can live quite cheaply, for example a lovely lady i have been seeing for the past 3 years went for a beach picnic in phuket, we went to lotus tesco and had 8 good sized prawns, a big fish (all freshly grilled in the supermarket) little sauce bags, some thai veg, fruit and drinks for less than 350 baht. that was last year.
when i was in pattaya, may this year i was near soi bukahou and found massage shops where i could have a foot, or head massage for 100 baht compared to 200 or so on the ones nearer the beach, hunting out cheap bfast deals and so on can keep those costs down for the budget traveller like myself,
of course what is problematic now is the exchange rate, when i went in 2004 i was getting 74 baht to £1, seems like a fantasy now, i think 40 baht would be the tipping point for me, touch wood it wont drop much more but i am not holding my breath!
Cheers Ian
@Ian I think the 10k a month would be more for those who are out on the weekends. If you’re out 15-20 times a month then yeah you are gonna spend a lot more than 10k. As I mentioned in the post I’ve spent 10k or more in 1 night and more than once. Truth is Bangkok is not that different from any other city in the world in one respect…while it’s possible to live cheaply you can also spend spend spend if you want to party like a rock star!
umm i think you are being optimistic re entertainment cost if you are a very regular party animal and especially a ‘butterfly’re the ladies,
10,000 wont get you far, (especially if you throw in massages and the like,) unless you are talking about going out only a small number of times in any one month, if you were out 15-20 times expect to need much more
Cheers
Well, Thailand is not as cheap as you would think. Prices have climbed and the currency has strengthened, especially against the euro and pound, where in the last 9 months a 20% drop has been seen.
This is an interesting post, and you give a fair round up of costs – especially the 40k ball park figure.
Decent studio flats (rooms with a bathroom and a balcony) situated centrally are readily available for 3,000 upwards but are rarely advertised. Word of mouth is the usual way to find them – or lots of legwork. If using the latter do so at the end of the month as they become vacant. Not many places will hold a room for you.
Internet: Aircards are excellent – faster than dial up, cheaper than broadband – and no contract unless you want/qualify for one. I use a DTAC aircard all over Thailand.
I hope the above is helpful.
Thanks for an excellent post.
All the best, Boonsong
Thanks Boonsong, your additions of how to find a cheaper place to live and the best way to get internet in Thailand will be helpful to both me and to my readers. I think quite a few of the people I know living in Thailand use aircards for their internet for precisely the same reason you outline.
Word of mouth for an apartment is a great way to find a good deal, I think this is especially helpful if you have some Thai’s in your circle of friends; the downside to that is you pretty much need to be living in Thailand for some time already so that you know people to get the info from. Still a good recommendation and you can certainly always go the legwork route. I’ve heard of many people who found great deals on apartments and houses by doing just that.
Steve an interesting post. I spend around 40,000 Baht a month maintaining myself, Duen and Doy. Of course we live in a semi-rural area and not in BKK.
I also own my own house so there is no rent.
I agree with most of your costings although I do get my Internet for 490 Baht a month from TOT(only 1 MB).
On an average week we spend 6000 Baht at the shops and on diesel for the truck(no public transport here), this also covers incidentally expenses, like cigarettes and drinks plus a meal out at a decent restaurant once a week.
Electricity ranges from 2000-3200 Baht a month depending on the season, although I fancy someone renting might pay more unless they have their own meter. We pay around 400 Baht for water but I water the garden most days and also have a fish pond.
The best value item locally is getting your bin emptied weekly for 30 Baht a month.
@Mike – sounds as if your expenses are probably pretty typical for many expats living in Thailand. And I’m pretty sure that if we didn’t have to pay rent that 40k per month would be enough for me, Golf and Alivia too, at least until Alivia is old enough to go to school. We plan on having her in a private International school and I’m sure you know the costs there can be astronomical.
Hey, one of the big challenges of living in Bangkok is transportation. I would often take a taxi to the BTS (motorcycle or car) from the BTS to where I’m going and then all of it again on the way back. It really adds up in baht as well as time.
Yeah I agree, especially if you’re taking taxi’s the cost of transportation can really add up. BTS is not nearly as bad cost wise and if you can do the ferry and Thai buses you’ll save loads compared to taxi’s.
As far as the cost in time, yeah there’s really no way around that other than living close to where you work. Some times of day it’s impossible to get anywhere in Bangkok.