The cost of living in Bangkok
1 pound = 67 baht
1 US dollar = 36 baht
I knew one farang who inherited the best part of a million baht. Before this windfall he had been living a moderate lifestyle, getting by on around 45,000 baht a month, spending his money on beer and Thai babes.
After he got his inheritance he splashed out on every conceivable luxury item: a fridge, gold chains, an enormous TV, UBC, a new phone, a DVD player and… a wife. Within two months his money was gone, and it was through no fault of the wife. A million baht lost on nights out and party aids. Sometimes it pays to have less.
Bangkok is a city in which some live like kings while others scrape by like paupers. Just because foreigners often get a favorable trade of their own currencies for Thai baht doesn’t mean that they are all living the high life.
In Bangkok the cost of living can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. When I arrived in Bangkok I had my savings, I found work within two weeks and I’ve been in employment constantly except for two months or so. At the moment, my savings (in English and Thai bank accounts) amount to my initial figure less about 500 pounds.
You can get by in Bangkok on 25,000 baht a month. It’s possible and I have done it. I would say this is the minimum with which you can survive on. Anything less and you will struggle. I’m often amazed at just how desperate some people’s finances are.
Although Bangkok is cheap (relatively speaking), you still need some capital behind you or else your life will be spent worrying about where your money is going to come from. I’ve met a lot of language teachers who live like this and the stress they go through is difficult to watch. We are a long way from home, after all.
Accommodation is easy to find. There are heaps of apartment building scattered all around Bangkok. You only need to ask at reception if there is a room available. I lived at Victory Monument for two years. My rent was 3,500 baht, which increased to 4,000 baht after six months. You can find a decent place to live for between 4,000 and 7,000 baht. The further away from the center you are (Nonthaburi, Bang Na, Bang Ke), the cheaper your rent will be.
Electricity costs your landlord about 1.2 baht per unit. You’ll likely be charged up to 10 baht per unit. If you want to save money then don’t use air con. I cut my electricity bill from more than 3,000 baht to less than 300 by buying a fan. It is possible to get used to life without air conditioning. Water will set you back up to 100 baht extra in my experience. Some places come with internet access. Mine didn’t; I subscribed to True and it cost my just over 700 baht a month.
Eating out varies in cost considerably. You can eat street food every day and spend less than 200 baht in doing so. Typically though, you won’t eat all your meals on the street. Sometimes you’ll eat at Siam, at Paragon, maybe at a restaurant in Sukhumvit, or a place in Thong Lor. You may even venture out to some of the hotels for some great food. I was lucky because I occasionally got to eat at places like JW Marriott, the Millennium Hilton and the Four Seasons for free. These are expensive places to eat but they offer food and service of a high standard.
A night out in Bangkok might cost up to 1,000 baht. Buying whiskey between friends is cheaper than buying beer. Sangsom is the cheapest whiskey, but many places don’t stock bottles below 100 Pipers, which is still cheap. Nights out at Thai places are often cheaper than at those aimed at foreigners.
Clothes are inexpensive in Bangkok. Places like Siam Square, Platinum Mall and Jatujak are obvious. Central World is also very good, if a little more pricey. You can shop for clothes without spending a lot of money and without having to buy one of those “Same Same But Different” T-shirts that populate Khaosan and MBK.
Travel can cost you next to nothing if you use buses. I used to journey by bus religiously until I found the Skytrain and MRT service more useful. Buses cost up to about 20 baht a journey. Skytrain/MRT fees are up to 40 baht a trip. Taxis can be a bind if you get stuck in traffic. When the Skytrain is extended it will be a blessing for people living in Bangkok. Most taxi fares around Bangkok are less than 100 baht.
To live comfortably in Bangkok I would say you need to earn about 35,000 baht. This will see you through nights out, a few new clothes, DVD shopping, several decent meals and cover your rent. Out of my savings I have spent about 2,500 pounds in two years while being in steady employment in Bangkok, but I have been able to save most of that back up in a Thai bank account.
Techno’ tags: Thailand, Bangkok
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July 4th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
i wish i could eat at Four Seasons for free too.. lol
July 5th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I never stayed in Bangkok but lived for next to nothing in Khon Kaen. A friend already lives there so I split rent with him and definitely watched my money all the time. I didn’t spend frivolously and was able to stay for quite a while. Once I began to run out of money, I had to leave.. and that is why next time I will have a guaranteed monthly income of a bit over $1K a month. It will be plenty of money, as long as I don’t try to live like a queen.
Peace,
~Chani
July 5th, 2007 at 2:12 am
“scuse me Matt, but if your rent including bills is less than 5,000 Baht, where do you spend the other 20,000 Baht!? that’s nearly 700 baht of other expenses per day.
One can live very well on much less, I think I live on about 15,000/month. With the same rent as you, I go out at least once a week (clubs or karaoke, 990 baht for 4 people last Saturday until 5 AM!) + Saturday lunch with friends, at least one dinner out and 2 or 3 afternoon coffee in Silom or in Suan lum. Travel by bus MRT, Skytrain and Taxi. My biggest home expense was a Japanese pot/grill cooker (Two in one, great cooking toy, 2,500 baht from Siam Paragorn!).
I wonder what I would do with 35,000 baht? The best food is definitively not in the big hotel, and Hi-So club like the Bed are a such a bore that even those who go there move to the cheaper but friendlier ones when it closes.
The only restaurant I’d like to try is Visage off Thong Lor, run by a French cook. I often go there for Coffee and Cake (that will cost you about 200 baht), but it is great food and the place is simply amazing!
July 5th, 2007 at 4:22 am
I beg to differ. I get far less than 25,000 baht (being Filipino) and I am living rather comfortably. I am definitely not destitute and I haven’t even touched the money I make from writing. LOL.
July 5th, 2007 at 8:24 am
It is certainly much cheaper to live here than home- as a Londoner it is fabulous to have to a much higher standard of living than I was ever able to at home. I know I could save more and spend less but while I am here I want to go to spas regularly, eat in great restaurants and travel as much as I want. I doubt I will be able to live like this again so I am going to make the most it. I don’t spend more than I have, don’t touch my UK savings, and I live like a princess. I’m gonna miss Bangkok!
July 5th, 2007 at 10:29 am
[...] A very handy overview of the cost of living in Bangkok by Matt Crook (The Lost Boy). [...]
July 5th, 2007 at 11:28 am
When I talk about living comfortably I mean that you can get by and put a little money aside at the same time. I didn’t make that very clear so will edit. I’ve always saved money while I’ve been here.
I found that 25,000 baht was the minimum I could earn without having to touch my savings. I’ll admit that I socialised a lot, but in terms of material things I rarely bought anything, except an iPod, notebook and Nintendo DS over my two years.
Perhaps I’m more speaking for people like me who go out quite a lot. I don’t think I ever spent out of the ordinary, but I did buy a lot of books and was normally out and about somewhere.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I earned Bt16,000 per month for a year in 1993 or so. Buses and street food but it went far and I had a lot of fun.
Times have changed though and your readers should know that you can easily spend Bt25,000 in one night (without taking your clothes off). I’m not saying its any better, but is hardly unusual.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:49 am
I think if you live simple and stay away from clubs you can live very inexpensively. I also think that you can eat very heathly with all the cheap fruit and vegetables in Thailand.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Will anyone pl help me by giving the info. of the lowest expense ?
I am interested to come in Bangkok in august , 2008 for my higher study in Bangkok University . I know the tution fees but confused about living cost including meal , accomodation , transport etc. To be very honest i am not from a rich family and i have to stay cheaply as much as i can. So if anyone one can say the lowest ( if much away from the centre like one hour bus journey to come ) expense , i will be glad .
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
living in bkk…I would say 50.000 to 60.000 a month should be ok.,rent 10.000 water elect 2000 to 3000, internet 500 to 700 a month dayli coffee starbacks 75 bath,food well sure you can eat street food…30 bath a meal…but for me good clean food a day about 500bath. including on this buget are visa run and visa cost every 90 days. taxi or tram 50 to 100 bath a day…medical insurance(make sure you have one) 3000 a month with bt insurance. then there is outing dvd movies bowling etc….some people would say it is a lot..but remember you come to thailand to live a good live…and yes I do not stress about buget I sleep well.
PS I love thailand