The Cost of Living
Every new arrival wants to know “can I survive or live well in Bangkok or rural Thailand on 30,000 baht a month”? or perhaps 40,000 or even 50,000? It’s always a difficult question to answer because each person has different needs, but I thought it would be interesting to compare the lifestyles and spending habits of some teachers currently living and working in Thailand. We are concerned with what they earn, but more so about what they spend money on and what it costs each of them to enjoy a certain kind of lifestyle. After each case study, I’ve added comments of my own.
Approximate conversion rates as of January 2010
33 baht to one US Dollar
53 baht to one Pound Sterling.
Barry
posted on 18th December 2009
Working in: Hua HinMonthly Earnings: 50,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. Just under 50,000 (employer covers all deductions) working as part of the training department in a health resort in Hua Hin. I teach mostly English classes, but also get involved with other resort training.
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Between 20-25,000.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I have a studio style apartment, with maid service (100 metres from the beach) which comes with the job.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 1,000 for Bangkok vans and a few motorbike taxis - I work next door to my apartment! |
| b) Utility bills | 1,500 for mobile - air-con, hot water, laundry, cable, net and electric covered by company |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 8,000 - eating good food is my weak point after a week of staff canteen food! |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 12,000 - I stay in BKK most weekends when I visit my girlfriend and like a few cold ones from time to time. |
| e) Books, computers | Nothing |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I live a very good life, doing what I want, when I want - but know I could be a bit more "frugal"!
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. In general most things are a bargain, but after 5 years in Thailand I have noticed prices are not at all as competitive as they were when I first got here. You can't beat the prices of DVDs, getting around and local food.
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. I would say around 40,000 to live in a reasonable place and enough to enjoy Thailand. Scraping by with notihng left at the end of the month is not the way to do it here!
Phil's analysis and comment
I like the sound of Barry's lifestyle. He earns a decent salary and he saves a good part of it. And I can't think of a nicer place in Thailand to earn a living as a teacher than Hua Hin. Being a beach resort, there are plenty of temptations though. It doesn't surprise me one bit that Barry spends 20,000 baht a month on food and nightlife. Hua Hin certainly isn't Pattaya but there is plenty to spend your cash on. Just to clear things up, 'Bangkok vans' refers to the shuttle buses that ply the route from Hua Hin to Bangkok and back again. It's probably the fastest and most economical way to get from one to the other.
Harry
posted on 26th November 2009
Working in: BangkokMonthly Earnings: 65,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. My basic salary is 58,000 but on top of that I make around 5,000 in overtime (teaching IELTS/TOEFL exam preparation) plus I have a few corporate classes every week. On average I take home between 65,000 & 75,000 (occasionally more).
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Not as much as I should, but maybe around 10,000. I tend to blow this on annual trips back to the UK and the odd weekend in Pattaya, Phuket etc and 25,000 a year for health insurance.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I bought a one bedroom condo in Phra Khanong, so I only have to pay around 2,000 a month to cover the pool, gym, security, insurance etc
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | Transportation - about 2,500 for the BTS and occasional taxis |
| b) Utility bills | 1,200 for electricity, 2,155 for Truevisions Platinum, 80 for water |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | both restaurants and supermarket shopping - 6,000. I like to cook so buy plenty of expensive ingredients. Eating out is far cheaper. |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 20,000. Being a single guy, I enjoy a weekly night out drinking in the expat bars with my mates and then finding some company for the night. These things don't come cheap! |
| e) Books, computers | 1,000 for broadband. I don't need to buy books. |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I live well and enjoy my life - my lifestyle was much quieter in my first two years here as I had a lower salary and a girlfriend (my life now is less quiet and I'm spending about the same amount of money without having to use my UK savings).
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Taxis and company (if you use your "big" head wisely).
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. At least 30,000 - but it needs to be spent wisely.
Phil's analysis and comment
Harry admits that he has savings in the UK but we don't know how much and it's none of our business anyway. If those savings are left untouched and increasing year by year, then why shouldn't a man party most nights, bring a new friend home now and again and also enjoy a bit of cooking. I picked up on the cooking part because as Harry says - cooking at home can be more expensive than eating out if you buy good ingedients. But as an ex-colleague of mine once said - you don't save money by eating at home, but you do eat better. Yes, I agree with that.
Steve
posted on 19th November 2009
Working in: TrangMonthly Earnings: 30,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 30,000bt. 1 job. Maths Teacher, Government School, Trang. Could do more but too lazy, I value my free time too much.
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 10,000bt saved every month
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 2,000bt small fan room with a shower/toilet, TV (8 Thai channels) and a nice jungle view.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 1000bt on fuel for the 'chopper' I bought last month for 57,000bt (from savings from this job). (1000bt = 1000km enough for big cruises) |
| b) Utility bills | 100bt (water + elec) only |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 3000-5000bt |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 12,000-14,000bt for all my entertainment. |
| e) Books, computers | Nowt, swap books. School has internet. |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. My standard of living is excellent - way better than it was in the NE of England. I read a lot during school nights when I'm not chilling out in Trang's bars. I do what I like at weekends/holidays. I often go on long motorbike cruises through the beautiful countryside so rural Thais can stare at me. I like to chill out in Krabi (beaches) and Phuket (birds) now and then since Trang has no "Hellllooooooo hansum man" phenomena.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Food, Beer and cigarettes. You can sit in a Mama n Papa shop with your mates and drink big bottles of Archa beer @ 33bt. 300bt will give you a 2 day hangover (that's the cheapest way unless you like LaoCao). Regular bars are about 70bt big Leo. However, spending a lot of time in Samui/Phuket etc will blow your 30K/month within minutes (Ao Nang, Krabi = small Tiger 100bt WTF?).
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. 15000bt and you would lead an OK life here although you probably would wind up a single dude even if you looked like Tom Cruise.
Phil's analysis and comment
Steve seems happy enough. I bet when he's out on the open road on his chopper, with the wind in his hair, looking for the next watering hole, he must think he's died and gone to Heaven. Can you keep that kind of lifestyle going forever? I doubt it. The small fan room for 2,000 baht a month sends shivers down my spine. I don't care how glorious your view of the jungle is, surely you can't live like that for more than a year or two. I think eventually you'll crave more in the way of creature comforts. But for the time being, Steve's probably a young man on one big adventure. Why not go for it? I always appreciate a man who values his spare time above work.
Joshua
posted on 10th November 2009
Working in: PattayaMonthly Earnings: 24,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 24000 Baht per month for about 24 hours per week with no overtime or outside work
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Nothing.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 2500 for a one bedroom apartment (no air-con, no hot showers
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | I own a reliable motorbike (28000B) so about 350B/month of gas |
| b) Utility bills | 1000 for cable, power and water |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | Almost all Thai food from the local market with some McDonalds/Pizza binges about 500-600B/week or around 2000-3000B month |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | Beer (2500B/month) and a movie or 2 (500B/month) and a girlfriend with a money loving mama and baby (4000B-5000B) |
| e) Books, computers | 300B/month on second hand books with trade-ins. 400B/month on Net access |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. Thai style with a few perks here and there, I can't keep staying like this but it can be fun at times.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Rent and Beer
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. 30000B in Pattaya would be a comfortable living, other than that I would say at least 20000B and that is a steal for a school hiring a degree holding native with a TEFL cert.
Phil's analysis and comment
30000B in Pattaya would be a comfortable living, other than that I would say at least 20000B and that is a steal for a school hiring a degree holding native with a TEFL cert.
Dan
posted on 5th October 2009
Working in: BangkokMonthly Earnings: 34,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 34,000
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 3,000 (but I rarely do)
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I pay 5,500 baht for a two bedroom, two story house near the On-Nut BTS.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 300 |
| b) Utility bills | 400 |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 7,000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 2,000 |
| e) Books, computers | 1,500 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. Not bad, but buying a fridge or similar appliance finishes my monthly “petty cash”
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. DVD Rental- 5 films for seven nights all for only a 100 baht. Amazing Thailand!
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. For a farang? At least 20,000 baht
Phil's analysis and comment
In my opinion 30-35,000 baht a month is the absolute minimum you can survive on in Bangkok so Dan is a nice case study to start off with. He works in the capital and earns 34,000 a month.
He's certainly got things sorted out in the housing department, paying only 5,500 for a house in a great location. I'm guessing that because his utility bill is so low the house either doesn't have air-conditioning or he very rarely switches it on. For me a house without air-con blasting away (at least in one room) is no fun at all. That said, Dan doesn't skimp on his grub, and he's obviously something of a 'taxi man'. With the average cost of a taxi journey being about 80 baht, he must take plenty of cabs. I'm with him all the way on the bus thing. While 500 baht a week spent on nightlife hardly puts him in the Peter Stringfellow category, 3,000 baht a month going into the savings account is a bit worrying. I'm sure Dan would like to build up more of a savings 'cushion' if he could.
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