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.
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.
Brian
posted on 30th September 2009
Working in: BangkokMonthly Earnings: 43,500
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 43,500 baht (after taxes, 40,000 baht) I teach at a private language school in the heart of Bangkok. I’m considered the “head teacher,” although my salary doesn’t reflect that!
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Approximately 25,000 baht.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I live in a small two story, two bedroom house in the Sathorn area. My rent is 6,130 baht/month.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 1,500 |
| b) Utility bills | 500 |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 3,500 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 700 |
| e) Books, computers | Virtually nothing. I have many books at home. I also borrow books from friends). I have a computer, but I don’t have internet access, nor do I play games, buy software, etc. I very, very rarely buy a DVD. |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. My standard of living, for me, is very good. It is also higher than it was back home, breaking my spirit under high rents, lack of well-paying work, and expensive necessities.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Food, clothing, holidays outside of Bangkok…
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. To survive? 20,000 baht/month. In order to have a reasonable standard of living one should earn at least 40,000 baht/month.
Phil's analysis and comment
Everyone has their own priorities and I take my hat off to Brian for managing to save well over 50% of his salary, but there are very few teachers in the 35-50,000 earning bracket who follow his example.
If my maths is correct, then Brian is living on 15,000 baht a month and the cost of his house is coming out of that relatively small amount. There's no doubt that Brian does 'go without' on occasion. He has no internet access, his food bill is the lowest so far, and his utility bill of just 500 baht would suggest he survives without air-conditioning. His standard of living seems to be a lot lower than what I would settle for but sacrifices do have to be made if you're looking to save 25,000 baht a month.
Matthew
posted on 18th September 2009
Working in: BangkokMonthly Earnings: 38,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. I make 38k (after taxes) teaching prathom and another 20k at a language school across the street. My Thai wife is also a teacher and she adds another 15k or so all told (I suppose we should count that as it all goes into the same pot). Over the last few years I've held various combinations of jobs...sometimes making more (up to 100k), sometimes less (down to 35k), but basically maintained the salary level I'm at now
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. These days about 12-19k, most of which goes into a special file labeled 'dowery dosh' (we're hitched but've not had the bash, or sale, depending on your perspective).
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. We've got a one-bedroom condo on Ram for 7,600. It ain't flashy, but we find it roomy enough and I like being one of only a handful of foreigners around (not including my African brothers, who make a pretty good showing themselves). It's only a 7-12 baht 10 minute bus ride to work, which is good and saves cash
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | a few thousand baht. When out for pleasure, I don't blink at taking taxis. |
| b) Utility bills | Maybe 2,600. |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | Probably 6,000, maybe more. Off to Greyhound tonight. You know. |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 4,000. sometimes twice that if I'm feeling the thirst for the carbonated depressant more than usual. |
| e) Books, computers | 2000. (An addiction to the New Yorker (weekly) magazine doesn't come cheap. We also send money to my wife's mom every month since she covered the cost of a surgery a couple years back, and spend regular money on things like short trips to Amphawa or new glasses or whatever comes up. It's very different than the early days when all I did was teach, sleep, and wander around the urban circus of Bangkok stopping occasionally to spend 5 bucks here or there. |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I'd say I (we) live pretty well. We both work a lot but find time to do cultural stuff, get out of Bangkok for weekends every now and then, go out with friends, and fill the fridge with tasty food
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Foot massage, clothing for the missus, high-speed internet, and food. Also DVDs on the street, travelling by air (usually), and taxis. Taxis are almost always a good value if I can't take a bus or BTS or whatnot.
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. 30k. But that's just 'survive'. For his soul to survive, add at least 10k. A guy needs a proper riceless feast, a brand new hardcover book, and a decent hotel on travels every once in a while. Then there's tickets to a show, a talk, entrance to a club. At a certain point the (free) fascination of Bangkok street life loses it's power to please the mind. It also all changes when you make the transition from travelling teacher to local foreign teacher.
Phil's analysis and comment
To use one of my grandmother's favorite expressions - here's a bloke with his head screwed on. Matthew knows his numbers and he's got a very set idea on the kind of lifestyle he wants to lead and the kind of lifestyle he deserves. When you work as much as Matthew does, you're entitled to treat yourself in the odd snazzy restaurant and escape to the beaches for the occasional weekend. Why the hell not? However much Matthew is earning, he knows that the potential is there to earn 100K a month. How does he know? Because he's already done it. It's all about juggling around a combination of jobs. But reading between the lines - it doesn't sound as if Matt is into 'killing himself' any more with those punishing schedules that he took on when he was a younger man.
Linda
posted on 16th September 2009
Working in: KhoratMonthly Earnings: 35,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 35,000
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 10,000 - 12,000 provided that no real big issues come up
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I live in a large 3 bedroom house for 5,000 per month
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 9,000 |
| b) Utility bills | 2,500 |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 11,000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 500 |
| e) Books, computers | 300 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I don't really want for anything...(but a trip home ) I live a middle class life.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Food and housing
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. To survive 25000, to live over 30,000
Phil's analysis and comment
Linda shares my opinion about the difference between living and surviving - 5,000 baht a month can make all the difference. I haven't been to Khorat in a while but there never strikes me as being very much to spend your money on. I'm not surprised that the nightlife bill only comes to about 500 a month. Linda's transportation bill includes running her very own truck and when it comes to food, she certainly doesn't go hungry. She sounds as though all in all, she lives well. And manages to put a few quid in the bank each month. Nice one
Joey
posted on 16th September 2009
Working in: NonthaburiMonthly Earnings: 25-40,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 25,000-40,000 baht per month private teaching Monday thru Friday 2-4 hours per day
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 5,000 baht
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 3,300 baht per month for an apartment rental. Room dimension: 15’x15’. Includes refrigerator, microwave, screen door to 3 ½ x 6’ balcony, and daily announcements, dogs barking, tuk-tuk traffic
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | (private teaching lots of traveling) 3,600 baht teaching and another 400 for social. |
| b) Utility bills | 2,300 baht electricity/air-conditioning (Note: for one year I had no air condition. Four months ago by a doctor’s order I was told air conditioning was necessary). |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | Average 5,000 baht per month. 1,000 baht per week at the supermarket: Only fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and water. Every fourth week of the month I spend 2,000 baht for cleaning supplies, lotions, soaps, detergents etc. |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 0 baht per month. Jogging, yoga, tai chi, swimming 70 baht per day |
| e) Books, computers | 200 baht books, and 300 baht internet |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. Undeniably frugal!!!
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. In general, food! But, I live for fruits and vegetables, and lots of them; they are not so much ‘bargain’ items
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. The first six months to a year 35,000-40,000 baht per month minimum. When you begin to create a support network, then MAYBE you could “SURVIVE” on 25,000 baht per month - doubtful. You will not enjoy 25,000 baht per month! 30,000 baht per month is fun for the first 3 months, then reality will suck you dry of all your ambitions. 40-50,000 baht would be a conservative, but relatively OK living situation. Above 60,000 and you may actually be living socially, while taking part in activities which are not free.
Phil's analysis and comment
There's a huge difference in what you can achieve between a salary of 25,000 a month and a take-home of 40,000 a month but I like Joey's honest summary. It sounds as if 60K a month is his target. Given that he only teaches 2-4 hours a day there's certainly ample opportunity to get out there and earn more.
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