Every new arrival wants to know if they can survive or live well in Thailand on X thousand baht a month?
It's a difficult question because each person has different needs. However, the following surveys and figures are from teachers actually working here! How much do they earn and what do they spend their money on?. And after each case study, I've added comments of my own.
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Simon
Working in Naypyidaw (the administrative capital of Myanmar)
Monthly Earnings Equivalent of 83,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I earn $2,350 USD from my school job, about 83,000 Thai baht after tax, but my stay in an upmarket hotel (with free breakfast) is also fully covered. That cost amounts to an additional 30,000 Thai baht each month. I don't do any private tuition right now, but there is plenty of evening and weekend work available.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I can save about $1,900 USD, about 67,000 Thai baht. I can save this much because the cost of living is very cheap (apart from accommodation costs), and also there is very little to spend money on in Naypyidaw!
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
As mentioned, accommodation costs can be high in Myanmar. So my school pays all the costs for me to stay in a hotel with gym and swimming pool and free breakfast.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Zero cost, because I either walk or cycle to my school, which is only a couple of kilometres away.
Utility bills
The hotel pays all utility bills, such as electricity, wifi, room cleaning. My only expense is to pay my laundry bill.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Breakfast is free at the hotel every day and I buy fruit and yogurts from the local supermarket for lunch. My evening meal is typical Shan noodles from a restaurant in the shopping centre at 44 baht a time. In total, I maybe spend no more than 3,000 baht a month on all food
Nightlife and drinking
Sorry, what nightlife?
Books, computers
I bought a new computer a few months ago in Mandalay for 12,000 baht. For books, I usually buy these in Bangkok when a do a visa run, (the visa run plane and hotel costs are paid for by the school)
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Very good, but you have to be happy with the simple life in Naypyidaw. I used to teach in Yangon, and there was a good choice of bars and nightlife. But here in Naypyidaw, there is not a lot to do, except visit the shopping centre, zoo, shopping centre, gems museum, shopping centre - did I mention the shopping centre?
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Everything but the price of accommodation. Having said that, a room in an international hotel is expensive in any country.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Very little, especially if your accommodation costs are paid. I change $100 USD (about 3,500 baht) into local kyat currency and then just use it and use it and use it. It will last me a couple of weeks!
Phil's analysis and comment
Simon contacted us to say - "I actually teach in Myanmar, but maybe my information will help to make a comparision of the cost of living between Bangkok and Naypyidaw (the administrative capital of Myanmar), where I work at a private school, (international in name, and there are a few Japanese, Russian, Bulgarian students here whose parents are either diplomats or are working for INGOs or telecoms/energy companies"
I agree Simon, I think many teachers would be interested in these comparisons. Naypyidaw does sound a little quiet but it sounds like a terrific deal for the saver! 67,000 baht going into the bank each month from an 83,000 salary and the school paying for hotel accommodation (not to mention visa run costs) Way to go! Could this get a few more teachers interested in checking out Myanmar?
Benjamin
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 42,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work at a Thai secondary school and my full-time salary after tax is 42,000 baht. In the past I've tried topping up that salary with private tutoring but I just wasn't ruthless enough. I felt bad charging students 500 baht an hour when I knew they couldn't really afford it. Plus I got tired of all the cancellations.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I try to put at least 5,000 baht a month into a bank account for a trip home to see the family.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a very Thai-style studio apartment with one big bedroom / living area, a small bathroom and a balcony that's just about large enough to hang out some washing. The rent is 5,000 a month.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
There is a direct bus route from home to school and I only need to travel half a dozen stops. I guess even with the odd taxi at the weekend, my transport bill is less than a thousand baht a month.
Utility bills
Although my apratment has air-conditioning, I very rarely use it. Water and electricity come to about 800 a month so not bad.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
During the week when I am working, I will pick something up from the many street vendors in my neighborhood and microwave it at home. I tend to skip breakfast (not good I know) and lunch at school is free. I will often splash out on a Western treat at the weekend but the monthly food spend is no more than about 5,000.
Nightlife and drinking
Friday night tends to be my only big night out. A group of foreign teachers from the school all gather at a local restaurant where the beers are cheap and the staff know us well and make us welcome. 2,000 a month.
Books, computers
I replaced my laptop last year (I think it was about 20,000) but I don't play games or read a lot of books.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Let's put it this way, I wouldn't like to have to live on less than 42,000 (the salary I earn now) My father always taught me that the golden rule of life in terms of money is 'never spend more than you earn'. It sounds a ridiculously obvious rule to live by but it's amazing how many teachers I have worked with who just can't follow it and are broke with barely half the month gone.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Street food if you know where to go and who to buy from. My regular vendors look after me with slightly larger portions.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
'Survive' is such a horrible word. I can't believe anyone comes here to teach English to just survive but I guess some folks do. Looking at the job ads on ajarn, there must be teachers in Bangkok living on 25k salaries. I really don't know how they do it.
Phil's analysis and comment
Some interesting points there Ben.
I also learned that golden rule of never spending more than you earn and I also worked with many teachers who would get their 30-35,000 cash payout at the beginning of the month and immediately think they had to blow it all in the first week.
You make a good point about being 'ruthless' if you want to take on private students. As I wrote in my guide to freelance teaching, everyone who makes good money teaching privates has to develop a business acumen at some stage. If you let students walk all over you with last-minute cancellations and don't insist on payments in advance, freelance teaching will become more and more frustrating.
We would love to get your cost of living surveys and you can do so by filling in the on-line form. Tell us about your lifestyle!
Many teachers unfortunately fill in the form and just provide a list of figures and no back story. It's those glimpses into a teacher's lifestyle that make these surveys interesting and enjoyable. Many thanks for your contributions.
Lee
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 64,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work at a private school in Bangkok and my full-time salary is 64,000 baht
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
20,000
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
My condo is 8,500 baht a month
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
2,000 baht
Utility bills
Electric, water and internet come to just over 2,000 baht
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
About 10,000 baht a month.
Nightlife and drinking
I like a beer and a night out so this can come anywhere between 5-10,000 baht.
Books, computers
Lee did not answer this question.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Solid. I can afford to save some of my money but as soon as I want to go home for Christmas or something, most of that money goes.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food can be if you know where to look.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
50-70,000 baht to live a good life if you are single. I'd certainly want more than that if I had a family.
Phil's analysis and comment
A solid set of figures in this straight-to-the-point survey from Lee. I would agree that you probably need 50-70,000 to live a good life in Bangkok. And a good life means living somewhere comfortable, being able to eat where you want, go out a couple of nights a week - and still have money left over for an annual trip home and the odd weekend away in Thailand perhaps. 50-70K is probably just enough to achieve all that.
Ricky
Working in Chiang Mai
Monthly Earnings 40,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
My salary from a government school is 32,000 baht a month after tax and I top it up with about 8,000 baht from private tutoring three evenings a week. I don't work weekends.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
If I manage to save 5,000 - 10,000 then I've done well.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I rent a small townhouse with another teacher about ten minutes from the city centre. It costs 8,000 baht a month and we split all the bills down the middle. It works well. The house is big enough to both feel we have our own place but just cross paths in the living room or kitchen.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Anyone with any sense buys or rents a scooter in Chiang Mai. It's tricky to get around using public transportation. Gas runs me just a few hundred baht a month. Buying a scooter was definitely one of my better decisions.
Utility bills
Electricity is about a thousand baht and the water bill is next to nothing. We have internet that costs about 700 baht a month. That's really it.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I cook at home as much as I can and will often make 2-3 portions to put in the freezer as a back-up. Sometimes when I've got private students in the evening on the back of a hard day at work, I need something quick and convenient. I only really eat out at the weekend and even then I avoid expensive Western food joints. All in all probably about 6,000 a month.
Nightlife and drinking
I tend to limit any nocturnal habits to Saturday nights only and I might spend a thousand baht on a good night out so 4,000 a month should cover it.
Books, computers
I love my computer games! This probably comes to another thousand baht a month.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
It's OK. Sure I would like to live in a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood and be able to afford to travel more, but I'm reasonably happy.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The cost of running a scooter (gas, repairs, etc)
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I would find it very hard to live in Chiang Mai on less than 30,000 baht a month but lots of foreigners do - and seem to survive.
Phil's analysis and comment
It's been a while since we heard from a teacher working in everyone's 'favourite city'. 40,000 seems to be enough for a decent lifestyle without going overboard. The question as always is how many years can you keep doing this for before the reality of the hour sets in?
I'd also be interested to know how much private students in Chiang Mai are willing to pay for an hour long English lesson these days?
Chuck
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 92,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
My salary after tax is 92,000 from my English program school in Bangkok. During term, I can make another 4k-8k, after tax, with after-school classes
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Realistically, I could save 55k if I were quite careful. I actually save 35k - 45k.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
14k all-in for a 45m condo in the heart of Bangkok. It's an old building but convenient for everything.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Gas for my scooter runs 200 baht per month. I rarely use public transport or taxis but let’s say 200 baht per month for those.
Utility bills
Zero, as it's included in rent.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Too much. I love Thai food. I also love Western food. I’d say maybe 16,000. I rarely cook. I take home food from the street, supermarkets and have food delivered. I also eat out somewhat regularly. Sunday roasts and buffets. Nice restaurant meals with friends and the occasional date. However, if I have to pay for everything on a first date, there ain’t no second date!
Nightlife and drinking
I spend extravagantly. I’m a happy hour fiend that knows no boundaries. Hotels, British and Irish pubs, sports bars and venues mother need not know about. However, my chief expense is in clubs, where prices are higher and ‘products’ more diverse. I hasten to add that I don’t ‘take-away’ from the risqué venues. I’ve nothing against it, but I don’t do it. I love craft beer too. All in all, around 20k some months. Other months under 10k. It’s ridiculous at times, but there’s never a dull moment.
Books, computers
Chuck did not answer this question.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
My standard of living is quite good. My day-to-day life is a better experience than living back home.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
There are several bargains here. Most forms of manual labour, taxis, cell phone subscriptions, street food, raw chicken and pork, bottled water, cigarettes (I don’t smoke), utilities, cinema tickets, inter-city bus and rail services and probably a ton of stuff I have forgotten because I take them for granted. I would not add gym membership. They aren’t pricey, but gyms are packed – it can be frustrating at times.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
‘Survive’ is a loose term. If you mean what’s the minimum hand-to-mouth, pay check to pay check existence, I’d say 15,000 baht.
Phil's analysis and comment
An interesting survey there from Chuck. After reading so many surveys where teachers no longer spend money on nightlife (if indeed they ever did) along comes Chuck. He's a night owl and proud of it! LOL
Chuck also had the following to say on his standard of living;
I'd hesitate to say that my standard of living is higher, because I have no retirement fund from work. The long-term future causes me some anxiety. However, I'd never have this much fun back home, except when I went on holiday to Thailand or elsewhere! It used to annoy me to read ajarn.com ‘guides' and people describe their lives as comfortable earning 40k, rarely going out and saving next to nothing. That's not comfortable. That's a ticket to skid-row. Also, earning 40k and saving 25k is not a lifestyle I enjoy imagining.
And on the topic of how much does a teacher need to earn to survive, Chuck added;
I know one person who had monthly expenses run 15,000 baht. He earned much higher but was paying off debt. As soon as the debt cleared, his expenses rocketed, as did his happiness. Unless I were under 25 years old, I wouldn't want to live on less than 50,000 baht. In fact, if I had to live on less than 70k, I'd go back home and enjoy a better lifestyle than that while also saving money and having a retirement fund. I know I don't sound friendly when I say these things, but if this is a guide, let me say that there is no such thing as a friendly warning. 30k shouldn't be your salary - it should be your savings per month. Have health insurance. Enjoy your life as you want to enjoy it. If you can't do these things, change. If you're young, enjoy it while you can.
Showing 5 Cost of Living surveys out of 426 total
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