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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Martin
Working in Near Seoul, South Korea
Monthly Earnings 124,000-140,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
I have a permanent position with the public sector in Korea that pays around 125,000 baht a month, plus I do freelance assignments (when I get them) that can net me just a few thousand to 27,643 baht or more.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I'm not saving money at all because I have a family with a special needs child. I'm also short sometimes per month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a what they call a villa and I started off by putting a big lump sum down that required no rent. As the sum went up over the years, I opted to pay the difference in rent. So I put down 1,935,068 baht and pay 4,146 in monthly rent.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I pay around 1,935 baht for the subway and bus, plus a few taxi rides.
Utility bills
Korea has winter, so my gas bill can be as high as 7,000 baht when it's cold and far less at 1,100 baht in summer. Electricity is OK, as I pay around 1,200 baht except in summer, when it can get higher because of the humidity.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
We usually get groceries online and I spend a fair amount of money on them, around 30,000-40,000 baht since I have a wife and child. We also eat out and that can be costly in Korea, though bargains are there.
Nightlife and drinking
I occasionally hang with people but don't really go out as I spend most of my free time with my family, so this cost is negligible.
Books, computers
I stopped buying books given the big backlog I have, and I pay around 1,100 baht a month for uber-fast broadband that Korea is famous for.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Honestly, I'm just getting by and seeking more methods of earning money. Inflation in Korea is bad and I'm worried about my future.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
I'd say public transit and bargain places to eat, if you know where to look. Oh, and the health care system is good and not going to ruin you financially if you get sick.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
If you're single with no dependents, a salary of 70,000 baht is the minimum. I have heard of people who live on less but that would be really scrimping and not enjoying life. I don't teach English but Korea has drastically waned as an ESL destination despite the boom in Korean content worldwide, and you must be a native speaker of English from one of seven designated countries to teach English here.
Phil's analysis and comment
No disrespect but I'm not really sure what value a cost of living survey brings to the party when the person is not a teacher, either in Thailand or further afield. However, your comments on foreign teacher salaries and the current job market in South Korea are interesting.
Bren
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 66,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
My full-time salary is 56,000 per month and 10,000 from trading online, but that is getting more difficult. I work in the English program of a large Thai private school. Unfortunately there have not been many opportunities to pick up extra work due to the C-19 pandemic.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
This is my first year in Thailand, and I haven’t been saving much, but I am determined to change that as we go into the new academic year. It is very easy to spend your money here if you’re not careful.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Rent is 8,500 for a 42 square metre condo on the outskirts of Bangkok. The condo is located near the BTS and has a well furnished gym as well as a nice swimming pool and co-working space.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I live within walking distance to my school which saves me a lot of money in this regard. Other than that, I spend maybe 500-100 baht each month on taxis and BTS fares. Here's a tip for newcomers, download Bolt or Grab on your phone, it will save you money and time.
Utility bills
My average electricity bill has been 670 baht over the 12 months. I have three air-con units but I only use one air-con unit when I am trying to sleep. Water is roughly 100 baht every 3 months.
For internet and phone I got a great deal with True, for which I pay 1150 baht for unlimited high speed home broadband, and 10gb of data for my phone. This is a real bargain in my opinion.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
The price of food shopping in Thailand is not cheap, especially if you buy from the main supermarkets, and even more expensive if you want to buy things like milk, cheese, and home comforts. I spend maybe 8,000 baht on food shopping and a further 5,000 baht on eating out. If you want to eat decent Western food, then you will need to pay for it.
Nightlife and drinking
This seems to be where I seem to be spending too much money. I have been going away on weekend trips once a month and this adds up to maybe 8,000 baht each trip. Throw in a night out around On Nut or lower Sukhumvit each week and that’s another 3,000. I’m starting to cut this right down and I will only be going away on weekend trips every few months. To summarise, a night out in Bangkok is not cheap, but it sure is fun.
Books, computers
Nothing in this column for me.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I have a very nice lifestyle here, a nicer lifestyle than what I really should be living on my wages. Therefore, I am going to cut out some unnecessary nights out and start to look for more things to do during the day which don’t cost as much money.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The basics for living here are still very cheap compared to many countries. Look at rental prices in much of Europe and North America. You couldn’t rent a car parking space for $300 dollars a month, let alone a condo.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I think you could survive on 35,000 baht a month but that would be a very boring life. If you want to enjoy some entertainment and indulge in the odd home comfort, then I think you need 50,000 baht as a minimum, but I can see that becoming 60,000 next year.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks a lot Bren. 66,000 is not a bad salary at all in Bangkok and I'm quite surprised you're not saving much. But as you say, it's your first year in Thailand and you're probably still in a sort of 'holiday mode'. What you might find as time goes by - and we see it a lot in these surveys - is that the attraction of the nightlife wears off, so you'll certainly start saving more money in that department. Your spend on rent and utliity bills and food shopping, etc is certainly nothing out of the ordinary.
Patrick
Working in Hong Kong
Monthly Earnings 370,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
I have a full-time job in an international school which pays me 250,000 baht a month. My wife works at the same school and earns 50,000 baht as a TA. I also do some tutoring which brings in an additional 50,000 bath. I consider my tutor money my play money. I charge between 2,000-4,000 baht per hour.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I save around 135,000 bath a month. My wife saves half of her salary as well. We place a lot of value on putting a bit away for a rainy day. We don't really feel like we are shorting ourselves though. Hong Kong isn't nearly as expensive as people think
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Our apartment, which has three bedrooms and is brand new, costs about 70,000 baht.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
We spend around 1,000 to 2,000 baht a month. Public transport is dirt cheap in HK and is so remarkably efficient and well run!
Utility bills
Utilities are paid every two months in HK. For gas, we pay 2,000 baht every two months and for electricity 3,000, water is every two months as well and for this, we pay 1,000 baht. We have the best internet package we could find at 1,200 a month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
We go out to eat at least once a week, which will cost us around 1000 baht (per week mind you). Food shopping will cost us around 30,000 I suppose, because we are past that stage were we like to eat shit haha!
Nightlife and drinking
I love to party in Thailand, but HK is really just a place for me to live and work, so I don't spend any money on that at all. We do enjoy a nice bottle of wine every once in a while, so maybe 2,000 baht? By the way, alcohol in HK is actually way cheaper than in Bangkok.
Books, computers
I download my books and have a laptop from work, so nothing
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I think we have a great life here. Could we spend more? Of course, but you need to have goals. We are saving what could be considered a few salaries back in Europe every month. As a 29 year old that isn't too bad. HK is incredibly well organized, safe and exciting. It kinda makes me wish I had left Thailand earlier.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The public transport system is very cheap and efficient. Healthcare as well is just fantastic and for free!
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I would say you could do so on 80,000 baht but would you want to? I suppose it all depends on your priorities. As a married man I feel the need to provide for the future, but if I was a single man I'd perhaps give it a crack
Phil's analysis and comment
It sounds like an amazing life in Hong Kong on that sort of salary. I've been at least seven or eight times and it was certainly an amazing city in the past. As Patrick says, very well organised with a great public transport system. Not sure I ever fancied living and working there though. But a fantastic place for a four-day city break.
Justin
Working in Rural Chaiyaphum (in Isaan)
Monthly Earnings About 85,000 - 90,000 baht (my wife makes another 15,000 baht)
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
Me: I work as an independent, online tutor, teaching 17 hours a week to Chinese and Russian students. I charge between 1,000-1,500 baht per hour and make 85,000-90,000 baht per month.
My wife: She's a Thai government teacher. Her net salary is about 15,000 baht. (this is important since we share expenses)
I live with my wife and son, so the expenses are based on a family of three who live in Isaan long term.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
Monthly savings for a family of 3: 50,000-60,000 baht per month.
Me: My bank statements over the last year reveal I have spent 27,000 baht per month. Meaning I'm saving about 50,000-60,000 baht per month.
My wife: She earns 15,000 baht per month and spends all of it. However, as a local teacher she gets yearly pay rises and a great pension when she retires so she's fairly secure.
I think many new teachers in Thailand fall into the trap where they look at how much they saved last month and think they can do the same every month for year. It's often the once a year, adhoc costs which can eat into your savings.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
9,000 baht per month. A year ago I bought a 3-bedroom house in a small town in Isaan. I put down a 20% deposit using past savings from teaching at schools and online here. I pay the mortgage and it comes to about 9,000 baht per month.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Total: 6300 baht per month.
- Fuel - 4,800 baht
- Car insurance - just 1,000 baht on average
- Car and scooter maintenance - about 500 baht on average.
I own a car which I finished paying of a couple of years ago, and a scooter here. My wife's school is a 60 km round trip and she pays the fuel for the car. The fuel prices have obviously skyrocketed. If you have a kid and want to live here long term, then you're going to need to get a car at some point.
Utility bills
Total for 3 people - up to 4,000 baht per month.
My wife pays most of the utility bills:
Electric - about 1,000-1,500 baht per month.
Water - about 200-300 baht per month.
Internet - 750 baht per month.
Wife's phone - 400 baht per month.
My phone - 1,000 baht per month (I have super fast, unlimited internet so I can teach away from my home)
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Total food and household expenses for 3 people: 17,000 per month. For regular food and household expenses for the 3 of us, we're spending about 15,000 baht per month. Once a week, we'll go out for a nice hot pot, mookata, or some nice Western food at an awesome Western resort 20 km away from my home. This is another 2,000 baht or so.
Nightlife and drinking
Total - 2,000 baht
I buy a 24 bottle box of really nice Thai cider (called Moose if anyone's interested). This lasts me about a month, and costs 1,500 baht. I sometimes have a beer if we go to a nice restaurant. So that adds another 500 baht per month.
Books, computers
Hardly anything, so I'll include miscellaneous and adhoc expenses here:
Total - 3,000 baht per month
1. School fees - 2000 baht per month.
He goes to a good private school in the town we live in. The fees include tuition, extra class at the end of the day, transport etc.
2. Gym - 750 baht per month.
I pay a monthly subscription to use a gym and pool at a hotel.
3. Laptop - Averages at 300-400 baht per month
An adhoc expense which I only need to pay every 5 years or so. But, it's essential for me to have a good computer.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
We're certainly comfortable and I can save well. I'm 31 years old and have lived in Thailand for nearly 10 years, so my priority is to build a decent nest egg for retirement and pay off the mortgage.
Thailand is a great place to forget about your worries....until it's too late to fix your problems.
Living in Isaan, I've seen so many retirees get into financial problems here with stricter visa regulations, not having a retirement fund, as well as many teachers having issues getting a permanent teacher's license. That's why I studied for an iPGCE, switched to a marriage visa and started building a student base to tutor independently online.
However, I have friends in China encouraging me to go back there where I could more than double my current salary. Meaning after a few years, I wouldn't need to save any more money.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The basics that you need to survive by yourself are cheap. What you want to be happy and what you need in order to build a family and live here the rest of your life is expensive.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
It depends on how long you want to live here for.
I once only spent 3,500 baht in a whole month (not including rent or utilities) It was horrible. If a teacher is in dire straights then you could do that for a month...but not every month.
I've worked and lived here as a single person before getting married here in Isaan, so these are my thoughts:
For a single person in Isaan living 6 months - about 15,000-20,000 baht per month
For a single person in Isaan living 3 years plus - about 25-30,000 baht per month.
For a family of three like my family - about 40,000 baht per month.
The important thing though, is if you want to live here for the rest of your life and don't own your house or have any other assets or income, then you probably need to save another 30-40% on top of your monthly expenses, and place them into long term investments.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Justin for the detailed breakdown of the income and spending for both you and your wife. Very interesting. You sound like you have a very good handle on all things financial.
"It's often the once a year, adhoc costs which can eat into your savings". Very true. And that's coming from someone who had to just spend 45,000 baht on a new air-conditioner.
Tiago
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 64,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
64K is my full-time salary in a large private school. Before Covid I was able to make an extra 8-15k a month by teaching after-school lessons. I'm hoping to have those again next term but now I can really only just count on my full-time salary.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
10K every month plus my end-of contract bonus (about 90K every year). I also support my wife back home (she's finishing her teaching degree so she can also move here and work) and have to pay some monthly bills from there as well (student loan, health insurance, pension and social security), which means I have to send about 20K back home each month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 7,000 Baht a month for a studio apartment. It's quite small but enough for one person. The condo is new, has got good facilities (gym, pool) and only a 10-minute taxi ride from the school where I work.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
3,500 baht on commuting (mostly taxis) plus the occasional MRT or BTS trip to the city center on weekends.
Utility bills
Electricity is 700-900 baht and water another 90 baht. Internet costs 900 baht.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
10K a month. I'm not a big fan of Thai food, so on the weekends I like to treat myself to some Western food.
Nightlife and drinking
Very little. 1-2K a month.
Books, computers
Kindle e-books: 500, streaming services: 1,000 and cinema: 500-1,000
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Comfortable. I eat Thai food or cook during the week but on weekends I eat whatever Western food I'm craving. I go to the movies two-three times a month. I travel inside the country when I'm on holiday (half term and summer break), send a considerable chunk of my pay check back home and still manage to save 10K every month. I rarely drink, so I guess that helps.
I was also able to save and pay for my Cambridge Delta course (£3,000) which is something I could never have afforded back home. So, yeah, living here has been good for me, financially.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Rent. Here it's about 11% of my income whereas back home it's usually 40-50%. Transportation here is also a bargain: even taxis are affordable. I also like the range of options (taxis, buses, MRT/BTS, songthaew).
And also food. If you don't have a problem living on Thai street food and/or cook, you can save a lot of money and still enjoy Western food on the weekends.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
This is obviously quite subjective but if you're single and not into partying and drinking and don't need to eat Western food every day, you can survive on 30-35K but I'd be surprised if you could save some money and travel. For that I think you'd need to make 40-45K at the very least. To play it safe, I wouldn't recommend moving to Bangkok if the pay is less than 50K a month.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Tiago. 20K is a fair chunk of your salary to have to send home every month so I can understand how much you miss the extra classes that you've lost due to Covid. So basically you are living on around 44K a month and saving 10K of that. I agree that in Bangkok, at least 50K would make life more comfortable. Good call on the rent as well. As you say, it's just 11% of your income here, whereas back in your home country, it would be around four time that percentage.
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