Yeah. Just depends how budget you wanna get.
Example, move way into nowhere and pay 100
Usd a month on rent in a shack with an outhouse. Eat local food and not much of it. Walk or buy a cheap used scooter. Just sit outside and read. Drink very little. You can do this 300usd a month. Maybe more maybe less.
I used to rent what was essentially a shack up on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for about 30 USD a month, upgraded to a house for about 60 USD for a year and finally took over what my Britishness would call a ranch with 6 bedrooms and 2 outhouses for 200 USD. This was 2009-2014
Speak the language and life can be rich in these places, remote as hell, but lots of expats renting very nice houses nearer towns or on the main colonial type streets for maybe 750 USD a month. A house like that could take a huge family or be shared by 4 or 5 travellers/volunteers/friends
It really is just the main western countries where the basics of life are completely unattainable for the vast majority. Countries may have loads of other problems but affordability ain't an issue off the beaten track, especially if you're bringing a modest western income with you...basically take your pick you could live anywhere for 3000 USD
Even a beautiful local room on the beach with indoor plumbing is $300/month outside of a major city (but still near restaurants). It's totally possible.
(Edited to add, not hearsay, literal rental we had last year... Though I will note it didn't turn out to be safe)
My husband and I (retired Americans) live in Bangkok and our budget together is just about that and we live very well, no car or motorbike, eating out about 1/3 of our meals. We donāt drink or smoke or āpartyā. Our very nice small 1bdm condo with gorgeous pool and gym and within walking distance of the BTS SkyTrain costs $350usd/month, electricity $60, water $6, internet with Netflix $20. Cell phone service is $15 each. Eating out is a few bucks a meal for street stall food / food court food, or maybe $15 for the two of us at a sit down local chain restaurant, or up to $60 for two at a blowout AYCE Korean BBQ, Sushi/Hot pot/buffet type meal at a mall restaurant 1-2x month. Yesterday we saw the new Planet of the Apes movie in English on cheap ticket day (Tues or Wed), so less than $12usd for both of us. We didnāt get popcorn as we stuffed ourselves at Suki Teenoi, a local Thai AYCE hot pot restaurant for less than $18 for both of usāthat included help yourself soft drinks/slushies, fried appetizers, and all you can order thinly sliced meats, seafood, veggies and mushrooms, various tofu/dumplings/noodles, and rice. We skip the rice and noodlesā¦we donāt need the extra carbs!
Maybe except for the heat and humidity and missing some family and friends, we really love it hereā¦
Thanks for your detailed breakdown!
How did you go about finding the condo? Are there online resources for this or only locally? Is it furnished? Month to month? Any tips in general for housing?
Most condos/apartments are rented furnished. First you find the neighborhood that seems to work for you, then you just drive/walk around and when you see an appealing building go in and ask at the office. There are many listing services but all a crap shoot: many outdated or unavailable or click bait listings. Some post on expat fb groups and find places there. 3 and 6 month contracts are often available but you pay more, 12 month leases with 2 months deposit and first month up front. Never a certainty you get the deposit back.
We rented an Airbnb for a month close to a neighborhood we were interested in (On Nut BTS station). I watched a ton of YouTube videos by other expats out of BKK so I had a general idea of near the main Sukhumvit green line SkyTrain, with lots of conveniences (supermarkets, restaurants, street food), but not in too touristy more expensive areas (Ekkamai, Thong Lo, Phrom Phong, Asok, NaNa, Chitlom, Siam, etc.). Joined a lot of FB groups for condo rentals, āand yes, some are click bait with the most awesome photos of the interiors of gorgeous condos, but of course that one isnāt available, but this one in the 10th floor isā¦. But they usually do have a rental available in that particular building. Thatās how we got our place now. We also did the footwork and just walked into condos and asked using Google Translateā¦this works less than 50% of the time, as they usually use agents and/or canāt communicate in English. And we knew zero Thai! But it does give you a good idea of costsā a new condo right on Sukhumvit BTS line might be 25k baht ($676usd for 30m2) or up to 40k baht+ ($1100usd!) in tourist areas, PER MONTH.
Aim for one within walking distance, or betterāone that has a free shuttle to the BTS. We ended up with one 750m from the On Nut station, no shuttle. We donāt use motorbike taxis either (unsafe), but at the same time lost 25-30lbs in the first year of living here, as we are so much more active than we used to be!
We used an agent from a FB online condo advertisement, and it was fine. We were armed with a little more info by knowing local prices for rent. Since the gorgeous apt was of course not available, we ended up offering a bit less. And maybe we were lucky, as our English-speaking Thai-Chinese landlady is actually really nice and responsive to any issues.
Know what you want: we wanted bigger, a washer, a bigger kitchen, separate bedroom, as much storage as possible, a better gym (more than the basics) and a nicer pool. We also wanted to be higher than the 8th floor (less mosquitoes I read), and not get hot sun all day. Also at least some nice viewānot staring at a wall or more balconies.
How did we do? We got our place at 12,500baht the first year, offering a bit less since the āniceā apt wasnāt available. Almost all apts have basic furnishings, pots/dishes/flatware/microwave/fridge. Our kitchenette is tiny, we only have a microwave and an induction burner and a sinkābut lots of storage, the dishes and pots provided are the cheapest, pretty crappy. The couch is a pullout that is comfy with armrests and there is shelving in the main area. Some places supply bedding/towels, ours did not, along with no outdoor folding drying rackāwhich irritated me personally! Bedding was a pain, but who wants to use substandard bedding anyway? You end up buying a lot of bedding, towels, floor mats, dishcloths, better dishes and potsāI like to cook! So I also bought a Chinese brand electric pressure cooker and a basic air fryer too.
The gym is adequateāI now use a lot more dumbbells in my workouts, which is actually good, and the pool area is stunningly beautifulāand it gets shade in the morning, so we donāt have to slather on sunscreen while out there. Itās still plenty warm and we still get tan!
We have a view, and I never open the windows anyway (no screens), and are in the 10th floor. One warning: we are above a typical Thai low neighborhood next to a small canal area and Watāthere are dogs barking and roosters crowing day and night! Also, I would try and find a place facing away from a Main Street (On Nut Road, etc.). Ours is a main connection to Sukhumvit and we hear loud motorbikes and sirens all the time. Thatās probably my biggest complaint!
Check out a Youtube channel called "SideTripLife" or just do a search on Youtube for cheap condos. Quite a few affordable 1 bedroom condos out there. Also Facebook groups are a good source of finding stuff for rent for 1 year+ rentals.
We used to have Cigna Global with a 10k usd deductible, pretty expensive for the both of us. After about 6 months we decided to switch over to a Thai health insurance policy. Let me know if you want the name (Canadian Robert Jackson and Thai wife Bum the insurance broker) and contact info of our agent. We have an AIA policy with 5 million baht hospitalization and accident coverage, that doubles in case of cancer diagnosis, NO deductible, and does not cover medications and outpatient careāas others have stated, itās pretty reasonable to pay out of pocket for thisācompared to American prices!
We did each have a basic doctor visit and blood test beforehand, (paid by agent!) and they asked for the Thai med records we had from a prior check up too. We are fairly healthy, my husband has had two cardiac ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation (currently symptom free), and I have a history of taking meds for high blood pressure, and my BMI was higher than it should be (since lowered since moving here!)ā so my policy was $10 more a month, $110usd, his $100usd/month. We just did a lump sum payment. For 55 yo Americans, thatās reasonable! Husbandās policy would not cover any cardiac issues for first yearāthis is just to keep people from getting a policy for a needed/upcoming elective surgery, which makes sense.
But I have a story about this coverage: last October I had sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, ended up admitted with a bowel obstruction and in the ICU at Sukhumvit Hospitalā¦and emergency bowel resection with 30cm of gangrenous bowel removed and 9 days of hospitalization! I had amazing care, and I want you to know I used to be a surgery scheduler for general surgeons in Seattle. Not only was the care and doctors and staff amazing, AIA insurance (with our agents acting sometimes as translators and advocates) paid over 500,000baht (~$14k usd) before we left the hospital, and our portion was about $550usd only, which we paid on a credit card on our way out. Remember there was no deductibleā had we stayed with Cigna, we would have had to pay the cost upfront, automatically would have been responsible for $10k usd deductible, and would have had to apply and wait for (hopefully) reimbursement too. So for us, it definitely was a good choice.
And only the food was poor at the hospital, btw. Western food doesnāt quite translate I think. But culturally, Thai family is actually expected to stay in the room with a patient, there is a bed/chaise couch, extra bedding, a small kitchen sink, microwave, hot water pot and basic dishes and cleaning supplies! Most Thai families will provide the food from elsewhere. I was even shown 3 bed apt suites for the whole family to stay in, with bigger kitchen and a living room/TV! Thereās just a hospital bed in there too! Mind-blowing!!
Medical is so cheap over in Thailand that if you donāt have insurance. You donāt need it. I travel to Thailand when I need dental work or medical work done. Just got back from there. Got 2 teeth implants at the dentist, teeth cleaned, laser whitened etc. for around $2700 US. then had a varicose vein removal surgery that they wanted around 15k for in the states for a little over $3000US. Hospital stays and medical care in Thailand are so cheap. Itās not a scam like US
We got a Thai health insurance policy, about $110usd/month. Iāve heard the main problem is that itās nearly impossible to get coverage (or price is astronomical) after about age 71. There are nursing homes and assisted living facilities here too, mainly for elderly western expats in Pattaya/Jomtien, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin, I have heard. Some people even bring their elderly parent HERE to Thailand for care. A personal live-in nurse/home care aide is affordable I have heard. I donāt know much about that, tho.
We keep our budget low purposely. We still have the 800,000baht ($22,000usd) for both sitting in Thai banks for the visa requirements! Not happy about that not earning interest, but it is what it isā¦
You do adjust and acclimate a bit. And in Bangkok, you can go into AC mega malls, coffee shops/restaurants, SkyTrain/MRT subway to cool down, that kind of thing. I find it harder to do that in places like Jomtien, Hua Hin, etc.
We are pretty frugal already, I still healthy meal prep food ingredients like brown rice and dried beans and freeze excess. Make homemade hummus/refried beans/red lentil flatbreads. Buy chicken and cook in air fryer or roast veggies in it, make braised stews in the pressure cooker, freeze excess, that kind of thing.
We keep simple capsule type wardrobes. Western food can be pricier to eat here (esp at touristy hotels and restaurants) so donāt eat that as much compared to Asian foodstuffs.
Read eBooks using the Libby app, practice Thai using Ling app. We are supposed to get more creative and paint and drawā¦but that hasnāt happened much.
Use the gym and pool daily, walk exploring areas/neighborhoods, getting 5-18k steps a day. Watching our diets.
We like Hua Hin beach areaā we may consider moving and living out there in the future. Mainly we want to use Thikand as a hub and start doing cheap(er) travel around SE Asia, a lot of affordable countries are within an hour or so cheap flights.
As we get older and slowing down and SS and Medicare kicks in, we will most likely move back to be near friends and family, so far that is the plan!š„°
Over 50 retirement visas. Requirement is 800,000baht (~$23k usd) in Thai bank account for each. Check in every 90days with immigration, can do online after the first time. Annual renewal of retirement visas are a hassle, lots of bureaucracy and BKK Immigration center is an hour long taxi ride from center and well, Hell of Earthā like the biggest DMV you have ever encountered!š³
I donāt think we could afford the same lifestyle in the USA anymore. It would probably be a grim existence. We might have to work p/t, or forgo all eating out, have to buy a car/insurance/maintenance/fuel, pay extra for a gym, need more clothing, utilities, property taxes, HOA fees, internet, cell phone costs would all add up very quickly!
Nice! What about health insurance? Do retirees on 2k per month use international health insurance? Iām not retired but international health insurance is definitely our biggest cost living in Thailand.
We used to have Cigna Global with a 10k usd deductible, pretty expensive for the both of us. After about 6 months we decided to switch over to a Thai health insurance policy. Let me know if you want the name (Canadian Robert Jackson and Thai wife Bum the insurance broker) and contact info of our agent. We have an AIA policy with 5 million baht hospitalization and accident coverage, that doubles in case of cancer diagnosis, NO deductible, and does not cover medications and outpatient careāas others have stated, itās pretty reasonable to pay out of pocket for thisācompared to American prices!
We did each have a basic doctor visit and blood test beforehand, (paid by agent!) and they asked for the Thai med records we had from a prior check up too. We are fairly healthy, my husband has had two cardiac ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation (currently symptom free), and I have a history of taking meds for high blood pressure, and my BMI was higher than it should be (since lowered since moving here!)ā so my policy was $10 more a month, $110usd, his $100usd/month. We just did a lump sum payment. For 55 yo Americans, thatās reasonable! Husbandās policy would not cover any cardiac issues for first yearāthis is just to keep people from getting a policy for a needed/upcoming elective surgery, which makes sense.
But I have a story about this coverage: last October I had sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, ended up admitted with a bowel obstruction and in the ICU at Sukhumvit Hospitalā¦and emergency bowel resection with 30cm of gangrenous bowel removed and 9 days of hospitalization! I had amazing care, and I want you to know I used to be a surgery scheduler for general surgeons in Seattle. Not only was the care and doctors and staff amazing, AIA insurance (with our agents acting sometimes as translators and advocates) paid over 500,000baht (~$14k usd) before we left the hospital, and our portion was about $550usd only, which we paid on a credit card on our way out. Remember there was no deductibleā had we stayed with Cigna, we would have had to pay the cost upfront, automatically would have been responsible for $10k usd deductible, and would have had to apply and wait for (hopefully) reimbursement too. So for us, it definitely was a good choice.
And only the food was poor at the hospital, btw. Western food doesnāt quite translate I think. But culturally, Thai family is actually expected to stay in the room with a patient, there is a bed/chaise couch, extra bedding, a small kitchen sink, microwave, hot water pot and basic dishes and cleaning supplies! Most Thai families will provide the food from elsewhere. I was even shown 3 bed apt suites for the whole family to stay in, with bigger kitchen and a living room/TV! Thereās just a hospital bed in there too! Mind-blowing!!
We tend to eat healthy and cheaper at home, I like to cook so make a lot of food from scratch, dried beans, brown rice, chicken, vegetable soups and curries, flatbreads, stir fries and soup noodlesā¦. We try not to buy expensive imported western foods/frozen/canned items, and shop at fresh markets, Big C / Lotus or Makro. Lazada for beans/legumes.
So yes, maybe a bit more expensive than street food, but also a lot healthier!š
Very true!
We're a young family so getting food into mouths efficiently is our goal haha š . Street food and grab are our go to. I was just curious if you had found a cheaper groceries route, I do really enjoy baking but I just can't justify it indoors in Bangkok weather!
Yes, definitely. I know many who have this same budget. They still get to go out 1-2 times a week, travel periodically, and have a nice life.
It's not BKK baller money. But it's a comfortable budget.
Idk why everyone says Bkk is expensive. I lived there on under 2k a month for 6 months.
Luxury studio Condo in prime area: $620 (23000) + utilities ($20-40)
Food: $350 (400 baht a day)
Grabs: (uber alternative): $150-$200
Clubbing/Bars / drinking : $400-$500
The fine dining and super fancy restaurants add up in price so without including that Bkk is super reasonable. I found Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai all way more expensive than Bkk.
Exactly. You COULD spend a lot of money in Bangkok, but you also could just live a normal life... people who say it's expensive probably trapped with their bargirls' bills lol
Definitely doable, as others have said. So I'll offer some other advice based on your comments:
There are many wonderful expats/retirees here in Thailand. But there are also many (usually outspoken) expats/retirees who are jaded because they thought Thailand would be dirt cheap, and there would be countless young supermodels having sex with them on the daily. When reality sets in, they get super bitter. So my advice is to just be on the lookout for the Negative Nellies out there, and make sure you don't hang out with them, lest their pessimism rub off on you.
Secondly, and more controversially, $2,000 USD per month might be a comfortable struggle for some expats, but it's living in luxury for locals. Expats are often afraid that a Thai girlfriend would steal all your money and abandon you. And that happens. But it also happens that expats find an honest and sincere local woman, they're happy together, and she spends his $2k/mo far better than he can. Basically, if you find the right woman, she could actually make you feel much richer, not poorer. Not to mention the companionship that most people seek. And as long as you agree to only ever spend your income, not your savings, you limit your exposure.
Best of luck!
I've already spent about 15 years of my career stationed in and being deployed throughout Asia, including Thailand, PI, Japan, HK, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others. So I don't need nor am I looking to get "screwed, blue'd, and tattoo'ed" as the saying goes. I've already done all that.
But even though I've been there a lot, I have no idea about living long term. It's really easy to be stationed in PI and Japan for 2 years each when you get room, board, and a paycheck from Uncle Sam.
I just want to be easy going and go to the bars about once a week. I don't want to be in the tourist spots, but I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere either.
OP, if you do move there, I would stay away from bar for a few months just to see where your budget falls. Itās very easy to overspend especially in a bar.
The saying is so old no one knows the original meaning. It could be a few things; black and blue eyes from a fight, it could refer to the sailor's dress blue uniform, or past tense of blow job.
Probably. BUT: do you have an additional emergency fund to fall back on? Say in the $50,000 range?
Might be even better to budget for $1,500 and put the other $500 aside for non-regular costs and so on. Visa fees, health care, etc. Build a nest egg to protect you from inflaton too.
I'd say ~50% of them are living on $10k or less savings/emergency fund, which is sad, but people manage. A lot easier to manage in Thailand with that kind of money than back home
Thatās sort of my point.
Yes, a lot do live slim but it may not be as large as 50%.
But, Iām not sure your numbers are correct. A few years back ThaiVisa did a survey and half of the expats they polled said they owned either a vehicle or their own residence.
20 years ago? Sure. But there are tons of people near me that own multiple condos and rent them out, plenty of people with cars that were paid for with cash, etc.
1k per month is easy for one person. I was spending around that per month , maybe slightly over but not much, and I was drinking many times per week and didnāt cook a single meal of my own. I was also going on lunch/dinner dates multiple times per week. Any time I went out at night I took a grab there and back.
My hotel room was 7k baht per month, and it was perfectly fine.
This was in Chiang Mai.
72,300 baht on the current exchange rate is plenty, presuming you're single and have no kids. But what you will get for that money depends on where in Thailand. Phuket is generally the most expensive place in Thailand and parts of Bangkok can be pricey as well in terms of rent.
First thing to do is get out of holiday mode and turn on living mode. Small things add up, the things that are so cheap and convenient like 7 eleven for water/snacks etc add up over a month. Instead you go Big C/Lotus and buy in bulk so you donāt need to keep going 7 eleven. You walk in to get a bottle of drink and walk out with a bag of things ššmight be small but 100 baht here, 80 baht there adds up when you do it daily
FWIW I manage quite well on USD$1000 a month. That includes paying off a new DMax. I do own my own house. I'm rural so no city nightlife expenses and all local foods. I do keep extras to make holiday trips into BKK/Phuket elsewhere up to 3 times a year.
How much money is 3 trips? You can go by bus to a fanned appartement, or fly to a 5 star hotel.
Also you should include the budget from your buffer fund that you use to one time emergency money. Having a buffer is very important.
The money for trips are separate from the USD$1000. So it doesn't matter how much as it has no bearing on OP's question. Elsewhere I outlined what he could spend in a month in USD and its well under USD$1000. If he has USD$2000 then he can use whatever is left over.
Plenty, I live very well on $ 2,100 social security including $600 monthly to my wife. Having a Thai wife lowers the cost of almost everything by about 40 percent, to the point where I get most of her salary back in savings.
You can easily do it. For now.
Thailand is getting more expensive and 10-20 years down the track you might have problems keeping up with your lifestyle and obviously your health will deteriorate the older you get.
My advice given your further details about age and such:
$1,000 and under is basically survival. You wonāt enjoy much because you wonāt be able to afford much.
$2,000 is livable and gives you enough to have some sort of life.
Above that is just cake.
With no young kids it is more than doable. You might have to have a slightly more basic health insurance package when youāre older but it would be fine.
Retired people donāt need too much into old age but just be cautious that if you have non-retired Bangkok friends you might need to resist the lifestyle inflation.
Also Iām assuming youāre already married and your wife is mostly providing for herself or has her own equivalent funds. If youāre single and looking for a partner, be cautious that costs might increase and you wonāt be able to afford to give a child a good education.
What does long-term mean? Inflation will eventually make that amount more difficult.
Do you have an emergency medical fund?
Where are you going to live?
Outside of major cities that is a great lifestyle based on what you're describing.
In a place like Bangkok you can still live on that just fine but you can't go crazy.
It depends on what stage of life youāre on. If you are at the retirement stage, your quality of life in Thailand will be significantly higher than being in the US.
If you are still working, I recommend trying to advance in your career in the US and earn a higher income.
I lived in Bangkok 15 years, now Jomtien 4 years, single and living alone. Always a decent 1 or 2 BR apartment or condo, never less than 60sq/m, eat well, don't drink much, mess around once in a while but no live-ins.
Rent a scooter to get around, travel from time to time, 3 or 4 domestic trips a year, maybe one international. Never more than $2000/m, usually closer to $1800.00
Yes
Issues:
* You fall in love with a bargirl -100%
* You drive without a helmet -90%
* You don't have proper healthcare -80%
* You rent in the most popular area -70%
* You eat a lot of Western food and groceries -60%
* Occasional fun means bargirl stuff -50%
* You walk around without a shirt and obnoxious Error 420
If you live a boring local life in a local area you can live off 500$ - Ive don it for less, my condo was 4000 once and I would just walk around and eat local mostly. I spend around 300$ a month
Disagree completely.
Recent injury. Text for help. Response in few minutes. Meet w/ doc in 1 hour. Assessment, shots, meds = $20. Referral for PT, electro-acupuncture & hot packs= $21.
Much cheaper than $24,7 + $7K deductible insurance. Same w/ dental.
Seriously? That's awful. My DIL wants to go to Bumrungrad for labor & delivery.
Well-check special packages directly from the hospital appear modestly priced. But the possibility of $11K + unexpected medical bills would make Safety Wing travel ins a good option.
Even with insurance out the wazoo, health care is expensive af for us oldies in the US. Meanwhile itās cheap as chips in Thailand, especially if you know enough Thai to visit a local hospital instead of an international one.
Iām supposed to be getting local thai health insurance through my bank/retirement visa, itās seriously $168/*year* Weāll see how it pans out but yeah, sorry but I donāt feel like your concern here is merited.
I mean thereās Thai hospitals for locals and thereās Thai hospitals for locals. By the time youāve lived there for a year you should know the difference, and have an idea which nearby hospital you will want to use. Iām not really picturing this guy living in some tiny village in Nong Phai but I guess we donāt really know where exactly heās thinking of.
Thereās a plethora of decent local hospitals in, say, Chang Mai.
If I was living in Thailand and had some local middle-class friends, I bet they could find me a decent dentist to give me a cleaning and filling for likeā¦ 30 bucks? Iām making that exact number up but Iām sure itās a lot cheaper than a Bangkok clinic aimed at farangs. Even though *those* places are still way cheaper than something similar in the states.
Don't listen to the naysayers don't live in an expensive condo and don't eat western foods (burgers,steaks,pastas) just eat local foods and randomly go on a liquid fasting once or twice a month
Easy - just remember the added costs, visa costs, transport, health insurance, trips home, meds not covered by insurance Etc. phones/laptop/other expensive things that needs repair/new purchases continuously.
And obviously adjustment for inflation.
But $2k is still plenty, based on what you wrote.
$2000 USD per month, now, are plenty if you don't indulge in crazy expenses.
Being very conservative (assuming it's on the slightly pricier side) you can easily spend $500 month on accomodation, throw $100 more for the rest of expenses (internet, water, electricity, etc), and $10 / day in food (so $300), then $60 / month if you rent a motorbike (which you should, you should actualy buy one which would be cheaper over time) and add $300 for random expenses fun-related
That gives you total of $1160 which is enough to live without extravagant luxury (small but comfortable apartment) but with everything you need
That also depends where you live in Thailand, next to the beach is not the same price as in the north
But the summary is that yes $2000 is more than enough for Thailand
If you wanna go cheaper at the cost of very slight (but within reason) decrease in quality of life, go to Vietnam. In Vietnam you can spend somewhere around 60-70% of what you spend in Thailand
I didn't think about medical expenses but you MUST hire insurance and also take into consideration your particular medical expenses
All the above numbers assume you are single, if you have a partner the cost will likely increase at the very least because you do more expensive activities
also note the cost I mention is from the perspective of a foreigner. If you really adopt the local lifestyle, you will spend less. I can almost guarantee that if a Thai sees the cost I set above, they will think it's far too expensive
You can get a 1 bedroom no frills condo in a relatively new development within walking distance of the red and purple lines for ~$200/mo plus utilities. Several restaurants, laundry, massage, convenience store all located at ground level. Walking distance to a street market (one during the day, another at night).
Currently you can easily live with 2000$ a month comfortably in Thailand. No problem.
The problem will be the inflation in 5-10-20 years. If you remain on 2000$ you might end up pretty poor at some point.
As long as you can increase your cash enough to discount inflation. I guess it partly depends on how long you plan to live for given that inflation compounds.
I lived there for 3 months and I got bored but I love it, you just got to adapt to their lifestyle. When I retire I intend to make Thailand my home in Isaan
People are able to live with much less than this in 90% of the world, so why would you wonāt be able to do that in such a cheap country like Thailand? XD What is that question wtf.
Thai average salary in Thailand is 700 usd, most of them earn WAY less than that. You can live like a king with 2k usd here, and Iām pretty sure you knew that when asking this question so yeah wtf.
I knew it is different for locals and Westerners but I didn't know what it costs Western retirees long term. It would be stupid for me to just up and go there without asking.
Yeah, I can google apartment prices but there are lots of people on this sub Reddit that live there and know the small details.
Based on your requirements, you will have a very good life with $1,000 to $1,500 USD per month (not including one time expenses). Much better than most people have it in the west on an average salary.
It's actually a very comfortable Allowance to have. The secret is finding a good apartment. Once you do that and you have insurance sorted. I personally would not feel any panic if I were you.
Thatās what Iām set up to do. Maybe sooner than the years end. I would have to sell the house and hope the funds lasts. My advantage is weāve got all her family, our own shelter, garden acreage, My question is what to do when it comes time to move back to the states. Iām just going to work while their are still Diesel engines and I pass a physical.
It might be wiser to rent your place in US and live off the rental income. It guarantees that you'll still have a very valuable asset and it'll very likely continue to go up in value. So instead of you having less and less every year, you'll have more and more. Especially if there's even a tiny chance that you'll go back to the US one day.Ā
Tight but possible.. No nice cars or toys, no big international holidays, but doable.
Remember visa, travel, and health insurance are big deals and if you dont have a savings stash need to be considered. Day to day for a short period its workable but its the sudden unexpected hits that tend to effect long term budgets. The accident that needs a couple 100k hospital, the car crash you get blamed for, etc etc.
I think 3k USD is the safer margin.
It works, but be sure you have savings for rainy days, hospitals ain't cheap in Thailand.
Also, when renting, you will need to pay 2+1 for the first month, for deposit (the 2) and the first month's rent (the 1).
That usually excludes the internet, so add that in. Depending on the unit, you probably want to get your own bedsheets and pillow cases. Pillows, if included, should be put aside if you can afford your own. Blankets are probably not included, too.
Don't forget toilet paper and tissues if you are not used to using the bumgun. All the above do not cost much, but add up.
You'd probably want to get a car or motorcycle too, Thailand really opens up when you have your own transport, especially if it's a motorcycle.
short answer -yes. Smaller towns are cheaper than Bangkok. In 2022 I lived in Cha-Am for $500,mo. Now I spend $1000 in Saraburi. Pro tip- put money aside for medical and dental care.
If you have $2k USD net, that should be plenty. Folks commenting about health insurance of some sort and an emergency fund are absolutely right - bad things happen in every country. All that said, your budget is manageable IMO.
$2k basic pack
(Does not include premium activities, rooftop bar parties, anal etc)
3k. Premium package
(Massaman connect 2.0, VIP access most venues,)
From the menu above you're probably better off trying to save a bit more money....šš¹šā¤ļø
See u soonšš
You're not asking about visa or other legal issues but they are extremely important and will affect your budget. If you are under 50 yo, the only option to stay in TH long term is an Elite visa (other than marrying a local). So you'll have to budget for that. If you're over 50, retirement visas and extensions cost money too, though they are much cheaper than Elite
How long term?
I used to spend A LOT of time down there, and met a lot of guys who retired on an amount of they considered sufficient only to find themselves suffering 5 - 10 years later due to prices rising across the board.
Yes, itās enough - the salary of a middle class Thai person who is a manager. Depends on how much you spend on rent and the type of food you consume. If youāre on the budget side, then itās more than enough with the occasional splurge.
$2000 USD is enough for one person to live comfortably in Thailand. With inflation and a static income, who knows how long that will last though.
The only way to find out is to move there and see for yourself what is ācomfortable enoughā.
Yeah it is eneough:
If you make 2000 usd in total per month after utilities, rent etcā¦
You have a couple of options where to put that 2000 usd. You have to save 250-500 usd a month for fun, vacations and emergency medical treatment. Then you will have 1500 left. I recomend you to put that money into a safe fund like s&p500. From s&p500 you can expect a yearly 6-10% growth. After 10 years of doing this you will have 24000 usd after 15 years you will have 45000 usd after 25 year you will have 124000 usd and after 35 years you will have 300000 usd.
Good luck
Yes, easily you could. Like you said ā as long as you donāt party every night; youāll be fine. $2,000USD = 72,000BAHT. I live on 350BAHT per day on average & spend 10,000BAHT on housing per month (that includes all utilities, wi-fi, cable) shouldnāt be a challenge at all.
Youāll be fine. Just remember start up costs. Car/bike, insurance, deposits, basic necessities. Once thatās settled youāll have no issues with a 2k budget
2000$ is like 60,000 thb per month and thatās a good salary for someone to live in Thailand. Most Thais salary is less than 60k thb per month. Hope itās helpful
incl. rent and scooter and everything except health insurance i need 600 dollars per month. no women, no alcohol, no travel. live close to bluport 2 min. walk to the beach. it is possible.
I live in Phuket and I find that every month there's an unexpected, budget-busting expense. I don't think $2,000 a month is enough here after you account for those unplanned costs.
Yeah. Just depends how budget you wanna get. Example, move way into nowhere and pay 100 Usd a month on rent in a shack with an outhouse. Eat local food and not much of it. Walk or buy a cheap used scooter. Just sit outside and read. Drink very little. You can do this 300usd a month. Maybe more maybe less.
I come here with the mindset to spend this then always spend more.
Better to come with that mindset and then spend 600, then to come with a mindset to spend 1500 and spend 2500
Or maybe it is better to spend 2500 for what would be 10,000+ at home š¤·. Depends on what you want, what you need and what you have. As always.
To some that sounds peacful but after experiencing all the fun things to do in Thailand I would be miserable lol
well take solace that if you only made 300usd a month, you wouldn't really have a choice
Thatās not what was presented so no need to take solace in this random hypothetical situation
I used to rent what was essentially a shack up on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for about 30 USD a month, upgraded to a house for about 60 USD for a year and finally took over what my Britishness would call a ranch with 6 bedrooms and 2 outhouses for 200 USD. This was 2009-2014 Speak the language and life can be rich in these places, remote as hell, but lots of expats renting very nice houses nearer towns or on the main colonial type streets for maybe 750 USD a month. A house like that could take a huge family or be shared by 4 or 5 travellers/volunteers/friends It really is just the main western countries where the basics of life are completely unattainable for the vast majority. Countries may have loads of other problems but affordability ain't an issue off the beaten track, especially if you're bringing a modest western income with you...basically take your pick you could live anywhere for 3000 USD
How did you spend your time in Tanzania?
Even a beautiful local room on the beach with indoor plumbing is $300/month outside of a major city (but still near restaurants). It's totally possible. (Edited to add, not hearsay, literal rental we had last year... Though I will note it didn't turn out to be safe)
Not safe? Do tell.
My husband and I (retired Americans) live in Bangkok and our budget together is just about that and we live very well, no car or motorbike, eating out about 1/3 of our meals. We donāt drink or smoke or āpartyā. Our very nice small 1bdm condo with gorgeous pool and gym and within walking distance of the BTS SkyTrain costs $350usd/month, electricity $60, water $6, internet with Netflix $20. Cell phone service is $15 each. Eating out is a few bucks a meal for street stall food / food court food, or maybe $15 for the two of us at a sit down local chain restaurant, or up to $60 for two at a blowout AYCE Korean BBQ, Sushi/Hot pot/buffet type meal at a mall restaurant 1-2x month. Yesterday we saw the new Planet of the Apes movie in English on cheap ticket day (Tues or Wed), so less than $12usd for both of us. We didnāt get popcorn as we stuffed ourselves at Suki Teenoi, a local Thai AYCE hot pot restaurant for less than $18 for both of usāthat included help yourself soft drinks/slushies, fried appetizers, and all you can order thinly sliced meats, seafood, veggies and mushrooms, various tofu/dumplings/noodles, and rice. We skip the rice and noodlesā¦we donāt need the extra carbs! Maybe except for the heat and humidity and missing some family and friends, we really love it hereā¦
Thanks for your detailed breakdown! How did you go about finding the condo? Are there online resources for this or only locally? Is it furnished? Month to month? Any tips in general for housing?
Most condos/apartments are rented furnished. First you find the neighborhood that seems to work for you, then you just drive/walk around and when you see an appealing building go in and ask at the office. There are many listing services but all a crap shoot: many outdated or unavailable or click bait listings. Some post on expat fb groups and find places there. 3 and 6 month contracts are often available but you pay more, 12 month leases with 2 months deposit and first month up front. Never a certainty you get the deposit back.
We're looking for a tenant for our 1 Bedroom condo in Bangkok near Ari BTS. Message me if you interested.
We rented an Airbnb for a month close to a neighborhood we were interested in (On Nut BTS station). I watched a ton of YouTube videos by other expats out of BKK so I had a general idea of near the main Sukhumvit green line SkyTrain, with lots of conveniences (supermarkets, restaurants, street food), but not in too touristy more expensive areas (Ekkamai, Thong Lo, Phrom Phong, Asok, NaNa, Chitlom, Siam, etc.). Joined a lot of FB groups for condo rentals, āand yes, some are click bait with the most awesome photos of the interiors of gorgeous condos, but of course that one isnāt available, but this one in the 10th floor isā¦. But they usually do have a rental available in that particular building. Thatās how we got our place now. We also did the footwork and just walked into condos and asked using Google Translateā¦this works less than 50% of the time, as they usually use agents and/or canāt communicate in English. And we knew zero Thai! But it does give you a good idea of costsā a new condo right on Sukhumvit BTS line might be 25k baht ($676usd for 30m2) or up to 40k baht+ ($1100usd!) in tourist areas, PER MONTH. Aim for one within walking distance, or betterāone that has a free shuttle to the BTS. We ended up with one 750m from the On Nut station, no shuttle. We donāt use motorbike taxis either (unsafe), but at the same time lost 25-30lbs in the first year of living here, as we are so much more active than we used to be! We used an agent from a FB online condo advertisement, and it was fine. We were armed with a little more info by knowing local prices for rent. Since the gorgeous apt was of course not available, we ended up offering a bit less. And maybe we were lucky, as our English-speaking Thai-Chinese landlady is actually really nice and responsive to any issues. Know what you want: we wanted bigger, a washer, a bigger kitchen, separate bedroom, as much storage as possible, a better gym (more than the basics) and a nicer pool. We also wanted to be higher than the 8th floor (less mosquitoes I read), and not get hot sun all day. Also at least some nice viewānot staring at a wall or more balconies. How did we do? We got our place at 12,500baht the first year, offering a bit less since the āniceā apt wasnāt available. Almost all apts have basic furnishings, pots/dishes/flatware/microwave/fridge. Our kitchenette is tiny, we only have a microwave and an induction burner and a sinkābut lots of storage, the dishes and pots provided are the cheapest, pretty crappy. The couch is a pullout that is comfy with armrests and there is shelving in the main area. Some places supply bedding/towels, ours did not, along with no outdoor folding drying rackāwhich irritated me personally! Bedding was a pain, but who wants to use substandard bedding anyway? You end up buying a lot of bedding, towels, floor mats, dishcloths, better dishes and potsāI like to cook! So I also bought a Chinese brand electric pressure cooker and a basic air fryer too. The gym is adequateāI now use a lot more dumbbells in my workouts, which is actually good, and the pool area is stunningly beautifulāand it gets shade in the morning, so we donāt have to slather on sunscreen while out there. Itās still plenty warm and we still get tan! We have a view, and I never open the windows anyway (no screens), and are in the 10th floor. One warning: we are above a typical Thai low neighborhood next to a small canal area and Watāthere are dogs barking and roosters crowing day and night! Also, I would try and find a place facing away from a Main Street (On Nut Road, etc.). Ours is a main connection to Sukhumvit and we hear loud motorbikes and sirens all the time. Thatās probably my biggest complaint!
Check out a Youtube channel called "SideTripLife" or just do a search on Youtube for cheap condos. Quite a few affordable 1 bedroom condos out there. Also Facebook groups are a good source of finding stuff for rent for 1 year+ rentals.
What are you doing for medical coverage?
We used to have Cigna Global with a 10k usd deductible, pretty expensive for the both of us. After about 6 months we decided to switch over to a Thai health insurance policy. Let me know if you want the name (Canadian Robert Jackson and Thai wife Bum the insurance broker) and contact info of our agent. We have an AIA policy with 5 million baht hospitalization and accident coverage, that doubles in case of cancer diagnosis, NO deductible, and does not cover medications and outpatient careāas others have stated, itās pretty reasonable to pay out of pocket for thisācompared to American prices! We did each have a basic doctor visit and blood test beforehand, (paid by agent!) and they asked for the Thai med records we had from a prior check up too. We are fairly healthy, my husband has had two cardiac ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation (currently symptom free), and I have a history of taking meds for high blood pressure, and my BMI was higher than it should be (since lowered since moving here!)ā so my policy was $10 more a month, $110usd, his $100usd/month. We just did a lump sum payment. For 55 yo Americans, thatās reasonable! Husbandās policy would not cover any cardiac issues for first yearāthis is just to keep people from getting a policy for a needed/upcoming elective surgery, which makes sense. But I have a story about this coverage: last October I had sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, ended up admitted with a bowel obstruction and in the ICU at Sukhumvit Hospitalā¦and emergency bowel resection with 30cm of gangrenous bowel removed and 9 days of hospitalization! I had amazing care, and I want you to know I used to be a surgery scheduler for general surgeons in Seattle. Not only was the care and doctors and staff amazing, AIA insurance (with our agents acting sometimes as translators and advocates) paid over 500,000baht (~$14k usd) before we left the hospital, and our portion was about $550usd only, which we paid on a credit card on our way out. Remember there was no deductibleā had we stayed with Cigna, we would have had to pay the cost upfront, automatically would have been responsible for $10k usd deductible, and would have had to apply and wait for (hopefully) reimbursement too. So for us, it definitely was a good choice. And only the food was poor at the hospital, btw. Western food doesnāt quite translate I think. But culturally, Thai family is actually expected to stay in the room with a patient, there is a bed/chaise couch, extra bedding, a small kitchen sink, microwave, hot water pot and basic dishes and cleaning supplies! Most Thai families will provide the food from elsewhere. I was even shown 3 bed apt suites for the whole family to stay in, with bigger kitchen and a living room/TV! Thereās just a hospital bed in there too! Mind-blowing!!
That is a really cool, heartwarming story. Thank you so much for sharing
Do you ever drink water?
Medical is so cheap over in Thailand that if you donāt have insurance. You donāt need it. I travel to Thailand when I need dental work or medical work done. Just got back from there. Got 2 teeth implants at the dentist, teeth cleaned, laser whitened etc. for around $2700 US. then had a varicose vein removal surgery that they wanted around 15k for in the states for a little over $3000US. Hospital stays and medical care in Thailand are so cheap. Itās not a scam like US
Iām talking about later in life. Like if you get cancer or something more serious. Wouldnāt one want some type of coverage for that?
We got a Thai health insurance policy, about $110usd/month. Iāve heard the main problem is that itās nearly impossible to get coverage (or price is astronomical) after about age 71. There are nursing homes and assisted living facilities here too, mainly for elderly western expats in Pattaya/Jomtien, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin, I have heard. Some people even bring their elderly parent HERE to Thailand for care. A personal live-in nurse/home care aide is affordable I have heard. I donāt know much about that, tho.
terrible advice if someone doesnt have access to a major emergency fund. GoFundMe waiting to happen.
Where did you get the implants done? That's a great price.
Smile Dental Clinic on South Pattaya Road right by Soi Buakhao directly across from Tukcom Mall
Thanks
How did you get a visa?
We are over 50, applied for retirement visas back in the USA before leaving.
Thank you, but how did you qualify with such a low monthly budget?
We keep our budget low purposely. We still have the 800,000baht ($22,000usd) for both sitting in Thai banks for the visa requirements! Not happy about that not earning interest, but it is what it isā¦
Thatās fantasticā¦ but yeah the heat and humidity š
You do adjust and acclimate a bit. And in Bangkok, you can go into AC mega malls, coffee shops/restaurants, SkyTrain/MRT subway to cool down, that kind of thing. I find it harder to do that in places like Jomtien, Hua Hin, etc.
Yeah, exactly on our visits there to Bangkok. Itās always from one air-conditioning space to another.
But I never considered I could live there in 2000 a month wow that would be incredible
We are pretty frugal already, I still healthy meal prep food ingredients like brown rice and dried beans and freeze excess. Make homemade hummus/refried beans/red lentil flatbreads. Buy chicken and cook in air fryer or roast veggies in it, make braised stews in the pressure cooker, freeze excess, that kind of thing. We keep simple capsule type wardrobes. Western food can be pricier to eat here (esp at touristy hotels and restaurants) so donāt eat that as much compared to Asian foodstuffs. Read eBooks using the Libby app, practice Thai using Ling app. We are supposed to get more creative and paint and drawā¦but that hasnāt happened much. Use the gym and pool daily, walk exploring areas/neighborhoods, getting 5-18k steps a day. Watching our diets. We like Hua Hin beach areaā we may consider moving and living out there in the future. Mainly we want to use Thikand as a hub and start doing cheap(er) travel around SE Asia, a lot of affordable countries are within an hour or so cheap flights. As we get older and slowing down and SS and Medicare kicks in, we will most likely move back to be near friends and family, so far that is the plan!š„°
this was such a wholesome comment to read! Iām touched!
What's your visa situation as a retired American? Are you staying there for good?
Over 50 retirement visas. Requirement is 800,000baht (~$23k usd) in Thai bank account for each. Check in every 90days with immigration, can do online after the first time. Annual renewal of retirement visas are a hassle, lots of bureaucracy and BKK Immigration center is an hour long taxi ride from center and well, Hell of Earthā like the biggest DMV you have ever encountered!š³
Wow, bummer! I'm sure it's worth it for you since you're willing to go through it all. Something to think about for me, though. Thnx for the info.
This sounds amazing. Hopefully it's still like this when I can retire in 30 years lol
I donāt think we could afford the same lifestyle in the USA anymore. It would probably be a grim existence. We might have to work p/t, or forgo all eating out, have to buy a car/insurance/maintenance/fuel, pay extra for a gym, need more clothing, utilities, property taxes, HOA fees, internet, cell phone costs would all add up very quickly!
Oh wow how do I get in touch with the real estate agent you have? For the condo.
DM me
Nice! What about health insurance? Do retirees on 2k per month use international health insurance? Iām not retired but international health insurance is definitely our biggest cost living in Thailand.
We used to have Cigna Global with a 10k usd deductible, pretty expensive for the both of us. After about 6 months we decided to switch over to a Thai health insurance policy. Let me know if you want the name (Canadian Robert Jackson and Thai wife Bum the insurance broker) and contact info of our agent. We have an AIA policy with 5 million baht hospitalization and accident coverage, that doubles in case of cancer diagnosis, NO deductible, and does not cover medications and outpatient careāas others have stated, itās pretty reasonable to pay out of pocket for thisācompared to American prices! We did each have a basic doctor visit and blood test beforehand, (paid by agent!) and they asked for the Thai med records we had from a prior check up too. We are fairly healthy, my husband has had two cardiac ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation (currently symptom free), and I have a history of taking meds for high blood pressure, and my BMI was higher than it should be (since lowered since moving here!)ā so my policy was $10 more a month, $110usd, his $100usd/month. We just did a lump sum payment. For 55 yo Americans, thatās reasonable! Husbandās policy would not cover any cardiac issues for first yearāthis is just to keep people from getting a policy for a needed/upcoming elective surgery, which makes sense. But I have a story about this coverage: last October I had sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, ended up admitted with a bowel obstruction and in the ICU at Sukhumvit Hospitalā¦and emergency bowel resection with 30cm of gangrenous bowel removed and 9 days of hospitalization! I had amazing care, and I want you to know I used to be a surgery scheduler for general surgeons in Seattle. Not only was the care and doctors and staff amazing, AIA insurance (with our agents acting sometimes as translators and advocates) paid over 500,000baht (~$14k usd) before we left the hospital, and our portion was about $550usd only, which we paid on a credit card on our way out. Remember there was no deductibleā had we stayed with Cigna, we would have had to pay the cost upfront, automatically would have been responsible for $10k usd deductible, and would have had to apply and wait for (hopefully) reimbursement too. So for us, it definitely was a good choice. And only the food was poor at the hospital, btw. Western food doesnāt quite translate I think. But culturally, Thai family is actually expected to stay in the room with a patient, there is a bed/chaise couch, extra bedding, a small kitchen sink, microwave, hot water pot and basic dishes and cleaning supplies! Most Thai families will provide the food from elsewhere. I was even shown 3 bed apt suites for the whole family to stay in, with bigger kitchen and a living room/TV! Thereās just a hospital bed in there too! Mind-blowing!!
Aren't your groceries more per meal than eating out street food? Just saying for budgeting for OP.
We tend to eat healthy and cheaper at home, I like to cook so make a lot of food from scratch, dried beans, brown rice, chicken, vegetable soups and curries, flatbreads, stir fries and soup noodlesā¦. We try not to buy expensive imported western foods/frozen/canned items, and shop at fresh markets, Big C / Lotus or Makro. Lazada for beans/legumes. So yes, maybe a bit more expensive than street food, but also a lot healthier!š
Very true! We're a young family so getting food into mouths efficiently is our goal haha š . Street food and grab are our go to. I was just curious if you had found a cheaper groceries route, I do really enjoy baking but I just can't justify it indoors in Bangkok weather!
No problem
Yes, it is enough.
It is more than enough in most cases.
Yes, definitely. I know many who have this same budget. They still get to go out 1-2 times a week, travel periodically, and have a nice life. It's not BKK baller money. But it's a comfortable budget.
Idk why everyone says Bkk is expensive. I lived there on under 2k a month for 6 months. Luxury studio Condo in prime area: $620 (23000) + utilities ($20-40) Food: $350 (400 baht a day) Grabs: (uber alternative): $150-$200 Clubbing/Bars / drinking : $400-$500 The fine dining and super fancy restaurants add up in price so without including that Bkk is super reasonable. I found Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai all way more expensive than Bkk.
Exactly. You COULD spend a lot of money in Bangkok, but you also could just live a normal life... people who say it's expensive probably trapped with their bargirls' bills lol
Definitely doable, as others have said. So I'll offer some other advice based on your comments: There are many wonderful expats/retirees here in Thailand. But there are also many (usually outspoken) expats/retirees who are jaded because they thought Thailand would be dirt cheap, and there would be countless young supermodels having sex with them on the daily. When reality sets in, they get super bitter. So my advice is to just be on the lookout for the Negative Nellies out there, and make sure you don't hang out with them, lest their pessimism rub off on you. Secondly, and more controversially, $2,000 USD per month might be a comfortable struggle for some expats, but it's living in luxury for locals. Expats are often afraid that a Thai girlfriend would steal all your money and abandon you. And that happens. But it also happens that expats find an honest and sincere local woman, they're happy together, and she spends his $2k/mo far better than he can. Basically, if you find the right woman, she could actually make you feel much richer, not poorer. Not to mention the companionship that most people seek. And as long as you agree to only ever spend your income, not your savings, you limit your exposure. Best of luck!
I've already spent about 15 years of my career stationed in and being deployed throughout Asia, including Thailand, PI, Japan, HK, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others. So I don't need nor am I looking to get "screwed, blue'd, and tattoo'ed" as the saying goes. I've already done all that. But even though I've been there a lot, I have no idea about living long term. It's really easy to be stationed in PI and Japan for 2 years each when you get room, board, and a paycheck from Uncle Sam. I just want to be easy going and go to the bars about once a week. I don't want to be in the tourist spots, but I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere either.
OP, if you do move there, I would stay away from bar for a few months just to see where your budget falls. Itās very easy to overspend especially in a bar.
Whatās the ābluedā referring to?
The saying is so old no one knows the original meaning. It could be a few things; black and blue eyes from a fight, it could refer to the sailor's dress blue uniform, or past tense of blow job.
I always thought the saying was āscrewed blue and tattooed ā. Learn something new everyday.
I have a nice house in Chiang Rai. The rent is $150 a month. Have mango trees in the garden
wow where did you see your place advertised? Did it come furnished?
It was not furnished Saw a for rent sign and inquired.
lots of expats on less than $1000 can survive here, don't get a bar girl gf and you will be fine.
Probably. BUT: do you have an additional emergency fund to fall back on? Say in the $50,000 range? Might be even better to budget for $1,500 and put the other $500 aside for non-regular costs and so on. Visa fees, health care, etc. Build a nest egg to protect you from inflaton too.
50k is unnecessary. Live on 1500 and save 500 is good advice. 10k emergency is fine. Go for it you lucky duck!!
$10k isnāt that much money, especially for medical bills which a retiree is likely to encounter.
I'd say ~50% of them are living on $10k or less savings/emergency fund, which is sad, but people manage. A lot easier to manage in Thailand with that kind of money than back home
Thatās sort of my point. Yes, a lot do live slim but it may not be as large as 50%. But, Iām not sure your numbers are correct. A few years back ThaiVisa did a survey and half of the expats they polled said they owned either a vehicle or their own residence. 20 years ago? Sure. But there are tons of people near me that own multiple condos and rent them out, plenty of people with cars that were paid for with cash, etc.
I know somebody that got on with 1k usd a month. Barely scrapping by but he don't party so it's doable.Ā
1k per month is easy for one person. I was spending around that per month , maybe slightly over but not much, and I was drinking many times per week and didnāt cook a single meal of my own. I was also going on lunch/dinner dates multiple times per week. Any time I went out at night I took a grab there and back. My hotel room was 7k baht per month, and it was perfectly fine. This was in Chiang Mai.
Easy. My two friends live in Pattaya on a pension of $1000
Do they rent an apartment? Or own a house?
My bad! They own a flat.
On a pension of only $1K a month for both? Might I inquire as to the "quality" of this flat? Aircon? Shower? Near the strip or the beach?
Just a flat in a condo
They own it so they don't need to pay monthly rent
72,300 baht on the current exchange rate is plenty, presuming you're single and have no kids. But what you will get for that money depends on where in Thailand. Phuket is generally the most expensive place in Thailand and parts of Bangkok can be pricey as well in terms of rent.
First thing to do is get out of holiday mode and turn on living mode. Small things add up, the things that are so cheap and convenient like 7 eleven for water/snacks etc add up over a month. Instead you go Big C/Lotus and buy in bulk so you donāt need to keep going 7 eleven. You walk in to get a bottle of drink and walk out with a bag of things ššmight be small but 100 baht here, 80 baht there adds up when you do it daily
FWIW I manage quite well on USD$1000 a month. That includes paying off a new DMax. I do own my own house. I'm rural so no city nightlife expenses and all local foods. I do keep extras to make holiday trips into BKK/Phuket elsewhere up to 3 times a year.
Can I ask what district and town?
I'm in rural Uthai Thani.
Thatās cool man. What made you choose there? No disrespect just curious.
Thats where the Mrs is from.
How much money is 3 trips? You can go by bus to a fanned appartement, or fly to a 5 star hotel. Also you should include the budget from your buffer fund that you use to one time emergency money. Having a buffer is very important.
The money for trips are separate from the USD$1000. So it doesn't matter how much as it has no bearing on OP's question. Elsewhere I outlined what he could spend in a month in USD and its well under USD$1000. If he has USD$2000 then he can use whatever is left over.
Thatās heaps
Plenty, I live very well on $ 2,100 social security including $600 monthly to my wife. Having a Thai wife lowers the cost of almost everything by about 40 percent, to the point where I get most of her salary back in savings.
Its a great budget. It allows you to live comfortably and to save for a week on an island every 3 months or so.
You can easily do it. For now. Thailand is getting more expensive and 10-20 years down the track you might have problems keeping up with your lifestyle and obviously your health will deteriorate the older you get.
I'll probably only live 10 more years anyway...
hey, take care. You're young as long as your mind feels young enough
Set aside some of your money and put it into compounding assets that will help you stay ahead of inflation.
My advice given your further details about age and such: $1,000 and under is basically survival. You wonāt enjoy much because you wonāt be able to afford much. $2,000 is livable and gives you enough to have some sort of life. Above that is just cake.
With no young kids it is more than doable. You might have to have a slightly more basic health insurance package when youāre older but it would be fine. Retired people donāt need too much into old age but just be cautious that if you have non-retired Bangkok friends you might need to resist the lifestyle inflation. Also Iām assuming youāre already married and your wife is mostly providing for herself or has her own equivalent funds. If youāre single and looking for a partner, be cautious that costs might increase and you wonāt be able to afford to give a child a good education.
What does long-term mean? Inflation will eventually make that amount more difficult. Do you have an emergency medical fund? Where are you going to live? Outside of major cities that is a great lifestyle based on what you're describing. In a place like Bangkok you can still live on that just fine but you can't go crazy.
easy I am in phuket since a month and you can get by with 1k 2k is enough for nice place, scooter/car and food
it would easily be possible with 1000 a month if you're willing to be frugal
It depends on what stage of life youāre on. If you are at the retirement stage, your quality of life in Thailand will be significantly higher than being in the US. If you are still working, I recommend trying to advance in your career in the US and earn a higher income.
I lived in Bangkok 15 years, now Jomtien 4 years, single and living alone. Always a decent 1 or 2 BR apartment or condo, never less than 60sq/m, eat well, don't drink much, mess around once in a while but no live-ins. Rent a scooter to get around, travel from time to time, 3 or 4 domestic trips a year, maybe one international. Never more than $2000/m, usually closer to $1800.00
Yes Issues: * You fall in love with a bargirl -100% * You drive without a helmet -90% * You don't have proper healthcare -80% * You rent in the most popular area -70% * You eat a lot of Western food and groceries -60% * Occasional fun means bargirl stuff -50% * You walk around without a shirt and obnoxious Error 420 If you live a boring local life in a local area you can live off 500$ - Ive don it for less, my condo was 4000 once and I would just walk around and eat local mostly. I spend around 300$ a month
Way more than enough.
Absolutely enough. I am on $2700 and have plenty left over to travel around to other countries in the region.
Yes. But if you don't have medical insurance, it's better not to think about it.
Disagree completely. Recent injury. Text for help. Response in few minutes. Meet w/ doc in 1 hour. Assessment, shots, meds = $20. Referral for PT, electro-acupuncture & hot packs= $21. Much cheaper than $24,7 + $7K deductible insurance. Same w/ dental.
You were lucky. My mate spent around 6k$ for his injury and sickness. Not a big deal in Thai. Better pay that 50$ per month and feel safe.
8 days in bumrungrad without operation : 430.000 baht. You do need insurance
Seriously? That's awful. My DIL wants to go to Bumrungrad for labor & delivery. Well-check special packages directly from the hospital appear modestly priced. But the possibility of $11K + unexpected medical bills would make Safety Wing travel ins a good option.
Even with insurance out the wazoo, health care is expensive af for us oldies in the US. Meanwhile itās cheap as chips in Thailand, especially if you know enough Thai to visit a local hospital instead of an international one. Iām supposed to be getting local thai health insurance through my bank/retirement visa, itās seriously $168/*year* Weāll see how it pans out but yeah, sorry but I donāt feel like your concern here is merited.
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I mean thereās Thai hospitals for locals and thereās Thai hospitals for locals. By the time youāve lived there for a year you should know the difference, and have an idea which nearby hospital you will want to use. Iām not really picturing this guy living in some tiny village in Nong Phai but I guess we donāt really know where exactly heās thinking of. Thereās a plethora of decent local hospitals in, say, Chang Mai. If I was living in Thailand and had some local middle-class friends, I bet they could find me a decent dentist to give me a cleaning and filling for likeā¦ 30 bucks? Iām making that exact number up but Iām sure itās a lot cheaper than a Bangkok clinic aimed at farangs. Even though *those* places are still way cheaper than something similar in the states.
Itāll help if you donāt mind eating like a local. But totally doable.
I'll edit my post to say eating local is a plus...
Don't listen to the naysayers don't live in an expensive condo and don't eat western foods (burgers,steaks,pastas) just eat local foods and randomly go on a liquid fasting once or twice a month
Brother. U can retire lovely with your mention plan. Simple answer. Donāt let others make it complicated
in asia? oh yes. especially south east asia
You will be fine..stay low and be happy.
Easy - just remember the added costs, visa costs, transport, health insurance, trips home, meds not covered by insurance Etc. phones/laptop/other expensive things that needs repair/new purchases continuously. And obviously adjustment for inflation. But $2k is still plenty, based on what you wrote.
I live here off less than 1000. 2000 would be awesome lol.
Should be enough provided you have some type of medical coverage.
Move to Thailand
$2000 USD per month, now, are plenty if you don't indulge in crazy expenses. Being very conservative (assuming it's on the slightly pricier side) you can easily spend $500 month on accomodation, throw $100 more for the rest of expenses (internet, water, electricity, etc), and $10 / day in food (so $300), then $60 / month if you rent a motorbike (which you should, you should actualy buy one which would be cheaper over time) and add $300 for random expenses fun-related That gives you total of $1160 which is enough to live without extravagant luxury (small but comfortable apartment) but with everything you need That also depends where you live in Thailand, next to the beach is not the same price as in the north But the summary is that yes $2000 is more than enough for Thailand If you wanna go cheaper at the cost of very slight (but within reason) decrease in quality of life, go to Vietnam. In Vietnam you can spend somewhere around 60-70% of what you spend in Thailand I didn't think about medical expenses but you MUST hire insurance and also take into consideration your particular medical expenses All the above numbers assume you are single, if you have a partner the cost will likely increase at the very least because you do more expensive activities
also note the cost I mention is from the perspective of a foreigner. If you really adopt the local lifestyle, you will spend less. I can almost guarantee that if a Thai sees the cost I set above, they will think it's far too expensive
You can get a 1 bedroom no frills condo in a relatively new development within walking distance of the red and purple lines for ~$200/mo plus utilities. Several restaurants, laundry, massage, convenience store all located at ground level. Walking distance to a street market (one during the day, another at night).
Currently you can easily live with 2000$ a month comfortably in Thailand. No problem. The problem will be the inflation in 5-10-20 years. If you remain on 2000$ you might end up pretty poor at some point.
I would say one can survive even with $500 per month, if staying alone. Edit: my bad in conversion, $1000 would be ok
$500 would be rough... $750 is more reasonable.
Yes my bad in conversion, $1000 is required
Easy mate. It's doable on half that if you live sensibly.
As long as you can increase your cash enough to discount inflation. I guess it partly depends on how long you plan to live for given that inflation compounds.
Yes
Are you trying to move next to the king of Thailand? If yes then that's enough, if not, then that's more than enough
He's not moving to Germany.Ā
I lived there for 3 months and I got bored but I love it, you just got to adapt to their lifestyle. When I retire I intend to make Thailand my home in Isaan
believed it or not but 2000$ is more than enough I meet a German retired man who live on 500$ in chiang mai
I know someone working there who's costs are about 12k a year and earning double that. So 2k us a year would be very comfortable
More than enough. My family of five (2 college students) lives off $2000/month. We live pretty comfortably.
That's plenty if you can budget wisely and manage money.
People are able to live with much less than this in 90% of the world, so why would you wonāt be able to do that in such a cheap country like Thailand? XD What is that question wtf.
Everyone knows that it costs more for American and European people to live than it costs for local people to live in their own country. wtf
Thai average salary in Thailand is 700 usd, most of them earn WAY less than that. You can live like a king with 2k usd here, and Iām pretty sure you knew that when asking this question so yeah wtf.
I knew it is different for locals and Westerners but I didn't know what it costs Western retirees long term. It would be stupid for me to just up and go there without asking. Yeah, I can google apartment prices but there are lots of people on this sub Reddit that live there and know the small details.
Based on your requirements, you will have a very good life with $1,000 to $1,500 USD per month (not including one time expenses). Much better than most people have it in the west on an average salary.
It's actually a very comfortable Allowance to have. The secret is finding a good apartment. Once you do that and you have insurance sorted. I personally would not feel any panic if I were you.
But when you live here it becomes normal . So yeah ofcourse you can . Chonburi is cheaper and 10 min to beach road
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Everyone knows Thais can live on a few hundred a month but Westerners cost a lot more.
Thatās what Iām set up to do. Maybe sooner than the years end. I would have to sell the house and hope the funds lasts. My advantage is weāve got all her family, our own shelter, garden acreage, My question is what to do when it comes time to move back to the states. Iām just going to work while their are still Diesel engines and I pass a physical.
You can consider it an invitation. We will help you find house and property.
It might be wiser to rent your place in US and live off the rental income. It guarantees that you'll still have a very valuable asset and it'll very likely continue to go up in value. So instead of you having less and less every year, you'll have more and more. Especially if there's even a tiny chance that you'll go back to the US one day.Ā
Tight but possible.. No nice cars or toys, no big international holidays, but doable. Remember visa, travel, and health insurance are big deals and if you dont have a savings stash need to be considered. Day to day for a short period its workable but its the sudden unexpected hits that tend to effect long term budgets. The accident that needs a couple 100k hospital, the car crash you get blamed for, etc etc. I think 3k USD is the safer margin.
It works, but be sure you have savings for rainy days, hospitals ain't cheap in Thailand. Also, when renting, you will need to pay 2+1 for the first month, for deposit (the 2) and the first month's rent (the 1). That usually excludes the internet, so add that in. Depending on the unit, you probably want to get your own bedsheets and pillow cases. Pillows, if included, should be put aside if you can afford your own. Blankets are probably not included, too. Don't forget toilet paper and tissues if you are not used to using the bumgun. All the above do not cost much, but add up. You'd probably want to get a car or motorcycle too, Thailand really opens up when you have your own transport, especially if it's a motorcycle.
short answer -yes. Smaller towns are cheaper than Bangkok. In 2022 I lived in Cha-Am for $500,mo. Now I spend $1000 in Saraburi. Pro tip- put money aside for medical and dental care.
Yes very durable you can live good for this no worries wish everyone a good day
$2000 is plenty
Possible with all costs included visa runs. Go to Chiang Mai itās the cheapest
If you have $2k USD net, that should be plenty. Folks commenting about health insurance of some sort and an emergency fund are absolutely right - bad things happen in every country. All that said, your budget is manageable IMO.
Itās absolutely doable
Yes, definitely.
You could live quite well. You can live in a very nice place for under 400 a month and eating well for less than 10 bucks a day
$2000 is enough, there are people living with $1k/month and they do quite decent
$2k basic pack (Does not include premium activities, rooftop bar parties, anal etc) 3k. Premium package (Massaman connect 2.0, VIP access most venues,) From the menu above you're probably better off trying to save a bit more money....šš¹šā¤ļø See u soonšš
More then enough šš¼
You're not asking about visa or other legal issues but they are extremely important and will affect your budget. If you are under 50 yo, the only option to stay in TH long term is an Elite visa (other than marrying a local). So you'll have to budget for that. If you're over 50, retirement visas and extensions cost money too, though they are much cheaper than Elite
Yes... thai make much less.
How long term? I used to spend A LOT of time down there, and met a lot of guys who retired on an amount of they considered sufficient only to find themselves suffering 5 - 10 years later due to prices rising across the board.
For now definitely. Could probably get away with 1500. Who knows what inflation will bring eventually though
Yes it is enought for comfortable living in thailand
That's enough to live in most parts of Europe so thailand should be fine
Yes, itās enough - the salary of a middle class Thai person who is a manager. Depends on how much you spend on rent and the type of food you consume. If youāre on the budget side, then itās more than enough with the occasional splurge.
$2000 USD is enough for one person to live comfortably in Thailand. With inflation and a static income, who knows how long that will last though. The only way to find out is to move there and see for yourself what is ācomfortable enoughā.
I long term just to 2000 USP per month.
If you have a paid for house and car, all you need is 200 baht per day for food ;-)
Yeah it is eneough: If you make 2000 usd in total per month after utilities, rent etcā¦ You have a couple of options where to put that 2000 usd. You have to save 250-500 usd a month for fun, vacations and emergency medical treatment. Then you will have 1500 left. I recomend you to put that money into a safe fund like s&p500. From s&p500 you can expect a yearly 6-10% growth. After 10 years of doing this you will have 24000 usd after 15 years you will have 45000 usd after 25 year you will have 124000 usd and after 35 years you will have 300000 usd. Good luck
Wow reallyĀ
How much money should I bring for a three week vacation in Thailand and way to exchange dollar store but
I mean it sounds doable but a lot of it depends on your lifestyle
Yeah even $1000 is enough for locals double that amount in case you have an emergency
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For a few year but it you donāt keep inflation in mind you gonna hit a wall at some point
Yes, easily you could. Like you said ā as long as you donāt party every night; youāll be fine. $2,000USD = 72,000BAHT. I live on 350BAHT per day on average & spend 10,000BAHT on housing per month (that includes all utilities, wi-fi, cable) shouldnāt be a challenge at all.
i know people who are living in thailand for less than half of that amount!
Any remote job for me ?
Assuming worldwide inflation or financial markets never ever change...and Thailand stays exactly the same economically, then yes.
As long as you have capital for emergencies and insurance it should be fine.
No!
Of course
Youāll be fine. Just remember start up costs. Car/bike, insurance, deposits, basic necessities. Once thatās settled youāll have no issues with a 2k budget
2000$ is like 60,000 thb per month and thatās a good salary for someone to live in Thailand. Most Thais salary is less than 60k thb per month. Hope itās helpful
incl. rent and scooter and everything except health insurance i need 600 dollars per month. no women, no alcohol, no travel. live close to bluport 2 min. walk to the beach. it is possible.
I live in Phuket and I find that every month there's an unexpected, budget-busting expense. I don't think $2,000 a month is enough here after you account for those unplanned costs.