Alex Kidd
Working in Taichung, Taiwan
Monthly Earnings 94,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
Around 82,000 baht from a full-time salary. I teach 9-5 from Monday to Friday at a junior high school and I make another 12,000 from one private student that I teach twice a week on Monday and Thursday evenings.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
60,000 baht without even trying to. I take frequent holidays abroad and still save easily.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a 3-bedroom apartment with my girlfriend. It costs 12,000 (6,000 each per month)
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
100 baht for fuel as I own my own scooter (I bought it for 12,000 a couple of years ago)
Utility bills
Water, Power and Internet around 2,000 a month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
2,000 per month. I buy all my food in the local market and cook 5 days a week.
Nightlife and drinking
The nightlife is poor here. I usually go to the local restaurant/bar places. I drink two nights a week. 1,000 baht a month.
Books, computers
The library is free.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
The standard is great. You can save money without trying.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Everything seems like a bargain.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Minimum salary here is 65,000. You could realistically save half of that.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Alex. I don't really have much to add to that. It's clear that 94,000 baht a month is a very decent income where you are and allows you save two-thirds of that salary each month, if you are willing to cook at home, shop at local markets and use your own transportation, etc.
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