Bill
Working in Chiang Mai
Monthly Earnings 40,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work at a private bilingual school with two hours tutoring a week on the side. I make 36,000 baht a month from my regular salary plus 4,000 from tutoring.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I try to save 10,000 baht most months which is not difficult. If I really tried I could save at least 20,000 though this would be limiting myself to only 40 baht Thai meals and frugal living.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a decent condo on the 12th floor, which I pay 7,000 a month for.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Roughly 1,000 baht a month on petrol and ubers on average. I drive a scooter.
Utility bills
1,680. Mobile data is 500 a month, internet 680. Power and water bills vary but they generally end up at 500 in total.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
By far my biggest expense after rent. I typically spend 8,000 baht a month on food, sometimes more. I eat cheap (30-60 baht) Thai food for lunch and dinner most days though I am a sucker for pricier western dining. I'll have three or four 200 baht meals on a normal week.
Nightlife and drinking
I've saved a lot more money after cutting down on this, though on average I'll still spend 5,000 a month on drinking, mainly large Leos.
Books, computers
Zero. Most books I read I borrow from friends or bring from home. I don't spend money on computers.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
My standard of living is easy and carefree. I can afford to eat out every night and enjoy a life of comfort without having to worry about money.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food! Even burgers and pizza are cheaper than my home country, and Thai food (by western standards) is incredibly cheap. Stationary and art supplies are also a great bargain.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
It depends what type of lifestyle you lead. To live in Chiang Mai comfortably and be able to save and/or travel in the holidays, 30,000 is fine.
Phil's analysis and comment
I have heard many teachers living in Chiang Mai say that the average salary is somewhere in the region of 30,000 baht (but I'm not sure if things are changing and perhaps salaries are increasing) so Bill sounds like he's doing OK making 40,000 baht a month. As we've said many times in these surveys, an extra 10,000 baht a month can make such a difference to your standard of living, especially somewhere like Chiang Mai I guess.
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