Bob
Working in Chiang Mai
Monthly Earnings 65,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work at an international school in Chiang Mai and take home a salary of 57K after tax. I can add about 8,000 baht to that by doing privates.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
40,000 baht
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a bog standard studio apartment and pay 3,000 baht per month
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I have my own scooter (as most long term expats in Chiang Mai tend to do) and gas costs about a thousand baht a month.
Utility bills
Nothing. Electricity and water comes as part of the 3,000 baht rental fee.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
About 6,000
Nightlife and drinking
Booze and cigarettes I would say another 4,000.
Books, computers
Nothing.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I don't want for anything.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food, accommodation and gas.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
To survive in Chiang Mai, the bare bones would be 3K for a room and another 200 baht a day on food, so you could do it for 10,000 baht a month. Throw in a few beers and the odd oil massage and you're up to about 15K.
Phil's analysis and comment
I shudder at the thought of trying to survive in Chiang Mai on 15,000 baht a month with all those Western temptations but hats off to Bob for stashing away 40,000 baht a month in savings. By my calculations, he's 'surviving' on about 25K a month. Doable I would imagine but I bet there isn't a lot of money going on the likes of treats and travel.
If anyone fancies doing a cost of living survey, I've now put the questions on-line to make it easier and quicker for you. Please spare half an hour if you can.
A number of teachers complete the surveys with just a list of figures. I don't wish to sound ungrateful but that's not really what we're looking for. There needs to be some sort of 'story' behind the figures as it were (it certainly makes the surveys more interesting to read) Many thanks!
Submit your own Cost of Living survey
