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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Erik
Working in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Monthly Earnings 40,600 (after tax)
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
All of my income comes directly from my full-time teaching salary. I don't do any extra classes or after school tutoring. While that is a great way to make extra cash, the students already have an immense amount of schoolwork. Between their English classes, Thai classes, after school lessons and other extracurriculars, I believe the students should spend less time studying.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
Typically between 10-15k a month depending on the month. It is entirely possible to save more money in Nakhon every month, but I like to spend a fair bit of free time socializing and spending weekends at the beach in Khanom or on trips to the islands.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a shared house with friends. We each pay 2,500 per month. It is nice having a house compared to an apartment or condo because we are able to have a little yard with barbecue space.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I bought a motorbike when I arrived for 6,000. It's an older bike with an out-of-date green book but it gets me from A to B. It would be fairly difficult to get around the city without one. There are a few places you can rent bikes monthly from between 1.500-2.000 a month. There are songtaews, taxis, and Grab. However, with Grab, it can be difficult to find a ride sometimes at night. I would say I pay between 1-2K a month on petrol and general bike maintenance.
Utility bills
We take turns paying for the internet, which is around 400 a month. Our electric bill ranges between 250-500 baht a person depending on the month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Nakhon has everything you need as far as supermarket shopping is concerned. There is a Big C, Tesco, Robinsons and Central Plaza, as well as Thai markets throughout the city. As in any Thai city, the food here is wonderful and fairly cheap. There are also a wide variety of Western options from pizza, KFC, Macdonalds and also Middle Eastern and Indian options that are much pricier than Thai options. I'd say my food budget ranges from between 5-7K a month depending on the month.
Nightlife and drinking
I moved into Nakhon during the Covid shutdown so I haven't been able to experience a ton of the nightlife that Nakhon has to offer. There is a big group of expats that live in the town so there is always something going on like football, ultimate frisbee and trips to the surrounding waterfalls. Sad to say that the thing I spend the most on is having a few beers with friends at their houses or up at the beach.
Books, computers
This is something I don't spend any money on as I already own my computer. There is a book club/share in town where people trade books they read back and forth between each other at no cost.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
You can live a very good life and have a great time in Nakhon on a standard teaching salary.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The obvious answer in the incredible Thai food. You can eat just about any Thai dish for under 100 Baht.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
It all depends on your lifestyle and what luxuries you wish to have. You can live very comfortably here for around 30-35K a month. Nakhon is really a hidden gem of the south. It's only about 1.5 hour motorbike drive to get to amazing beaches such as Sichon, Loma and Khanom, and you can make it to Samui, KPH and Koh Tao within four hours - including ferry time.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Erik. That's one very positive cost of living survey and it sounds like you really enjoy life. Nakhon Si Thammarat seems like a great place to live and work and as you say, a salary of around 40,000 baht is enough to enjoy all it has to offer, whether it's eating out, zipping around on your motorcycle or enjoying a few drinks with friends.
Hazel
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 110,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
I make around 97K after tax and while we have been working online, I've taken some extra online tutoring and also tutoring one student at home.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I put around 13K in a retirement investment each month, and I also try to put away between 30K and 40K each month into a Thai savings account.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I share a condo with my partner. The rent is 22K per month but I pay 15K of that amount.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I recently bought a secondhand car, but I'm not doing much driving, so maybe 1,000 baht per month.
Utility bills
My internet (399), water (120) and phone bill (375) and electric (2000ish) usually come to around 3,000 baht depending on how much I'm running the air con.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
8,000 baht, could be less but I love a takeaway, especially during lockdown!
Nightlife and drinking
None existent recently, maybe 1,000 baht on a box of Big C wine! Before lockdown, it would be more like 5K per month.
Books, computers
I have a friend who shares kindle books with me online, so no costs at all. However, a huge cost for me is my online spending habit (Lazada, Ali express and Shien) Maybe 10,000 a month on online spending.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I think my standard of living is really good. I've been in Bangkok for around 7 years and I really love it. I live in a great area, have lots of great friends and even in lockdown, there's always something to do in Bangkok.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food! Not just Thai street food but I use Happy Grocer on Grab Mart and you can get a whole weeks worth of vegetables for 300 Baht in their surplus box. It's all packaged in recycled materials and plastic free, and more than two people can eat in a week.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I think Bangkok is a city where you can live on as little or as much as you like. Saying that I think anything less than 50K would be a struggle and wouldn't allow you to save for your future.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thank you Hazel. I'm guessing you must work at a fairly good international school to pull in such a decent salary. That's a good idea to put some money away in a retirement fund. You might want to look around at some Thai investments as well with that 30-40K you have spare each month. There are some great Thai investments out there (mutual funds, etc) if you can latch on to someone who knows what they're doing and will look after your money with minimal risk. I'm hopeless at this sort of thing but fortunately I'm married to someone who's a bit of a financial wizard and she's done OK with what money I've given her to invest. This year has been fantastic - north of 10-15% in fact.
Sean
Working in Lopburi
Monthly Earnings 36,500 baht
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
My full-time salary per month is 37,000 baht but after tax it comes to 36,500.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I started this job in September 2020 and at first, I didn’t really save too much, maybe 5,000 baht a month until February 2021 - and if I had any other money left over that was a bonus. From February to now, I have been able to save 15,000 - 20,000 baht a month, which is a big difference.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Accommodation is 3,300 baht a month and with water and electric it works out to no more than 4,200 a month including using the AC. The room is basic, I have a bathroom, a large balcony and a lovely view of the school when I open my door. I live in an apartment opposite school so it's easy to walk to.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Transport here is so cheap. if I venture into the old town, it costs me 8 baht using the songthaew. I don’t have a scooter but it would help so much as the public transport in Lopburi seems to stop running after 7-8pm but you still see the odd songthaew driving around so you can flag them down. Motorbike taxis from the old town back to my room cost about 50-60 baht.
Utility bills
Electric and water come to around 900 baht, phone, AIS unlimited internet with fast speeds adds another 450 baht. I use my hot spot mostly as the wifi is very poor at the apartment. A True premier league package is another 299 baht per month and it’s great watching the football in HD. I use Netflix but that payment comes from my English bank account so not sure about the price - maybe 500 baht a month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Food is cheap here like most places in Thailand but sometimes it’s so easy to buy Western food using delivery services like Food Panda. I live on krapow, which costs 55 baht and Thai tea. I don’t really eat much and that’s surprising as most people like to spend a lot of money on food. Supermarkets are the same, I don’t really buy a lot of things. I try to do a 'big shop' after every pay day and if I see anything else I need I will buy it. I think I could spend about 5,000-6,000 a month on both restaurant food and supermarket shopping.
Nightlife and drinking
If I could add up all the money I have spent on beer and whiskey since being here, I could cry. In Lopburi there weren't many places to drink even before Covid came along and most places are hard to reach if you don’t have a motorbike or car. It’s easy to go to 7/11 and Big C to buy beers and while the price is cheap, it adds up fast. I like to drink beer so I don’t mind spending money on it but I always know when to stop. Since Covid, everywhere is closed so I have managed to save so much money and slowly starting to ease off on the drinking sessions - but I don’t mind drinking in my room while watching a TV series or playing on the PlayStation.
Books, computers
I don’t pay for either. I brought my laptop and an iPad from home. I don’t use books much, only the books I get from school to write lesson plans.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
My life is good in Lopburi. I never have to worry about money each month as I am good at saving and since Covid, I have saved a lot for when the country slowly opens again.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food and public transport
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I see this question a lot but I don’t think there is a correct answer because it depends on your lifestyle. I would like more money as would everyone else, but I think in this province, 36,000 is enough to live a good life.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thank you Sean. It's always good to hear from teachers living and working in rural towns and cities, where according to many, money goes much further than it would in a big city like Bangkok. It certainly sounds like you do OK on 36,000 a month and manage to save a reasonable amount as well. Living opposite the school saves you money and more importantly, time. Are there any downsides to living so close though?
Steve
Working in Phitsanaloke
Monthly Earnings 35,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
I work at a large government school in Phitsanaloke (which for those who have never heard of it, is about 5 hours north of Bangkok) My full-time salary is 35K and there is little chance to earn anything above that so 35K is what I need to survive on and budget for.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I try to put away at least 5-10,000 baht a month, which in pre-Covid times was very doable. It hasn't happened for a number of months though.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Accommodation here can be very cheap and I live in a 3,500 baht a month studio apartment. The building owner is connected to the school I believe so it was the school who recommended this place to me when I arrived in Thailand several years ago. It's nothing special but it has hot water and the air-con is decent. The building itself is very old though and starting to crumble in places.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I bought my own second-hand motorcycle a couple of years ago so I spend just a few hundred baht a month on gas and maintenance. You need a motorcycle to get around in these rural Thai towns. Only a fool or someone with plenty of time on their hands, relies on the public transport system. Unless you live next door to the school of course. Having your own motorcycle makes life so much easier.
Utility bills
Never much more than a thousand baht for water, electricity and internet. I only turn on the AC for half an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening to take the humidity out of the room.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I budget for around 300 baht a day on food and I find with that amount I can eat out twice a day ad make breakfast in the apartment. So let's call that 9-10K.
Nightlife and drinking
This is a quiet town and most of the nightlife is what I would call a Thai scene. That's not to say I don't go out with Thai staff from time to time (I'm only one of three foreign teachers at the school) but we all split the bill when we go out for a meal and a few drinks. My share never comes to more than about 700 baht so if I go out once a week, then that's 3,000 a month I guess.
Books, computers
Almost nothing. Although I did just buy a new desktop computer for around 30,000. This category tends to be the odd large purchase so difficult to give it a monthly figure.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I work through an agency and have a sort of misguided loyalty towards them because they found me this job and I love the school. However, I'm still waiting for last term's bonus and my 35K isn't always paid as promptly as it should be. I live a very month-to-month existence and it's not an idea situation. When my rent is due on the second of each month, and my salary gets paid into the bank a week late, I'm relying on savings to cover the rent.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Most things to be honest. I live a very Thai lifestyle and there are not that many Western temptations up here.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
As ridiculous as it sounds, you could survive on 10,000 baht and not go hungry. That doesn't mean I would like to try it though.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Steve. Yes, I've known a few teachers in the same boat as you, where they stay loyal to a particular agent who found them a decent job. But at the end of the day, the employer has a responsibilty to make sure your well-earned paycheck goes into the bank on the same day every month. OK, sometimes one or two days late is acceptable but it shouldn't happen very often. I hope you manage to sort things out.
David
Working in Chonburi
Monthly Earnings 50,000
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
I work in a large secondary school in Chonburi and my full-time pay is about 50,000 a month after tax. Obviously with the Covid situation in this province being particularly bad, the school is closed and tuition has switched to completely online (I could rant about this for pages and pages but of course this isn't the place)
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
At the moment I'm saving about half of my salary but in normal times, that would go down to about 10K if I'm lucky. I'm not particularly good at saving.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a studio apartment in a typical 'lower-end' apartment building and pay 5,000 baht a month rent. I keep saying I'll look for something nicer but I'm going to have to spend at least double on the kind of place I want. It's quite nice only spending 10% of your income to put a roof over your head.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I take motorcycle taxis to and from work (they are plentiful in this neighborhood) and that's 40 baht a day - so maybe 800-1,000 a month. I've thought about buying my own bike but never taken the plunge.
Utility bills
This bill has doubled now I'm spending virtually all my time at home and now comes to around 2,000.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I've actually found that I'm eating less and spending less on food at the moment with restaurants closed and not going to school and popping into 7-11s en route for an ice cream or a chocolate bar. I've got my food spending down to around 5,000 a month and order most of my meals from a local Mom and Pop restaurant. They charge just 50 baht a dish.
Nightlife and drinking
That's been zero for months. I only drink if I socialize and there are no opportunities to do that right now. I do miss a good night out in Pattaya!
Books, computers
I buy the odd book from Amazon but it's hardly worth taking into consideration. I had to spend a few thousand on upgrading my equipment to teach online but that's just a one-off investment.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Well at the moment, it's a 'forced way of living'. I don't like it but I've got used to it. I certainly miss seeing people and the excitement of being in a live classroom. I'm praying we don't have to live like this for too much longer.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Most things really but especially food from neighborhood hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
50,000 is a decent amount. I'd love to earn more but with 50K I never feel I go without.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks a lot Dave. You seem to be using the lockdown and teaching online situation as an opportunity to save some money. I think there will be plenty of others who are reaching for those apps and ordering expensive food deliveries and generally buying stuff online. And of course it's up to the individual how they live their lives.
Showing 5 Cost of Living surveys out of 437 total
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