Living in Chiang Mai is amazingly easy. We also spend 380฿ on getting our place cleaned through the useful app BeNeat. Privacy Policy. This tends to be the minimum for living in Bangkok and it follows an almost continuous diet of street food, food courts and when desperate 7/11 food. Cost of Living The Simple Life in Bangkok, Cost of Living The Big City Life in Bangkok, It Is The Free Things That Make Bangkok Affordable. It costs 20 baht per piece or 49 baht per kilogram, on average. It’s easy to do and can help your money (and your travels) last a lot longer! Though our landlady contacted us after seeing our post on Facebook, you can contact hosts on Airbnb and listings usually give discounts for 1-month rentals. But remember that if you’re a farang (foreigner), you’re going to have to pay a premium for renting an apartment and other basic necessities when living in Chiang Mai. Total Cost of Living in Chiang Mai: 28,102฿ / $873 / £644 per month. That’s mostly breakfast and lunch food for all week days! If you’re not confident, comfortable or experienced driving a scooter, we’d recommend a bicycle. I miss a lot Thailand . Imported beers and craft beers are another level more expensive: I spent 220฿ on an (admittedly delicious) IPA. Required fields are marked *. We found our house in Chiang Mai through Chiang Mai Facebook groups. Pollution in Chiang Mai is quite bad and many expats say burning season (February) when locals slash and burn their crops is particularly bad. Because the people at the gas stations seemed to be very approximate with prices, we always paid exactly 100฿ to refill — no matter how much was in the tank. We found that we were overcharged if we tried to shop at the local markets in tourist areas, but charged the normal prices if we shopped in less touristy areas. Long travelogue's about what I did each day, nor is it an exercise on how to save a dime or a penny. The main drawback is the traffic. It�s probably a whole lot better than you imagine. ฿ to rent the house + 1000฿ for a double room in Pai, divided by two people), Taxis for transport (Uber or Grab) — 500฿ / $15 / £11, Groceries (eating in for breakfast and lunch, plus coffee) — 3583฿ / $112 / £82, Eating out frequently (most dinners, plus beer and coffee) — 7406฿ / $230 / £170, Activities (massages, yoga classes etc) — 1575฿ / $49 / £36, Essentials (scooter rental, coworking space rental etc) — 6538฿ / $203 / £150, In this blog post, we share all of our monthly costs living in Chiang Mai, as well as our favourite spots in the city. If you’re on a strict budget, you should shop exclusively at the local fresh markets. Continue Reading Day 1: What to do now, before leaving. They are withdrawal fees for using a card abroad, travel insurance and the cost of flights to and from Thailand. I didn’t stay in hotel, instead I stayed with my son and lived as a local for 3 weeks. We got a cute two bedroom house with a white picket fence. Follow along and see how to avoid these extra expenses. As a diversely multi-cultural city there’s always something happening, holidays, celebrations, festivals and with strong expat and social communities in central Bangkok areas it is quick and easy to immerse and integrate. Our bills for water, electric and wifi are included in our 15,000฿ rental price. Read more about us. Don't worry, we will never sell your information to 3rd parties. A family costs: $3,052 per month. This was the best living arrangement since it gave me an opportunity to meet the locals, try delicious street foods, board on right bus and understand Thai’s daily lifestyle. Photography or text cannot be used without permission. The city works well for both lifestyles but the difference in budgets will vary quite a bit. The cost of living in Thailand is very affordable, but if you want to live on one of the islands, you’ll spend a bit more each month than you would on the mainland. We want to make responsible travel choices and help you do the same. I love it too! which will come to around 2,000 Baht ($60.78 USD) plus unless surviving without air-con or communication. You can get a 20% discount with our link. We’re digital nomads so we often use coworking spaces in Chiang Mai. Yes it is possible. Showing exactly what the cost of living in Thailand with $400 per month affords. The sewage systems tend to be poorly maintained and there can be a big stink if it rains. Can you live on less than $400 per month. Coming from London can cost at least ten times that. Driving a scooter is hard work in Chiang Mai due to the busy ring road around the moat and road safety not being as strict as in European countries. Week 2: On arriving in SE Asia. ), but come to your door and you don’t have to haggle. Week 3: Settling in and buying stuff. That being said there are some great condos to be found near the outer Skytrain stations and 10,000 Baht ($303.90 USD) per month can do well. Chiang Mai feels like home very quickly! Where you decide to settle will have a large impact on your monthly expenses—a view of rice paddies from your balcony will be less expensive than looking out over the waves crashing onto a sandy beach. You can view our complete budget here for a couple living in Chiang Mai. Please I want to know,an agent told me about working visa in Thailand that he will give me tourist visa but direct to a company where I will work and that the company will take responsibility of my flight ticket,but if find it difficult to believe I want to ask is that possible in Thailand? If you do use travel insurance, remember to factor in this expense. The islands of Phuket , Koh Phangan , Koh Lanta and Koh Samui are probably your best bets when it comes to places with amenities that digital nomads and westerners typically want / need. We shopped at the fancy Rimping supermarket which is similar to a supermarket in the UK — both in terms of products and prices. Property for sale/rent in Chiang Mai, rent condos & homes, (great for ladies looking to live in a shared apartment with other women). Good luck! If you use a credit card, remember to pay off your balance in full as soon as possible. Laundry services include washing, ironing, … That’s roughly $873 or £644. Many nationalities can visit Thailand for 30 days without a VISA. I will also touch on some of the other places I have stayed in Thailand and show you what you can get if your budget is larger. While Bangkok in the past has had a reputation of being cheap; mostly from the observations of passersby who slum it in hostels and starve themselves but, as with any country, the cost of living in Bangkok increases as you seek more comfort. You can eat a green Thai curry or a pad Thai for at little as 60฿. from Yala to Chiang Rai, along the way I have learnt a few things mainly from making simple mistakes. Fortunately, Chiang Mai is still very affordable. Find more information and enquire about opportunities and collaborations here. What Does it Cost to Live for a Month in Moscow. Each day will be a short paragraph about my expenses and activities for that day with a picture or two, This is the most variable part of your budget and can go up or down massively, depending on what you’re into. Estimates for the cost of living in Thailand generally say it’s between 30% and 40% cheaper than living in the U.S. It’s very easy to find a room on Airbnb for as little as 8558฿ / $266 / £196 per month. $3,000 per month seems to be top spending there for complete luxury. At the moment the north of Thailand is the cheapest. Clicking on these links will never cause you to pay an additional fee. We used these Facebook groups to find our rental accommodation in Chiang Mai: Check Airbnb (£25 off with our link). However, many rentals ask for 1-month’s rent as deposit plus the month’s rent. Our landlady actually rents her house on Airbnb but decided she’d prefer to rent to us for a month instead. So eating can again be cheap but I say 300 Baht ($9.12 USD) a day because of the small costs that you don’t really notice in day-to-day living. ), but come to your door and you don’t have to haggle. ). If you use a credit card, remember to pay off your balance in full as soon as possible. Regardless of where you live in Bangkok, the basics will always be the same; street food and food courts, McDonalds and 7/11s, and taxis and rail networks. Life in Bangkok can come on various levels of lifestyle but for many expats and people living in retirement, it will follow two popular scenarios. These are all exceptional tips and info which I hope to use when in Thailand. Fancy coffees and smoothies can easily cost 60฿+. Coffee — A shot of espresso should cost 40฿. Laundry. Cost to Rent a Scooter in Chiang Mai, Thailand, We were able to rent a scooter for a month for 3000. Thai people are friendly, polite and helpful; however, it’s always best to research well before being committed. Monthly rent costs: $687 per month. The going rate is about 60. In this blog post, we share all of our monthly costs living in Chiang Mai, as well as our favourite spots in the city. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ฿ / $92 / £69. I suggest you should at least be ready to spend 30,000 THB per month. ฿ / $6 / £5 being the usual cost. Our groceries came to 3583฿ / $112 / £82 per person for the month. Check out our other post with recommendations for, How To Find 1-Month Rentals in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Want to start your own travel budget? Withdrawal fees can be expensive in Thailand, with 220฿ / $6 / £5 being the usual cost. Beer — Drinks are relatively expensive in Thailand! relating to those expenses and activities (pictures and facts). Cleaning! Fancy coffees and smoothies can easily cost 60฿+. Even in mid-range restaurants it’s not unusual to eat for under 100฿ per dish. We don’t include these as they obviously vary depending on where you’re coming from and where you’re going to. To live cheap you do have to live local. But for most people, the plusses heavily outweigh the minuses, which is why so many foreigners move to Chiang Mai! You might be able to negotiate this depending how friendly your landlord/lady is. January 2012 for 31 days, facts pictures and more.