Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand October 2017
Welcome to the October 2017 report on my monthly spend in Thailand.
Total Earned: 81,000 THB
Total Spend: 51,000 THB
Saved / Invested: 30,000 THB
Breakdown
Accommodation – 20,000 THB
My rent for a 2 bedroom place is 20,000 Baht. I am looking to get a cheaper place next year when my contract finishes in February.
My current place is just over 70sq meters which is fantastic. I love having the space to spread out and store things without making the place crowded.
Utility Bills – 3,000 THB
I run the AC quite a lot and my electric bill was 1,200 for the month. My Netflix account costs 440 Baht a month and then internet and phone comes in at 1,300 Baht. Finally the rest of the bill is on water.
Bills in Thailand are so cheap. I feel it is probably the biggest bargain here. I love being able to have all the TV channels I want, great internet and feel in a comfortable environment without worrying about the cost. In the UK people struggle to pay heating bills, I would hate to be in that position.
Transport – 4,000 THB
I spend a fair amount on traveling to / from work and around town on my days off. I try to travel by public transport where I can. I sometimes use taxis to get to my office when I’m feeling lazy.
I spent about 2,000 baht in total on the BTS and MRT which are my main modes of transport. I also use motorcycle taxis a fair amount to go on short journeys. At around 15-25 Baht a journey it can quickly add up but saves walking around in the heat.
I also use buses a couple of times a week. The Air Con buses work great and cost around 15 baht a ride. I can often get to local restaurants within 10 minutes on the bus from where I live.
Food – 8,000 THB
I am trying to watch what I eat more. I’ve cut back on going to fancy restaurants and am trying to cook more at home. The idea behind this is to lose weight and save a bit in this part of my budget.
I tend to buy fruit, yogurt and bread for breakfast which normally comes to around 50 baht. Lunch is usually a simple Thai dish such as fried rice which is again 50 baht. Dinner is normally a bigger meal costing about 100 baht.
Once or twice a week I’ll go to a restaurant and spend around 300-500 baht.
General Shopping – 1,200 THB
I had to buy a couple of black shirts for work as part of the mourning period here in Thailand for the previous King.
Entertainment – 2,000 THB
A couple of nights out after work watching football and having a few drinks. I also met some colleagues from my old job for a few beers.
I played badminton a few times as well during the month.
Travel – 12,000 THB
I took a short trip to the north of Thailand for a few days. I took in Chiang Mai and Pai. I really enjoyed seeing a few different places and getting away from Bangkok.
The major cost was the flight and accommodation. Whilst there food and activities were pretty cheap. I’ve been thinking of trying a different place to live in and used this trip as a chance to try out Chiang Mai. I’m not completely sold but will probably head back there again soon to see some more places in the area.
Others – 800 THB
I had to buy a few toiletries and got a haircut which made up the 800 baht in this section.
Invested – 30,000 THB
This month I put my money into Bitcoin via BX.in.th, a Thai exchange. With constant increases in the Bitcoin price it looks like the best investment out there currently. I have also put some money into a few other coins, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple and OMG.
Saved – 0 THB
So no extra cash in the bank this month. In November I aim to put money into my account as I’m going home to the UK for Christmas and need some spending cash.
Overview – Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand October 2017
A quite busy month for me involved a bit of travel, a lot going on at work and several Thai national holidays. I had a few writing projects to do over the month and it took a fair amount of time.
November will see me working a lot and traveling to Chiang Mai for a mini work project.
