Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand – February 2016

Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand – February 2016

Welcome to the February 2016 report on my monthly spend in Thailand. To start with check out the about me page to learn a little about me and my circumstances. It will also explain the high accommodation prices below.

Total Income: 74,409 THB 

Total Spend:   53,050 THB

Saved: 21,359 THB

Breakdown

Accommodation – 30,000 THB

My standard monthly repayment towards my  2 bedroom 64 sq metre condo. This money is from the UK, not a Thai bank.

This is a large amount but after 5 years the loan will be paid off and I’ll be living almost for free (I still have to pay a 900 Baht per month maintenance fee).

Utility Bills –  3,150THB

Electricity 1181, Internet and cable TV 750, Sports365 package 600 , Mobile phone 300, Water 319.

My girlfriend moved in with me this month which is why my bills were slightly higher than normal. My water bill is higher than it has ever been in Thailand and I guess between me and my girlfriend we spend a good hour a day in the shower. Compared to the UK it is still peanuts and in the end 319 Baht isn’t a problem.

Transport –  1,625 THB

Apart from my usual bus / songthaew trips to work I didn’t really go anywhere special. My total for using local transport to get to work is about 15 baht a day return so in total 375 Baht for the month (I work 6 days a week)

The only exception to this was going to visit one of my old roommates in central Bangkok for dinner and a few beers. We got a taxi home which cost 180 Baht and the van there was a combined 70 baht – 250 total.

Food –  7,785 THB

This are is a where I spend most of my money, after accommodation, every month. I like eating out and maybe only cooked at home 4 or 5 times in February.

The good thing is that you can eat in a good mid range restaurant in Thailand for around $10-15 for 2 people. I have a fantastic Essan restaurant at the end of my soi which I went to a couple of nights a week. We get 3 dishes and a beer for 280 Baht which is great and is a nice night out.

February 14th is Valentines Day so of course I took my girlfriend out for a spot of dinner and drinks. Again going to a nice restaurant isn’t crazy expensive. You can go to a decent place for under 1,000 Baht.

On most normal days I ate street food for dinner and got a salad or sandwich for lunch. It isn’t too expensive to get a decent meal. Add on a few extra baht for snacks and drinks from 7/11 and I actually only spent 7,785 on food this month.

General Shopping –   2,240 THB

I went back to the local shopping mall to pick up some more heavily discounted shirts – 70% off meant I was paying only 375 Baht per shirt.

I also got a new pair of shorts and work trousers from Robinsons department store which came to a total of 1,490 Baht. Again it isn’t a lot of money for decent quality clothes. I normally only buy clothes when they are on sale as the original price is more expensive than the UK. There is always a sale every few months too which is great for buyers.

Entertainment –   2,250 THB

As I said earlier I went out with my old roommate from London who was in Bangkok. A few beers and dinner came to around 1,000 Baht. We went to The Skytrain Jazz Bar in Victory monument which is a nice chilled out place to grab a few beers and admire the BTS and skyline.

I also had a few beers after work and in the evenings on my days off. Nothing crazy happened this month so my overall spend wasn’t that high.

Travel –   3,500 THB

I booked 2 nights accommodation in Singapore and 1 nights accommodation in Malaysia for my Songkran vacation via Agoda.com. I got a reasonable deal and I hope the hotels are as good as the pictures make them out to be.

Others –  2,500 THB

Valentines Day is very widely celebrated in Thailand so apart from dinner  also bought my girlfriend a gift.

I also topped up my balance at the local laundry shop which I have to do every couple of months.

Saved  21,359 THB

This was a month where I worked hard and made good savings. On average I worked around 41 hours a week so it wasn’t too excessive compared to a normal working week.

These savings will cover my spending money for my 5 day trip to Singapore and Malaysia in April. In fact, I have already paid for the hotels and flights so the only cost will be food and trips etc. I reckon for the 2 of us it will cost between 10-15,000 Baht.

I am planning to try save 10,000+ every month between now and September to give me some spending money for my trip to the UK in October. 80,000 Baht should give me enough to visit the places I want in the UK, buy a few beers and stock up on things I cant get here in Thailand.

Overview

You will probably see that I didn’t have a crazy exciting month. I didn’t travel anywhere or do many activities. I am just in saving mode until my trip to Singapore in April and will chill out then.

However, I would say that I still ate out a lot and socialised. I know where the best value places are and know what is a good price to pay for many things. I don’t waste money going into central Bangkok very often and in the end I feel I have a better quality of life living outside the city centre.