Bangkok, Thailand
Can I live in Bangkok on $2,000/month?
Bangkok is probably my favorite city. I lived there for around a year and I visit almost every year. One of the main reasons I like it so much is because the city offers the infrastructure of a developed country with prices of a developing country. It’s an affordable place to live with an extremely high quality of life. It’s a great choice for expats, digital nomads, and retirees.
You could stay in a $5 dorm room and eat street food and live on $1,000 per month or live in a luxury condo and enjoy fine dining for $10,000 per month. Flights here are also affordable because Bangkok is a major hub in Southeast Asia. You can find some great deals on flights from Europe and North America.
One drawback is that it is difficult to stay in Thailand long-term. In the past, it was possible to make visa runs every few months but they have cracked down on this. For most people, the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is the best option. This is also known as the digital nomad visa. There are more visa options for retirees and wealthy individuals. Thailand also regularly changes their visa requirements, which can be a pain.
Starting numbers checked . Every line below is editable. The estimates include often-forgotten costs like flights home and visas, plus what you lose moving money into THB. The calculator will show you your true monthly burn rate as well as your adjusted exchange rate.
01
Money in
If income varies, enter a typical month in the currency you think in.
Not in the list? Choose “Enter my own…” and type the 3-letter code (GEL, VND, COP…).
02
True FX
How you turn this money into something you can spend.
How you receive money
These are typical estimates. Open Adjust fees if yours are different.
Loading live rate…
After fees
1 USD = 32.77 THB
Mid-market is 33.00. You lose about 7.00 USD per $1,000 moved.
Adjust feesThese are typical estimates, not official numbers from the company›
Change these if your app or bank is different from the typical numbers.
03
Monthly costs
Start with these. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
Forgotten expenses
$480/mo
Expenses people often forget
›
Forgotten expenses
$480/mo
Expenses people often forget
Flights home, visas, a house helper. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
True monthly burn
$1,994
65,797 THB
Keep $6
Bangkok cost of living breakdown
The figures the calculator starts with plus some notes. Everything here is an estimate you should change for your situation.
| Expense | Starting estimate | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday costs | $1,320/mo | |
| Rent | $600/mo | $600 |
A 1-bedroom modern condo in a decent location near public transport costs around $500-$800 per month. A decent 2-bedroom goes for $800-$1,200 per month. In higher-end areas like Sukhumvit, you can rent a nice apartment for $1,500-$1,800 per month. It is still possible to rent a cheap studio for under $400 per month. | ||
| Utilities | $60/mo | $60 |
| Food | $350/mo | $350 |
For cheap meals, I eat at the Pier 21 food court at Terminal 21. You can get a nice meal for under $5 there. Of course, street food is also abundant and cheap. Bangkok also has lots of higher-end options. | ||
| Transport | $50/mo | $50 |
On the BTS Skytrain and MRT Subway, a one-way ticket costs 16-62 THB per trip (about $0.50-$1.90). There are also monthly passes available if you travel frequently. | ||
| Phone & internet | $30/mo | $30 |
| Health (local) | $80/mo | $80 |
| Entertainment | $150/mo | $150 |
Bangkok is famous for its nightlife. There are loads of bars and restaurants in Sukhumvit, Silom, and Ratchada. You can buy a local beer for around 120-350 baht (about $3.50-$10). | ||
| Easy to forget | $480/mo | |
| Flights homeHolidays, family visits | $1,200/yr | $100 |
When I was living in Bangkok, I could fly home to the West Coast of the U.S. for around $500-$600 one-way. It cost around the same to fly back. | ||
| In-country tripsWeekends, nearby cities | $500/yr | $42 |
Bangkok is a great base for weekend trips. You can easily take a bus or train to Ayutthaya or Pattaya. Chiang Mai is farther but cheap on a budget flight. With more time, you can also fly to nearby countries like Cambodia, Singapore, or Malaysia. | ||
| Visa / border runsPermits, overstays | $300/yr | $25 |
Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) digital nomad visa costs around 10,000 THB (about $300). | ||
| Travel insurance | $50/mo | $50 |
| Phone, laptop, clothes | $400/yr | $33 |
I like to budget for a new laptop every 3 years, a new phone every 2 years, and some clothes. I usually don't upgrade that frequently though. | ||
| Laundry / cleaning help | $30/mo | $30 |
| Medical bufferClinics, meds insurance skips | $50/mo | $50 |
| Emergency fund | $100/mo | $100 |
| SubscriptionsStreaming, iCloud, software | $30/mo | $30 |
| Home SIM for 2FA | $20/mo | $20 |
| Bad-week buffer, 10% on top | $180 | |
| Cost of moving money in via Wise | $14 | |
| True monthly burn in Bangkok | $1,994 | |
That is about 65,797 THB a month at roughly 33 THB to 1 USD; the calculator above uses the live rate. On $2,000 a month you would keep $6, and $10,000 of savings would last 5.0 months with no income. 5 more expenses are switched off by default. Turn on the ones that apply to you.
Run the numbers somewhere else
Same calculator, different starting figures. Bangkok lands at $1,994 a month on the defaults above.
Cheaper than Bangkok
- Bogotá, Colombia$1,986/mo
- Phnom Penh, Cambodia$1,869/mo
- Nairobi, Kenya$1,831/mo
More expensive than Bangkok
- Istanbul, Turkey$2,125/mo
- Tijuana, Mexico$2,158/mo
- Mexico City, Mexico$2,490/mo