Expenses living in Bangkok, I’d say that presuming you enjoy an average standard of living in Europe or the US, Canada or Australia, you will need the following amount(s) to maintain that standard in Thailand:
Single male/female in Bangkok – ฿50,000
Couple in Bangkok – ฿75,000
Couple with a baby under 2 years old in Bangkok – ฿80,000
Couple with the child over 2 years old in Bangkok – ฿85,000 (not including school fees)
This includes rent, food, Internet access, gym membership, and going out socializing once/twice a week.
If you plan on living upcountry somewhere, you may be able to shave as much as 30% off these amounts.
If you plan on living in Koh Samui or Phuket, then you can expect to spend about 10-15% less, depending on your drinking habits.
In my experience, you pay less rent on the islands, but eating can be a tad more expensive and you tend to spend more on socializing.
I haven’t lived in Chiang Mai for some time, but when I did I found rent to be about 25% cheaper than Bangkok. Cut and pasted from
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