What life here really costs
Realistic monthly budgets for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, the one-off costs of setting up, and the lines people forget. These are honest estimates for a single adult, not a promise — use the calculator to shape them to your household.
Checked 1 October 2026 · 2 official sourcesGeneral guidance, not legal advice
Work out your own numbersA month, the cash to arrive and your first year, line by lineThe essentials
- Rent is the biggest swing. The same money buys a studio in central Bangkok or a house with a garden outside Chiang Mai.
- A comfortable single-person month is roughly 61,000 baht in Bangkok, 57,000 in Phuket, 47,000 in Pattaya and 42,500 in Chiang Mai — before school fees.
- Health insurance is the cost people most often leave out, and it climbs with age.
- Budget for about three months of rent up front: two months' deposit plus the first month.
- Electricity can double in the hot season if you run air-conditioning all day.
In this guide
1Who this is for
Anyone deciding whether they can afford to live in Thailand, or choosing between cities. The figures assume one adult; the cost calculator in the app scales them for partners and children.
2Typical monthly budgets
These are the same estimates the calculator uses, for one adult, in Thai baht. Budget means a local-style life in a modest condo; comfortable is a modern condo near transport with regular eating out; premium is a larger place in the most sought-after areas.
| City | Budget | Comfortable | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | 30,000 | 61,000 | 131,000 |
| Phuket | 28,500 | 57,000 | 124,000 |
| Pattaya | 24,500 | 47,000 | 105,000 |
| Chiang Mai | 21,000 | 42,500 | 92,000 |
3One-off costs when you arrive
Deposit and first month's rent: usually two months' deposit plus one month in advance on a 12-month lease.
Visa costs: from 1,900 baht for an extension up to 50,000 baht for an LTR visa or more for Thailand Privilege.
Setting up: a SIM card, a few kitchen and household basics, and possibly a scooter or car — furnished condos are the norm, so furniture is rarely needed.
The first-year figure in the calculator adds these to twelve months of living costs so the number is not a surprise.
4What changes the numbers most
City and neighbourhood: central Bangkok can cost twice what the same space costs 20 minutes out on the train line.
Eating out: Thai street food is cheap; imported food and Western restaurants cost close to what they do at home.
School fees: international schools range from roughly 200,000 to over 1,000,000 baht a year per child.
A car: buying and running one adds substantially to transport; many people manage with trains, Grab and a scooter.
Exchange rates: if your income is in another currency, a 10% swing in the baht changes your budget by 10%.
5What to do
1. Open the cost of living calculator and set your city, lifestyle and household.
2. Replace any line you already know — your real rent quote, for example.
3. Compare cities side by side in the AI Cost Simulator before you commit to a lease.
4. Keep a buffer of at least three months of expenses for the first year.
6Common mistakes
Budgeting from a holiday. Hotel and tourist-area prices are not what a lease and a local routine cost.
Forgetting insurance, visa renewals and trips home.
Signing up to a building that charges its own electricity rate instead of the government rate — ask before you sign.
Assuming the baht will stay where it is.
7Related guides
Accommodation, Healthcare (insurance costs), Bank accounts (moving money in), Tax.
Where this comes from
Everything above is written from these. Rules change without notice, so check the relevant one before you book, pay or travel.
Last checked against these on 1 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? and we'll re-check it.