Updated 26 November, 2008

*For a comfortable lifestyle in Bangkok, one should budget between THB 25,000 - 40,000 or up about $1,000.*

Rent and Utilities - Up to THB 8,000 per month:
My boyfriend and I live in a 25sqm studio apartment with a spacious patio. The rent itself is only THB 4,500/month, inclusive of fees such as THB 300 for internet access and THB 200 for a phone line. Water is 6 baht per unit at electricity is 17 baht per unit. Expect to spend about 1,000 baht per month on mobile phone calls/texts if you're using the prepaid system, however all phone companies offer excellent deals on their post-paid plans. I live in a university zone in the outskirts, so all costs are low in comparison to central Bangkok, where living costs of the same standard can get up to three times as high.

Transportation - THB 1,000+ per month:
I don't drive as traffic in Bangkok is too frustrating and some locals are reckless on the road. The Bangkok public transportation system, however, is fairly organized. I take the Sky Train (called the BTS) to and from work and buses to and from the train station. I pay THB 600 for a "30-trip Adult SmartPass" which allows me to travel any distance on the trains for a fixed 20 baht per trip. See http://www.bts.co.th/en/ticket_new.asp for package deals and further info. Buses can be air-conditioned (and here, costs of rides are determined by distance) but I prefer to take the open-air bus which charges only 8 baht per ride.


Food - THB 3,000+ per month:
In Thailand, you can eat a full meal for $1.
I always eat fruits and toast or pancakes for breakfast, which can all be bought outside for less than 30 baht in total. I spend about 10 baht per bag of fruit (normally you will find fruit vendors in mobile stalls and you can choose which fruits you want them to cut up for you). For lunch and dinner, meals in local restaurants range from THB 25 - 150, inclusive of soup or salad, a drink and dessert. *NOTE* Proportions are "Asian". My boyfriend, who is Russian, usually gets two servings of most meals we have at Thai food stalls. If you're looking to stick to only American or European food, expect to eat only in restaurants and to pay at least THB 200/meal.

Groceries, inclusive of toiletries and other things needed at home, average at about THB 2,000 per month. If you prefer to cook at home, these costs can drop by up to half, although you would have to add in the costs of a stove, gas and washing. (Our electric stove made a significant dent in our bill, so we switched to gas, which costs us THB 200/month) Vegetables and raw meat/fish are usually very cheap (although again, quite small)


Shopping and Entertainment - THB 2,000+ per month:
Shopping is easy to do and difficult to avoid. Bangkok is notorious for the excellent copies they make of designer bags and clothes. In the side-walk shops, a full outfit, complete with shoes, will cost less than THB 1,000. The night bazaar and weekend market are also excellent place to shop for clothes, accessories and even furniture which is otherwise very expensive in malls and department stores. Local versions of Walmart include Tesco Lotus and Carrefour.

Clubbing seems to be the culture in Bangkok, although little can be said of the music they play. Currently, American Hip-hop dominates the music stream, though you may find that several clubs play House/Lounge or Trance as well. An average night out with friends (where I pay for myself) costs about THB 500, which covers one or two cocktails and cab fares there and back. For special occasions, you may opt to buy a bottle (THB900+) and mixers, as mixing hard liquor with coke or soda-water is the popular means of drinking here. Most clubs and pubs have no entrance fee but at the higher-end hang outs where the atmosphere compares to NY or London, expect to pay up to THB 1,000 for cover charge.

*NOTE* My entertainment costs also include movies (THB 80+ at the cinema or 100 baht per fake DVD) and books/magazines, which can found in the malls and cost about the same as they do worldwide. The two most popular places to buy books and magazines are Kinokuniya and Asia Books, and music can be bought in CD Warehouse or similar local stores.

Rent for apartment, one room with wet room en suite, 5000baht. I am 60K outside BKK
underneath and elephant in high heels and on the same floor as those people who like to come in at all hours of day and night vying as to who can make the most noise.

Utitlities 1200baht, this varies on the use of air conditioning/fan

Trip to Dr approx 600bht, this is for consultation and any drugs prescribed

Food is cheap to buy, on the street and in the market or shops. Western food is always a lot more expensive than Thai, nice for a change but the Thai food is tasty and doesn't always have to be hot.

Buses into BKK are cheap 40baht but the taxi to get you into the centre can cost you up to 150baht, farangs (foreigners) are seen as people who have too much money. There are buses but no one seems to be able to tell you which bus you need to get and that is a salutory lesson in not being able to speak the language.

All listed in US Dollars.

Rent - 600 for furnished 2 bedroom apt in a nice building with pool, fitness room, etc.

Food - Groceries - $25 per week - basic meal - $2, in an average restaurant - $8 - in a really nice restaurant - $30-50

Healthcare - negligible

Recreation - Movies - $4, Beer at a pub - $2

Dozen Eggs - $1.25

Rent - Baht : 35,000 / month (2 Bedroom Condominium Medium End Condominium in the heart of Bangkok)

Utilities - Roughly Baht : 6,000 / month (my wife is a housewife. Air-conditioning is switched on every afternoon and night)

Transportation - Baht : 140 Baht a day (to and from office about 2km)

Food - Baht : 1,400 - Baht : 1,800 per head for a good international buffet in a 5 star hotel.

I am visiting Thailand for my work 4 to 5 times a year since 20 years and I can tell you that there is no meal acceptable to a foreigner for $1.00. It is more 15.00 with only bottled water since very long already and you should not be hungy. If you are looking for a normal piece of meat you will spend more than in USA. A normal 2-course meal will be about $40.00

im sorry but wherever you were in thailand you were getting the "shaft". It is about 30-40 baht if you eat on the streets or any restaurant that is for thais but will still serve foreigners. Maybe Outback steakhouse is more...

2 bed, 2 bath apartment (66m2) with pool & gym, Sathorn, $600/month.
Utilities: $70/month
Phone: $25/month
Internet: $15/month, cable : $35/month!
Large trolley in supermarket: ~$100
Beer (1L) : 1$ (shop) : $2.50 (restaurant)
Wine (0.7L) : $15 (shop) : $30 (restaurant)
Eat out for family of 4 : $30 - $100 ($5 if you eat from the street stalls)

Expensive : Wine, cheese, cakes, cars, decent western style restaurants, cable tv
Cheap : Clothes, Beer, fruit/veg, meat/fish, motorcycles, noodles, sex, healthcare

House rental - 5,000 THB (Air conditioner + fan)

Food: Local food stand - 20-50 THB

Junk food - 50 - 400 THB

Restaurants food - 50 - 1000 THB

Dozen eggs - 20 - 40 THB

Transportation: local bus - 7 - 20 THB

Sky train & Subway - 15 - 40 THB

Utilities - 500 THB (depends on people)

Rent 8000 baht (74sqm 1 bedroom apartment -large living room) LadPhrao Area (30mins away from down town)

Electricity 1500 baht (A/C on afternoon and night - 6baht/unit)

Water 200

Cable free (80 channels true vision)

Internet free

Food 30-70/meal baht street food stalls
150-250/meal middle-class resto
400-2000/meal hi-end resto

Transportation 3000 baht/month (I drive three times a week to down town)

Movies 120 baht/ticket at the cinema (really nice ones!)

1 doz of egg (CP brand, best quality 75baht)

Been living here for 7 years, and loving it!

I spend about THB 4,000 on my 1 bed room apartment rent, and about THB 2,000 on electricity and water supply monthly.

My daily meals cost about THB 300.

My monthly mobile telephone bill is THB 2,000.

My monthly medication cost about THB 1,200.