I'm always surprised to see Thailand on a list of cheap places to live. I live in Bangkok in the CBD just behind the Four Seasons. While that's admittedly one of the pricier neighborhoods to live in, I've also lived in some of the "artier" lower cost neighborhoods here. Overall, this is what I've found, compared to my place of origin:
1. Rent -- 0.5 - 1.0 what you'll pay in a top-tier US city.
2. Groceries -- anything resembling what you'd get in the US will cost 1.25 - 2.00 of what you're paying in the US.
3. Cars -- 1.5 - 4.0 what you'll pay in the US. Insurance is somewhat cheaper however. Ditto maintenance. Gas is about the same.
4. Eating out -- really depends but say $30 - $200 for two people, possibly with drinks. You can eat cheaper food on the streets. You may or may not want to.
5. Electronics, watches, designer goods, etc -- significantly more than what you would pay in the US.
6. Domestic help -- if from a neighboring country very affordable, starting at $20 - $30 per day for maids and nannies.
7. Health care -- pretty incredible value here compared to the US. It would not be insane to go to a top-tier hospital without insurance here. My wife and I just had our son here. Excellent care for a fraction of US prices.
In other words, anything you might save on rent you'll make up for on everything else, with the exception of healthcare and domestic help, which have very high quality vs cost.
I'm not as dogmatic as this could sound, but there's some truth to the position that if you're in Asia buying groceries resembling what you'd get in the US, you're doing it wrong. :)
(Seriously, native-style meals are part of the experience, and much more budget-friendly. In many countries you could even hire a cook and still come out ahead, depending on how many family members you're buying for.)
Compared to San Francisco, housing is about 70% cheaper in Bangkok. That's a big one. If I'm saving 1k a month on rent, that can cover the other things pretty easily. Also, public transport and taxis are much cheaper.
I lived in a really nice serviced apartment in downtown chiang mai for USD$500/mo. I think over the year and a half I was there I only spent about $25,000. I live in the caribbean now and spend that much in six months.
Interesting... Belize, eh? Is the internet reliable/fast? Can you fly in and out without going via the US? Do you live in Belize City or someplace else? How'd you wind up there?
The internet is, last time I checked, literally the most expensive by bandwidth in the world. I pay USD$200/mo for a 4Mb downlink. I think the only direct flights outside of the US are through San Salvador.
Belize City isn't the nicest place; most of the expat population is on Ambergris Caye. I was just coming through a few years ago and found that the location matches my personality, so I stuck around. I occasionally miss fresh leafy greens and electronics stores, but in general I'm extremely happy here and don't have any plans to leave.
Thailand is very cheap to live, if you don't try to live a life exactly like you lived in your western home country.
I moved from Australia with my girlfriend (now wife) about 20 months ago.
1. I don’t live in Bangkok (about 75km north in Ayutthaya, the old capital), but outside the city in the other cities/large towns (excluding perhaps Pattaya and Phuket CBD which cater to (sex) tourists), renting and buying a 3+ bedroom house can be very cheap. If you want to live right in the city in a Bangkok shoebox, yes you will pay for the "privilege".
2. The only time our grocery bill is anything like it was in Australia is if we a) go to the cash-and-carry store and buy bulk things and/or b) go to one of the 'upmarket' supermarkets to get imported stuff. If you go to one of the fresh markets to get fruit and veg (and potentially meat too) it's ridiculously cheap.
3. I don't know the US car market but generally they are slightly cheaper here than Australia, however that only works if you buy locally made. ANY imported vehicle automatically has 120% import tax.
4. If you eat in a local restaurant, $30 (~1000 Baht) will generally pay the bill for dinner for about 6 people. If you go to a western-ish restaurant (i.e. western style menu items but often with a slight thai touch, or adjusted ingredients) the same amount might cover 2 people, it might go up to $45 (~1500 Baht). $200 for two people is fucking insane, unless you're eating where all the hi-so Thais go just to be seen, and show they have money.
Your comment on street food tells me that you fall into the "not want to" category, and that is part of your expense problem. We regularly have street food, and I have only once had a bad experience (it didn't make me sick, I took a bite and couldn't eat it). If we get dinner from a street vendor its guaranteed we will pay less than $5 for both of us, for (generally) a meal made fresh in front of you, that is delicious.
To state that $30-$200 (~1000 - ~7000 Baht) to eat out is "normal" but that "you can get cheaper food on the streets, you may or may not want to" is like saying "there are cheaper toilets than this solid gold one, you may or may not want to use them".
5. Just like your $200 dinner for two, I think you're either shopping at the "hi-so" playgrounds (aka shopping malls), or you're paying the farrang (foreigner) tax.
As I learnt very quickly - if you want to live your western lifestyle, yes it will be expensive, because a lot of things you might want have to be imported and are thus
* more expensive for the retailer
* considered a luxury item thus worthy of higher markup
* targeted at foreigners thus worthy of even higher markup
For me, it's meant getting into bangkok is no longer a game of "will the protestors block road X today" and "oh hey it looks like the police can actually enforce a few laws when the army tells them to".
I wouldn't tell people not to come (for a holiday or work) but I am also aware that western media loves to sensationalise things so many people would reconsider coming.
My parents sometimes get freaked out by their local news with stuff like "army coup in Thailand!" Followed by no other news about it.
I was a bit nervous the day it happened, as I had read about very violent clashes after the previous coup and had no idea what to expect but it's largely just life as usual for us.
1. Rent -- 0.5 - 1.0 what you'll pay in a top-tier US city.
2. Groceries -- anything resembling what you'd get in the US will cost 1.25 - 2.00 of what you're paying in the US.
3. Cars -- 1.5 - 4.0 what you'll pay in the US. Insurance is somewhat cheaper however. Ditto maintenance. Gas is about the same.
4. Eating out -- really depends but say $30 - $200 for two people, possibly with drinks. You can eat cheaper food on the streets. You may or may not want to.
5. Electronics, watches, designer goods, etc -- significantly more than what you would pay in the US.
6. Domestic help -- if from a neighboring country very affordable, starting at $20 - $30 per day for maids and nannies.
7. Health care -- pretty incredible value here compared to the US. It would not be insane to go to a top-tier hospital without insurance here. My wife and I just had our son here. Excellent care for a fraction of US prices.
In other words, anything you might save on rent you'll make up for on everything else, with the exception of healthcare and domestic help, which have very high quality vs cost.