Chiang Mai - Cost of living

[howie444]

Hello

I have placed threads on here before and the answers were very helpful, thank you.
I am over the next 2-3 yrs gaining as much information as possible before I hopefully retire to Chiang Mai. I will then be 51yrs old, male, single, no dependants. I have lived a fortunate existance in the UK, lovely home, well paid job, etc. However have visited Thailand approx 10times and so love the country. I am not a materialistic person so i envy the Thai way of life so much, compared to that in the UK, were everyone has to have a better car, home, job etc then everyone else, for what..this has never made me happy!

This isnt a new idea of mine, I have been planning on paper & in my head for a few years now, but am having difficulty to put an accurate figure on the cost of living. I am visiting again early 2013 for 1 month but this is too short a time to get this estimate, hense this thread!

I hope to rent a Condo for approx B15,000ish per month, eat Thai street food (love Thai food, hate most English food). I hope to spend my initial years learning the Thai language at a language school, I don't drink too much.

How much will I need, I have a figure of approx B45,000 per month after rent of Condo, but am reading a few threads that this isn't enough, and I can't see why......help please...many thanks!

[cooked]

I can't see why either. A Condo for ฿15 000 is much too expensive if you don't need luxury. You can get a house for ฿6000.-. Forget the guys that say that they need ฿100 000.- a month to live. However. I take it you know about visas? Retirement visa you need ฿65 000 a month.. Health insurance?
I myself have a good style of living + support a Thai wife, very well, with ฿45 000.- a month..
Many expats answer 'how much do I need to live in Thailand?' by saying how much they need to live in Bangkok, not the same thing.

[stednick]

Originally Posted by howie444

This isnt a new idea of mine, I have been planning on paper & in my head for a few years now, but am having difficulty to put an accurate figure on the cost of living. I am visiting again early 2013 for 1 month but this is too short a time to get this estimate, hense this thread!

How much will I need, I have a figure of approx B45,000 per month after rent of Condo, but am reading a few threads that this isn't enough, and I can't see why......help please...many thanks!

Howie:
The majority of information you find on this forum is generalized and typically is based on the poster's individual experience. All persons are individual. Your spending habits, personal preferences, required standard of living, and, situation are different from other posters. Therefore, your money requirements will be different.

In your shoes, what I would do, is from today until you visit Thailand in 2013, I would detail and itemize everything I bought and every living expense incurred. I would determine my actual monthly consumption of goods. I would then define a Thailand equivalency list of monthly living requirements.

When I (read you), visit Thailand in 2013 I would determine the actual cost of the monthly living requirements, in Chiang Mai. You now have a firm "accurate" cost-of-living in Chiang Mai based on your current spending habits and the cost-of-living in Chiang Mai during your 2013 visit.

After this you must prepare contingency to account for possible and expected shifts in exchange rates, inflation, and taxation.

Don't forget medical insurance and care (infection/disease/accident). Emergency travel and an escape plan should the political climate change.

Good luck.

[godfree]

Originally Posted by cooked

I can't see why either. A Condo for ฿15 000 is much too expensive if you don't need luxury. You can get a house for ฿6000.-. Forget the guys that say that they need ฿100 000.- a month to live. However. I take it you know about visas? Retirement visa you need ฿65 000 a month.. Health insurance?
I myself have a good style of living + support a Thai wife, very well, with ฿45 000.- a month..
Many expats answer 'how much do I need to live in Thailand?' by saying how much they need to live in Bangkok, not the same thing.

You're in good shape financially but, since you're a sensible person and this is a big step, check out these two sources, which have current Chiang Mai costs that will allow you to construct a detailed budget--right down to your Internet and cel phone monthly costs:
Home | Thailand Retirement Helpers
And this book from Amazon:
How to Retire in Thailand and Double Your Income...
See you here!

[howie444]

Just a big big thank you for the replies to my thread so far. Cooked, thank you for making me realise someone thinks the same as me, thought I had missed something somewere. Stednick, thank you for the advice on Englsh/Thai spending habits, will start that today. Godfree. thanks for the web link, never seen this link before, its now in my favourites, going to spend a while today looking through it and making more notes! to go along with the collection of notes, files, books and more files that one has accumalated over the last year or so!!

If there are anyone who reads this thread that has in the past on here stated that the cost of living in Chaing Mai is far above what I have allowed (B60,000) per month, (also I have a property still in the UK should I need to return, escape plan), could they list roughly where they get their figure from (ie: food, accomodation, health insurance, entertainment, other costs etc)...just in case I have missed something!

Many many thanks to you all

Howie

[godfree]

Originally Posted by howie444

Just a big big thank you for the replies to my thread so far. Cooked, thank you for making me realise someone thinks the same as me, thought I had missed something somewere. Stednick, thank you for the advice on Englsh/Thai spending habits, will start that today. Godfree. thanks for the web link, never seen this link before, its now in my favourites, going to spend a while today looking through it and making more notes! to go along with the collection of notes, files, books and more files that one has accumalated over the last year or so!!

If there are anyone who reads this thread that has in the past on here stated that the cost of living in Chaing Mai is far above what I have allowed (B60,000) per month, (also I have a property still in the UK should I need to return, escape plan), could they list roughly where they get their figure from (ie: food, accomodation, health insurance, entertainment, other costs etc)...just in case I have missed something!

Many many thanks to you all

Howie

Howie,
If you're a member of any of the social networking groups, like Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, would you click on their icons at the very bottom of those web pages. Much obliged!

[cooked]

there is another link about Chiang Mai, to be taken with a pinch of salt, but some interesting information: Retire-on-550-month.com - retirement advice, accommodations, finding Thai girlfriend or wife and

[TomC]

Originally Posted by howie444

Hello

I have placed threads on here before and the answers were very helpful, thank you.


This isnt a new idea of mine, I have been planning on paper & in my head for a few years now, but am having difficulty to put an accurate figure on the cost of living. I am visiting again early 2013 for 1 month but this is too short a time to get this estimate, hense this thread!

I hope to rent a Condo for approx B15,000ish per month, eat Thai street food (love Thai food, hate most English food). I hope to spend my initial years learning the Thai language at a language school, I don't drink too much.

How much will I need, I have a figure of approx B45,000 per month after rent of Condo, but am reading a few threads that this isn't enough, and I can't see why......help please...many thanks!

Don't know what threads that you read and for what life style, but your numbers made no sense to me. A farang English teacher is expected to make about $1K USD or B30,000 per month. Are you saying you need twice that much to live on in CM? How much street foods do you plan to eat? You would explode before you can eat a fraction of that budget. Personally, I think the B60,000 baht must go to support a lot of drinking and the working girls. Otherwise, I don't see why anyone would need that much to live on anywhere in Thailand.

[TomC]

OK, Go to ajarn dot com, in help and guides look for cost of living. That should give you good info on what people are paying for. You need a lot of samples to get a better feel. Good luck.

[howie444]

Thank you TomC, I really appreciate replies like this. I dont remember where the comments came from regarding needing more than B60000 per month.
I have and are continuing to obtain as much information as possible as I have been doing for the last few years, also will continue to spend at least 1hr a day for the next 2 years or so obtaining information. Also I plan to visit Thailand at least twice over the next 2 yrs for 1 and 3 months.

But it is the costs that seem to be so different from different people. I have done my sums and see no reason that I cant live a good life on B60000 per month in Chain Mai incl B15000 per month on renting a Condo. I wont be spending on working girls and dont drink a lot although 3-4 beers every evening would be nice.

Thanks again TomC, I keep think I am going wrong with my figures, and understand that with my 2 visits I will see this first hand, but reasuring threads like yours does help a confused guy like me to believe that he is doing his sums right.

Many thanks again

Howie