The REAL Cost of Living in Thailand (Our First Month)
Video Overview & Insights
How much does it REALLY cost to live in Thailand in 2026?
Any reason why you are not including health insurance as most that I found are monthly payments ..
After leaving the UK and spending our first full month living in Chiang Mai, we're breaking down every expense—from rent, electricity, water, groceries, eating out and transport to the everyday costs that nobody tells you about. If you're thinking about moving to Thailand, retiring abroad, becoming a digital nomad, or simply curious about the real cost of living in Thailand, this is an honest look at our actual monthly budget.
Unlike many cost of living videos, these are our real bills from our first month living here. We show exactly what we paid for our apartment, utilities, food, coffees, Grab deliveries, eating out, household items, dog expenses and everything else that makes up our everyday life in Thailand.
Welcome to Thailand! We hope you have a wonderful time.
In this video we cover:
🏠 Rent in Chiang Mai
Wow this is UK living. Will be interesting to see their budget in 6months time. Im guessing they have a 12month runway untill they back in blighty....cant wait
⚡ Electricity bill
💧 Water bill
This is awesome - what vis a are guys on? DTV? Do you know if you can renew after 5 years?
🌐 Internet costs
🛒 Grocery shopping
Why would do a video on living cost. When thousand of others did this.😅
Please, don't videos on hotel rooms or restaurants. 😅
🍜 Eating out in Thailand
☕ Coffee & cafés
I'm Thai FC love yours video everything 🎉
🐶 Living in Thailand with a dog
🚗 Transport & fuel
WHOA!!! 1700 US plus for a month!?? YOU MADE IT UNDER 2000us!! Fantastic and shocking indeed. Because there is a myth that you can’t live under 2000. And 2000 is a local Thai cost of living.
YOU ARE MYTH BUSTERS!!
💰 Our total monthly cost of living
Whether you're planning to relocate from the UK, retire in Thailand, work remotely, travel long-term or simply want to know what life really costs here, we hope this video gives you an honest insight into what it's like starting a new life abroad.
$50 for a 10-minute video with a creator who has around 9k subscribers seems like a tough sell. Curious how you'll persuade people it's worth it.
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How about your visa costs..?
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I know it’s only peanuts. But your paying way too much for your water,I use the same
Machines, yesterday I filled 9x6 litre bottles for 5b
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“The real cost” of living in Thailand is completely dependent on each individual
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While the amount you spent in Month 1 is of interest, try this calculation. You are roughly 40 years old. You may live until you are 90+ years old. Let's say you have 50 years left. 50 years = 50 x 12 = 600 months. 600 x 60,000 Baht = 36 million Baht = 804,000 pounds. This doesn't factor in the hyperinflation that will occur if the CCP keeps its promise and invades Taiwan. The UK pension will help you out eventually, but at a low rate as you don't live in the UK. Worse still, you've burned your bridges with the UK by selling and giving away everything there. ... One solution is to turn your savings into gold when the time is right, which is coming. Then you'll be all right. ... I apologise if I have scared you.
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New subscriber here just because you are kind to your dog and brought her along.. Thank you.
We're Justin and Jill, a British couple who left the UK to start a completely new life in Thailand. Every week we document the highs, lows and realities of relocating abroad, sharing honest experiences, real costs and everyday life as we build our new home in Thailand.
If you enjoy authentic travel documentaries, expat life, slow travel, relocation stories and discovering what life is really like overseas, we'd love to have you subscribe and join us.
Nice. I just moved to Bangkok. It looks like Chang Mai is about 30% cheaper. I'm perfectly content with my air conditioning set at 28C (82F) wearing shorts and tank top. The humidity bothered me (on the bad days) but I'm acclimating. Temperature high does not bother me if the humidity is lower. It's like Malibu beach on a hot day plus there is almost always a breeze.
#Thailand #CostOfLiving #LivingInThailand #MovingToThailand #ChiangMai #ExpatLife #Thailand2026
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Been kicking the idea around for a few years now and with the state of this country 🇨🇦 Asia is looking better and better,
Between the wife and I we have over 200k savings with a pensions bringing in 1.5k a month, both in great health, we are in Cape Breton, NS and have a very quiet life, we goto town maybe twice a month for essentials so yes a slow quiet life there is very appealing
Could we do it? Or do we need more $$ to be safe
Love to hear your Ideas
Love the videos and all the helpful tips
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Interesting. I was in chiang mai in 2002. I seem to remember a small ish town / village in the countryside. Seems like things have changed 😮
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I darnt analyse my monthly living costs in england.. i pay £45 a month just for broadband 1 gig supposedly but i actually get 60mb right rip off. Tv tax gone up £15 a month, council tax is crazy, your total electric bill is what we pay in standing charge just to have a meter lol without adding usage . Interesting in costs. Hows the food? You get bad guts? With changes in food and water?
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It's a pretty interesting difference. How do you guys find the tax there, and how many things do they tax compared to the UK? Here in the UK it feels like they try taxing as much stuff as possible 😆
When you see the people from South Africa again, as a greeting say "Awe" (pronounced a-wear). It's just a greeting like hey or something.
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Great video :) always nice to get an update on average month;y spend for a couple.
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❤❤omg.im in uk north east n my water for 1 person is £30 a month n electric £80...ive been robbed..
Next yoyl be telling me yku Dont pay COUNCIL TAX £1700 a year😂😂,
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wow .. the "real" costs ... realistic "life style" ... wow ...
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Nice to have the confirmation. I always budgeted about $2000 per month. Thanks for the update.
More User Perspectives
A real honest and frank view of living cost in Thailand well done guys loving your journey!!! xx
@lisa.mamamumeJust the amount you spend on rent is more than what we spend on everything combined for a whole month! Living a high-quality life on a budget requires practice in managing your finances wisely—much like an athlete preparing for a competition: you make sacrifices, make choices, and enjoy what you have.
@StuffeWizzสวัสดีค่ะ🙏
@palidamook031800 US Dollar? 1575 Euro. For 2 People? Total okay. 750 per Person in Euro. Well played
@CathsLittleWorldGreat video. So much information that is needed.
@atlfisherman3413I think that you should have included medical insurance, vehcile insurance and vehicle depreciation.
@dietersherry9936We have 2 air conditions I big fan which apart from a few hours a day are on constant our bill is touching 2, 800 to 3,000 bhat monthly , still cheap compared to uk .
@carolyagou887430,000 บาทต่อคน คือราคาที่ต่ำที่สุดที่ชาวต่างชาติใช้ในหนึ่งเดือน บางคนไม่ได้ประหยัด พวกเขามักใช้เงิน 45,000-60,000 บาทต่อคนต่อเดือน ฉันคิดว่าพวกคุณทำได้ดี และเมื่อคุณลดอาหารตะวันตกลง ค่าใช้จ่ายอาหารจะน้อยลงแน่นอน ฉันมีคำแนะนำในการหุงข้าว ข้าว 1 : น้ำ 1.5 คุณควรใส่น้ำส้มสายชูลงไปเล็กน้อย จะทำให้ข้าวไม่เสียเร็ว และใส่เกลือสักนิดหนึ่ง จะทำให้ข้าวฟูและเพิ่มรสชาติ
@AloneStone333This is ours for a family of 3. Plus 12 dogs and 3 cats.
Food 40,000
Health insurance 4,500
Car insurance ,1,000
Electric 1,200
Water 200
Anna's school fees 4,000
Car fuel 4,500
Pet food 20,000
Anna fund 20,000
IPTV 150
Mobile data 3 phones plus ultra fast broadband 1,000
Local tax zero
Thai tax zero
Rent zero
Lazada budget and clothing 6,000
Sounds like you are getting out of holiday mode and into Thai living.
100,000 per month is a comfortable number
Good luck to you both ❤
Seriously how much do you eat?
Unless you're going to steakhouses that have 5000 baht bills I can't see any way spending this much for food.
I was spending like 14000 a month (2 people) and eating western things often. There was this thing called cooking which comes handy.
Amazing!!!! I cant believe how happy and fresh use both look after your first ever video!! Love watching your videos I have now got my partner watching to this is something we would love to do in the future 🙏❤️
@liverpool3375Currently, almost all air conditioners in Thailand are inverter systems.
This new system helps save a lot of electricity
because it has a circuit that reduces the compressor's operating speed (but it doesn't shut off completely)
to maintain a constant temperature as programmed.
If the air conditioner is an older fixed-speed system,
the compressor will frequently switch on and off
according to temperature changes, resulting in high electricity consumption.
In your expense, I don't see Health insurance, Car Insurance, Internet Box, Visa, Papers in Thailande. You say you want to go to visit Thailand, how much to go Bangkok, Hotels more.
@francoispeltier3763Cheaper than the UK. No doubt about that. But I suppose it could be even cheaper if you don't have a car. Still £1330 for a couple is great. Well done guys 😊
@karmoogumI dunno. Too low. I have lived in Thailand a few times. 2500 minimum USD for one person is my benchmark. 3-4k for 2 people.
@JMVividThe thing is the average salary in the UK is about £35k, whereas in Thailand it's probably a lot less. So it's all relative.
@mrpianoman1Pros Internet Speed in Thailand is way ahead of the UK for 1/4 of the price. Maybe include i) insurance for the car ii) tax for the car iii) Muay Thai costs.
Looking forward to your getting the 100K subscription award just like Sam Tyler
Some of your links below aren't working.
@KatrinaRichards-f7xWas rent US or AUD?
@KatrinaRichards-f7xIMHO,,you should have excluded dog expenses from others.
@Neednoy2A pretty accurate account of spending here in Thailand. If you really need or want to as you rightly said there are ways to cut expenses.
Having lived here myself 6 years I am still undecided as to the cost of home cooking apposed to eating in local restaurants. A meal in a local Thai restaurant about 40 or 50 baht per dish , I'm still not shore I can prepare a meal at home for 40 baht.
For me eating out most days is a convenient option although I do cook sometimes.
Great life in Thailand, Paradise in the World. Please also let us know How far Thai words your practice to speaking, you must try to talking Thai word every time anywhere in place with Thai people we really to tell and teach you speaking it might be end the year you can talking well
@nnnninenath3807At frist you guys looked like you were in a good health and without any anxiety. But maybe it's just a honeymoon phase.Hopefully, everything goes smoothly and all the best.❤
@chayapatchaya8782Great video, I think 60K THB pm is a very realistic budget to live on in Chiang Mai though I would add on a "Oops" budget of 20K pm for adhoc things that come up everynow and again... E.g. Car Repairs, need a new laptop/mobile, a trip to the Dentist etc...
@harrykeogh3994Hope your journey to Bkk goes well, you will pass my hometown on the way.
Phra nakhon Sri Ayutthaya
Welcome to Thailand. Please do grocery shopping video. 😊☺️
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