Thailand travel guide Thailand costs and prices Bangkok Guide and Tourist Information Thailand Travel FAQ Arriving in Thailand FAQ Thailand culture FAQ Thailand General Travel FAQ Thailand highlights FAQ Thailand money and costs FAQ Preparing for a trip to Thailand Travelling in Thailand FAQ Thailand Monarchy Thailand Photos (From A-L) Thailand Photos (From M-Z) The Thai Language How To Speak Thai Speaking Polite Thai 'Tinglish', the Thai version of English The Thai word 'farang'

A survey by the Economist newspaper ranked Bangkok's cost of living at only 57% of that of New York, and certainly it's true that is possible to live very cheaply. How much you adapt to Thai lifestyle habits makes a big difference to your costs though - having johk or khao dtom (both types of rice soup) for breakfast everyday will cost you almost nothing, while a bowl of cornflakes may well cost considerably more than you would expect. Wine, cheese, chocolate and other everyday items in the west will similarly set you back more in Bangkok than back in New York. Most other goods luxury goods are taxed extremely heavily in Thailand, meaning purchasing a new Mercedes will cost more here than almost anywhere else in the world.

Some example costs that you may encounter day-to-day are: (approx 1US$=40B, 1GBP=60B)

Food and Drink
Plate of Thai food, some rice and a soft drink at an average small restaurant	40B to 70B
Plate of Thai food and a soft drink on Bangkok's Khao San road.	100B
Plate of western style food and a soft drink in tourist-orientated restaurant.	150B - 300B
Meal for 2 at a high quality Thai restaurant	300B to 500B
Macdonald's BigMac Meal - Small/Large	85B/92B
Grilled chicken and sticky rice from a street vendor	20B
Large (630ml) 'Singha' beer from a 7-11 store	50B
Small (330ml) 'Singha' beer in an average bar	60B to 150B
1 litre of bottled water from a store	7B to 12B
Low-end bottle of wine from a supermarket	450B
Packet of Thai kanom (snacks/sweets)	10B
Small Mars Bar	27B
20 cigarettes (Western brand)	45B
20 cigarettes (Thai brand)	20B
Accommodation
Typical guesthouse room on Khao San Road (small, fan-cooled, shared cold-water bathroom)	150B
Typical 3* hotel room	800B to 1200B
Typical 5* hotel room	3000B +
Discounted room at the Oriental Hotel (arguably the world's best hotel)	US$250 / 10000B
Luxury apartment (per month)	20000B +
Central Bangkok apartment with good facilities (per month)	8000B to 20000B
Non-central cheap apartment with few/no facilities (per month)	2000B to 4000B
Travel
Average taxi or tuk-tuk fare round central Bangkok	70B
Ordinary / Aircon bus fare	3.5B / 8B - 16B
Average fare on the express boats and canal boats	5 to 10B
Chartering a longtail boat for one hour	400B
Average Skytrain fare	25B
Shopping
Original Western music CD from a department store	450B to 500B
Original Thai music CD from a department store	120B
Copied Western music CD from Khao San Road	180B
Pirate software from Panthip Plaza	150B
Fake Rolex watch	500B
Cheap T-Shirt	100B
Fake pair of Levi's	400B
General
Cinema ticket	80B to 120B
Entrance fee to some of the most popular discos/nightclubs (This usually entitles you to 2 or 3 'free' drinks)	300B to 500B
Copy of 'The Nation' or 'Bangkok Post' newspaper	20B
Cheap haircut	60B
Internet access on a 56K modem, per hour.	30B to 180B

Thailand