20K+ Views! | Living as an Expat in Phuket, Thailand: Monthly Spending Breakdown for June-July 2022
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ค. 2024
- Join Brian as he provides an in-depth breakdown of his monthly expenses while living in Phuket, Thailand. From rent and grocery bills to transportation costs, dining out, and entertainment expenses, he covers it all. By the end of the video, you'll have a detailed understanding of the cost of living in Phuket, and a better idea of how to budget for your long term stay.
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What a great view from the rooftop pool! It sounds like you're to a good start in Phuket and we look forward to your future videos.
Welcome to Phuket ,May I ask where you get the medical insurance so cheap?
Thanx, very helpful, you guys are living well on not too much !
And don’t feel like we are lacking anything. People tell us we’re living the dream. Glad you found it helpful, before we moved over I was looking for a detailed breakdown like this and couldn’t find it.
Thank You much !
One of best detailed cost brake down ever, Thank you!
Me, my wife and our early teen son getting ready move to Koh Samui !!!
You’re very welcome. Before we moved here I tried finding videos with expats budgets and they always seemed rambling or without many details. I tried to make something that I thought others moving here would find useful.
Good luck in Koh Samui!
@@KhakiShorts Thank you 🙏🏽 and again best info ever !!!
Realistic costs...great!
Thanks. We’re pretty middle of the road, not scraping up baht to buy noodles every day but not eating steak and lobster at fancy restaurants either. 😂
Great break down on cost. Really appreciate the detail cost. Wish you both the very best.
It’s only from the Canada. The icy ceasepol
Thank you for the info. My wife and I were looking at Malaysia for retirement but with the MM2H visa changes we are going to take a different route.
Malaysia was our first choice as well but the MM2H changes made us look elsewhere, too.
@@KhakiShorts It is a shame that the Malaysian government made that change. Are you just exploring areas or will you be staying in Thailand permanently?
@@billanderson5629 Still debating. Probably going to make Thailand our base and maybe spend time elsewhere (Malaysia, Vietnam, etc) for a month or so each trip. We are actually preparing all our documents now to get our one year extension on our retirement visa here in Thailand.
Are you both planning to retire and live in Thailand?
Try Prachuap Khiri Khan or Nakhon Phanom or Koh Samui (Mae Nam area).
Phuket is somewhat expensive and your $1700/mth expenses is excellent for Phuket. Your current location is accessible to all your necessities.
We love living in Phuket, after being retired almost a year here we bought a condo. We know it’s one of the most expensive places to live in Thailand but Phuket checks all the boxes of things we need (beaches, easy access to international airport, etc.) and is still not a stretch for our budget.
Great video, do you have a link to the health insurance you got?
We use WR Life, you can check out their policies at wrlife.net
@@KhakiShorts brilliant, thanks
Just found your channel. Great info. It’s been a year, why not do an update on cost of living in Phuket! Thx. Cheers
We’ve been traveling on and off but once we get settled back in I may do one for the Sep-Oct period owning a place versus renting and with owning a car.
th-cam.com/video/T451i68GDAg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3OGlOb_WJcTRCSbs
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Hi, May I ask more info on the health insurance, is there a FULL coverage health insurance for foreigners living in Phuket, what is the cost?? will that allow medical transport, better equipped hospital to Bangkok or other countries in Asia? are they easy to get ? We are planning for a early retirement in Phuket from Canada soon. Any info would be appreciated, also what is the best area to live in Phuket for expats? ( mid to high range )
There are lots of full coverage options but you would need to get quotes from different insurance companies or find an agent. We recently upgraded to $200k for inpatient only since going to the doctor for minor stuff here is inexpensive. It covers us for most Asian countries. Some exceptions like HK and Singapore, all policies are different. Our policy is $2188 per year for both of us. Where to live depends on what you want. More local? Beaches? Close to the mall? A lot of Americans are in Rawai, upper class expats like the Laguna area due to lots of upscale Western restaurants. Groups of expats at all the beaches along the west coast. I would suggest coming for a recon trip or move here and do short term rentals in several different areas to see what fits you best.
Try Pacific Cross.
Subscriber 1000 YAY!
Thanks! It’s an important milestone, been working on growing our channel for 4 1/2 years.
Thanks for breaking it down. I’m toying with the idea of spending some time somewhere over there myself, so finding your videos really helpful.
There’s a wide range of costs for condos. We’ve seen some studio condos with air con but no pool for 3500 baht a month ($140 Australian dollars). You can live really cheap or high class here.
@@KhakiShorts nice - air con would be a must for me! I think maybe the higher elevations in the north part of the county might be worth checking out too.
@@Stan-at-KangarooIslandTV Yes, we are going to be doing tours of Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chaing Mai and other places in the coming year. You can live even cheaper off Phuket.
who do you all use for health insurance? thanks. I'm trying to make my way to Phuket in December
For our first three months we used Tune just for Covid and disaster insurance (Back when we first came in they were still doing the Thailand Pass for entry). Now we use a company called WR Life for inpatient health insurance only. An basic trips to the doctor for a cold, sprains, etc. we pay out of pocket. This policy will cover us in most of SE Asia. I know a lot of expats here use AXA insurance as well.
@@KhakiShorts cool thanks for replying..I'll check the AXA option..are yall from the south?
@@ASouthernBoyCanSurvive Yep, does my accent give it away? My wife is originally from CA but moved to GA about 10 years ago. I grew up in GA.
@@KhakiShorts I just thought I saw some southern stuff on your channel .I grew up in NC myself
wow the total is my rent in Philadelphia PA alone when I was renting out.
Isn’t it crazy how much rent is in the US in major city centers? Savvy older Americans looking overseas for lower cost of living (younger ones too).
Broken down perfectly, thanks. I land in Bangkok March 2. Pensioned by the US military. I'll have around $2,100 to live on monthly. Sounds like I'll do just fine. Single, no kids. Don't party or drink much. This is great. Recommend any areas for a man like that, just wants to chillax, have the occasional beer with a good meal and not be too close to crazy, but not too far from the action? Thanks.
Are you planning on staying in Bangkok? People are always asking which parts of Phuket to live in and most expats responses would be "Come here and try out different areas first". I would suggest getting an AirBnB or hotel room in a few different areas that interest you and see how you like them. We've actually never been to Bangkok, just here in Phuket and close by. Parts of Pattaya can be party central but other parts away from the beach are quieter and more laid back. Just be sure to research the visa you'll be applying for as they are becoming more and more stringent on their requirements.
@@KhakiShorts Thanks. So, no, I'm not staying put in Bangkok. I have a place there for 2 weeks. Was thinking Jomtien and Pattaya next for 2 weeks to 30 days combined, then Phuket and the beach areas. Ultimately I'm looking at traveling north to Chiang Mai and live there for an extended period of time. I look at the Visa situation with an eye glued to their news for exactly that reason. You're right, most expats do say that 😅 I'm pretty well traveled. I know what to and not to expect of a new place. Very careful and neutral-minded. I appreciate your response 🙏🏾
@@TraderMigs Great plan, best of luck!
I went to Patong in December 2022, there's plenty of things going on there around Bangla road, but if you don't want it - plenty of quiter places a bit further away. Very international crowd too
I see you have a budget of 700 us dollars a month for 2 people. I live in southeast Wisconsin and have a budget of 400 a month for me and my daughter. We don't eat steaks but we eat good. You mentioned that it's cheaper to eat out than at home. Is Thailand grocery stores expensive ?
Hello. Sorry if I'm throwing too much info at you but just wanted to clarify. We don't really have a eating out/food budget, per se. We just try to keep our total monthly spending under $2K USD. In that first month we spent $565 on eating out but we had 60 meals in restaurants. Some of those were local noodles, fried rice, pad thai, etc. that were inexpensive and others were at nice Western restaurants where the price tag is quite a bit higher. We are starting our 6th month here now and we definitely cook more and eat out less. The major reason is we now have my 86 yo MIL with us and she has a bit of trouble walking so we try to eat at home more. As far as groceries you can buy local products for a good price but if you want certain foods such as beef, American or English products or things like that then the cost will be tremendously higher just because they have to be imported. Now that we have been here longer we have found the best places to shop and which products give us the most bang for the buck. I have an e-mail on my information page if you have any more questions about our budget. Thanks for watching!
@KhakiShorts Thanks for the response. I appreciate it .
American and English products much more qvaliy then tais
Do you do more rideshares during rainy season?
We actually bought our own car back in June so no more rideshares. Back when we used them it was about the same high season vs. rainy season, I’d say.
@@KhakiShorts I don't drive anymore (really bad accident, other driver was texting and ran a red light), my husband never got his license (he's Danish, no reason to have one living in Copenhagen). Is it necessary to have a car or can you get by without one, without too much of a headache? We're looking to retire in Thailand.
@@aislynn001 We find it easier to have a car but it is possible to get around with ride sharing or songthaew (in Phuket anyway). Bangkok is really the only place that has any kind of public transportation (BTS rail and buses). We did alright using ride share for about 10 months, some places are more conducive to walking than others. We lived in Chalong at NOON Village and could walk to restaurants and grocery shopping.
@@KhakiShorts We're looking at Bangkok as well, my hubby is a real city mouse, but I'd love to be near enough to a beach that I could get there by car. The BTS in Bangkok is fantastic. They have a good system in Copenhagen, too, but I love the views from the BTS. Thanks for the informative video, BTW :) Nice to see first-hand experiences
@@aislynn001 You’re from Copenhagen? We’ll be there in late December of this year. Doing home swaps in Copenhagen, Helsinki and Prague. Let us know if there’s anything we shouldn’t miss around Christmas time.
70k a month sweet spot for me
Thank you for the information. We want to go to Thailand for live there and we search for a house or a apartment. If you had more tips. Send it please to us . Thank you and best wishes from Germany Siri and Uwe
I would definitely suggest renting in several areas before buying anything. Lifestyles in one part of the country can be radically different than others. Even on the island of Phuket areas can cater to locals or expats from different countries. We enjoy living here but takes some adjusting.
@@KhakiShorts Thank you for answer. We don't know where we go. We saw many countries in Thailand. But I think the best option is Bangkok, you are central, can fly everywhere you want. But the city is very busy. Koh Samui is amazing, but it is to expensive. My wife family lives in Korat, but there not so much people, from Germany and I think I feel longer lonely. We search about FAZ and we think we must stay longer in a city and then we can look what we maid. If you had a good tip for rent and for life you are always welcome and thank you. If you like to know more about us. See you on our chanel. Best wishes Siri and Uwe
@@uwegrauert7680 My wife and I had actually never been to Thailand before moving here. We chose Phuket so we could start off somewhere close to tourist areas and with lots of expats to ease our way into living here. We are probably going to make Phuket our base and do most of our traveling from here. Phuket has an international airport and they have flights to the rest of Asia, Europe and the middle east. It is a little more expensive to live here than other parts of Thailand (except maybe Bangkok) but for us it is a good mix of local areas with Thai culture but Western food is available if we want it. We rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with 2 pools and a gym for 20,000 baht per month. We have a video on our channel showing what our condo looks like if you are interested.
Ciao
thanks for the video
My dream is to spend two or three months in Thailand with my wife.
Your bills seem pretty close to my lifestyle, but we love to get massages and spend some time relaxing with a small beer or coke and some French fries.
So the entertainment costs could be even 100/150 higher USD
Grazie
Ciao from Italy
We’ve actually started to splurge a bit more on pedicures, massages and Western food since we saw we could come in under budget. If you get away from tourist areas you can find foot and leg or Thai massages (1 hour) for 200-300 baht. Even pampering yourself can be inexpensive here if you know where to look. Hope you and your wife get to spend some time here!
@@KhakiShorts thank, grazie for your kind answer
Thanks for a really nice and informative video about the true costs of living a normal life in Phuket, Thailand! Very thankfull Peter Eriksson Sweden Europe with Love! 😊
You are very welcome. Our costs have changed a bit now that we purchased a condo here but still very affordable. We are actually coming to Wales and Stockholm in December 2024 using home swapping. Looking forward to it!
Welcome to Stockholm in december! Recommend the christmas marked on Skansen during december! Enjoy life!
@@petereriksson1390 Thanks for the recommendation!
Was that coach you flew??
We flew business class on Singapore Air. We used points from our travel credit card for the flight. Check our channel page, we have a video review of our flight.
Nice video. You sound like someone from Southern US .
Guilty as charged. I grew up in Georgia, just outside Atlanta. I’ve lost some of my accent, it was once much thicker.
@@KhakiShortsI wish you and your wife happy life in Thailand.
@@littletravelmonkey6727 Thanks! We’re still going to be doing a lot of traveling, this will just be our home base now.
@@KhakiShorts where was your wife from? She speaks Mandarin and Cantonese
@@littletravelmonkey6727 She was born and grew up in California. Her Mom is Chinese but grew up in Vietnam. Now she’s working on learning Thai, she’s really good at picking up new languages.
Okay, there is one thing I do not understand. If you are actually expats and are not just here on an extended vacation, then why on earth would you not have a car or motorbike? After all, taxis are VERY expensive here in Phuket and transportation cost can add up very quickly without your own car or bike. Heck, even renting a motorbike would be much cheaper than taxis or other forms of public transport. Actually, at first I was very confused as to why you would pay to stay at a hotel in Karon Beach when it is only about a 15-minute drive from Chalong? But then when you said you did not have your own transportation it all made sense. After all the cost of a taxi to get there and back for two days would probably cost more than the hotel room. By the way, I actually lived in Tokyo for 5 years once and in all that time I never had a car because cars are useless there and the cost associated with having one are crazy in Tokyo. In Phuket however I have always had a motorbike or car. Before I lived here full time I rented and now I own. In places like Pattaya you can get around very cheaply without your own vehicle but not in Phuket. Your own transportation is a must have in Phuket, particularly for someone trying to live cheaply. By the way, was your decision to not have your own transportation due to the dangers of driving here? After all, it is true that traffic accidents are the number one cause of death in Thailand?
I actually have another video where we rented a car for two months and I break down the costs. Neither my wife nor I have motorcycle licenses but we are going to take a Honda riding course in April so we can get ours. If you are caught riding a scooter here without a license it is now a 1,000 baht fine and they regularly have roadblocks set up. We actually don’t leave our little area around Chalong circle a lot and everything we need is within walking distance. We have learned the songthaew schedule and use it quite a bit at only 40 baht per person. I actual love to drive, even here in Thailand. We are going on a trip in late April and will probably purchase a scooter and a car when we return.
@@KhakiShorts - Yes, getting a Thai motorcycle license is definitely a good idea. As for the police checkpoints, they have quite a few here in Patong as well. The whole checkpoint thing started about 15 years ago, and while I think its great that they are saving some lives by getting more people to wear helmets, that is nothing compared to the number of lives that could be saved simply by strictly enforcing existing traffic laws until people started driving more responsibly. But Thai cops simply refuse to actually pull people over and give out moving violations of any kind. If I were a cop here I could cite people for moving violations as fast as I could write them up. And I could even give out dozens of reckless driving tickets each day. But all they seem to care about here is checking people’s paperwork.
Anyway, I probably spend less than 200 baht a month on gas for my own motorcycle. I have a Honda Wave 125i rather than a motor scooter because motorcycles just handle much better than motor scooters do and so I feel safer and more in control on one. Still, motor scooters (Click, PCX, etc.) have almost completely taken over the market here in Thailand. And I have to admit the CVT automatic transmissions they use offers a big advantage when going up some of the steep grades we have here in Phuket, especially if you have a passenger on the back. The Wave only has a 4-speed transmission so with two people onboard it can really bog down on the steep hills.
$400 for 2 people to eat out most meals for a month? Amazing value!
Plus, since we had a small kitchen we ate most of our lunch and dinners at restaurants. The more Western the food the more expensive but if you don’t mind eating noodle or rice dishes then you can eat pretty cheap here outside the tourist areas.