If you are planning to relocate to Thailand, you will be bombarded with all kinds of stories on social media how cheap it is to live in Thailand.
You want to hear the word cheap, so these types of stories and videos attract your attention.
If you do not do your own realistic research, you will find out that these are just stories, far removed from the truth.
Thailand may be cheaper than where you are moving from, but depending on the lifestyle you want, it probably, realistically, will be more expensive.
If you are trying to replicate your western lifestyle in total, it will be more expensive.
Cars are expensive, gas is expensive, medical insurance is expensive, western food prices are crazy expensive.
Did you move from a location in your home country from a tiny, 1 room condo?
Do you want to trade living in your big western house with a pool and a nice yard for living in a small condo?
That is how Thailand becomes cheaper.
Although, try to understand living in a condo with neighbors who do things their own way, cooking smells, noise, up all night?
Most people have no idea what reality will be like here because they spend too much time getting sucked in to social media stories from people trying to make money to live here.
They never realize the true cost truths until it is too late.
Cost will all depend on where you want to live.
Phuket the highest, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, high was sell.
You might have cost savings if you can live the rest of your days in a condo, but that is about ALL the savings you will find.
If you need western things, you are going to pay more.
Simple fact.
The way to live cheap in Thailand, is to live in rural Thailand, and eat like a local, meaning no western food ever.
In the village where you can buy all kinds of meals for 40thb each, however, you might go to one western restaurant and spend up to 3,000 thb.
Understand the lifestyle you dream of, western restaurants, wine, socializing, entertainment and figure out exactly how much budget you need to live that lifestyle.
That is the only way to understand the quality of your life here.
We have been living in rural Isaan, while building a new house, on US $825 a month.
One reason is because there is no place to get anything western, food or otherwise, unless you can drive over 1.5 hours away.
You will need cash for a vehicle.
Financing is not easy here for foreigners without a job and work permit, even then it is not so easy.
There is no such thing as the dream life Youtuber’s pitch at the beach for $1,000 a month.
You are never getting the true story of ALL the costs.
When you reach the age of 65, health insurance will be costly, going up each year and not covering existing conditions.
If you want to move to Thailand, understand the lifestyle you and put a cost to it.
You might realize that the lifestyle you want at the beach is much more than you can afford.