The $1000 Thailand Budget - Fact or Fiction?

In this video, I discuss the different motives that people have for living in Thailand, and why there is no "one-size" fits all answer to the cost of living question.

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[Schrear]

I like this video a lot. Instead of shitting on a lower cost of living like other Ytbers, he had class in the way he says things, and goes into first hand examples of the lower cost life style

[BureaucracyWorld]

We live under $300/month for two of us in the south of Thailand. In a farm land of my wife homestead. We build our own house, grow our own vegetables, and catch our own fish.
She is a good cook, so we rarely go out. We have hydroponic and vertical farms for vegetables, tilapia, and mud crabs.
We go out fishing in the ocean once or twice a month for groupers and lobsters.

[JaredInBangkok]

Finally, a voice of reason on this subject.

[a.lawrence]

With respect to Cal. A budget of $1500 to 2000 is more in line with what most Americans might be good with. Thailand is cheaper then the states but those small expenses do add up. Health insurance for older people is a MUST and isn't cheap.

[retiredsailor]

As always Cal you do such a wonderful job explaining all the different nuances of daily life broken down by different statuses whether it be retirement, dtv, study or work and I'm always very impressed by your total professionalism. Keep up the great work my friend and I'll always be your loyal customer. Peace out...

[theone]

AT 35, Imfinaly chasing this dream. I already moved from PA TO LA for 5 years, the biggest leap in the country, now im ready to have the heart for another leap. after 3 years of studying and community readings, im saving at least 2000 and going for 2 months to plant my seeds for long term. The hype is real lol

[rikayangu]

Brilliant, informative with no fluff.I just booked a vacation to Pattaya and happened to reach your channel while looking for info.
Thnks for a well put together video with all important info covered.

[antonr.]

Very balanced and intelligent video. You got my atention and...subscription

[xtnguyen]

Thanks for sharing a great details video.
Stay well, happy and safe.
Cheers from USA.

[ialislam]

Excellent and very informative video Cal. Keep them coming! Hoping to visit within next few months with possible future retire stay.. Most importantly reference points and perspectives are critical in these make or break decision. Thanks for those extra views from a single video..

[kimwkahler]

Very important point. The entrepreneur angle!! No brainer, if you’re doing online business 🎉

[Battleneter]

Keep in mind if you are over 50 and do the retirement visa 800, 000THB into a Thai back account, you can likely put it into the safest high interest term investment you can find, so it wont likely be sitting there doing nothing.

[HandsONreviewsu]

VERY DOWN TO EARTH VIDEO FINALLY BRO, i mean other YouTubers were giving me a headache. I AM FROM NY. I actually subscribed 👍

[rajyads]

LOVE THIS VIDEO. THANKS BROTHER. AT LEAST YOU STATED SOMETHING REAL. KEEP GOING. PEACE

[jimmyonthemove]

Thanks, Cal. 🙏 Another informative video. 👊

[michaeltakayama]

Nicely detailed - thanks for updating, and always improving on, your cost of living vlogs! Excellent work!

Ofc, since your numbers closely align with my research (for my own retirement planning), I might be a bit biased. We all seem to prefer content which agrees with, or reinforces, our own opinions, don't we? :)

With regards to the health insurance, this number is almost certainly going to grow faster than any other, as you enter higher age brackets. For budgeting purposes, particularly for retirees, it might be wise to look at the insurance costs, not just for your current age bracket, but also for higher age brackets, in order to compute an average over your potential life span and use that value in your budget. Essentially, you will be putting aside some money in your budget now, to help cover the higher insurance costs, later down the line.

[txg]

Great video Cal!

2 keys takeaways are your “preference & motivations” that will dictate your “personal” cost of living.

Thank you for also pointing out that “cheap” street food doesn’t always equate to “bad quality” food. You just have to know how to pick and choose what to eat.

I hate it when expats make negative comments on YouTube about the quality of Thai street food.
Judging by what they eat when they post their videos (of their fancy meals in Thailand) they really have no idea what “healthy foods” are.

[TheDufresnes]

Thanks for sharing, seems to be a popular topic at the moment, we have already filmed our cost of living in Bangkok video for a family of 4 which will go out next Sunday. It's always good to have numerous points of view to draw a clearer conclusion. Either way its much cheaper than Canada and a much better lifestyle! There are so many healthy options for street food that aren't fried.

[mikehunt]

I know your video was in reference to costs in Bangkok, but the other day I saw a studio apartment in Khon Kaen (on FazWaz) for $90. It wasn't anything you would want to brag about on Instagram, but it looked like a solid studio apartment. I think a lot of it just boils down to what an individual is comfortable with. Some people can get by with a studio and eat like a Thai, and others need a more Western-based lifestyle. But, if I only had $1, 000, and I had to try and get by in the USA or Thailand on it, I would deffo choose Thailand.

[nikkinfl]

Excellent video! What really bugs me are the people in the comment sections on some videos that content creators have, where someone is telling someone else, "hey you can get a much cheaper condo. I only pay 8, 000 baht for mine, you're being taken advantage of"...lol...I think that it is important for those people who think that way is that first of all, another persons money is not yours to watch.

Second, I think that most people are intelligent enough to know about the extremely wide range of prices in Bangkok. But the most important thing is that a lot of people are not in Bangkok pinching pennies. There are a lot of people where paying 100, 000 baht per month and much more is comfortable FOR THEM. It's not a dent in their budget to pay that much. There is a much bigger world than your 8000 baht per month. Everyone does not HAVE to live the way that you do. (And when I say you, I don't mean you Cal, the you is for people who think that way....lol)

Also, for those that think that people are only driving up the price for others if they pay "way more than they should", whatever that means, if you go back 10, 15 years just on YouTube alone and look at condo tours, you'll see where people have been paying and asking for 50, 000/100, 000 + baht condos for YEARS. Prices are going up all over the world, some places more so than others. So my rant is over...lol