Last updated on June 16th, 2021 at 11:59 pm

Thailand was my # 1 choice for moving abroad—I mean it has the total package: culture, friendly people, delicious food, dope scenery, and the opportunity to teach abroad. And when I realize how affordable it was as a tourist, my mind wondered how inexpensive it was to live there.

For those who know me, know I enjoy budget-travel and diving deep into culture—Chiang Mai made it easy to do both.

When I say affordable, I mean you can save half of your (teaching) salary which is something you can’t really do in the states.

But honestly, Thailand is a place you’ll want to splurge on yourself. With its affordability, you’ll still have money left over to do some things you want like getting massages, your nails done, eating out, and taking weekend trips.

Make sure you check out the basic guide to living in Chiang Mai

If you’re interested in teaching here—you can make anywhere from $1,000 to $1,600. It might not seem like a lot, but when I break down my expenses for you all, you’ll see this is more than enough. 

Just to give you some insight, the minimum Thai salary here is equal to $280. Can you believe that? And if you work online, making Euro or USD you’ll definitely get more bang for your buck!

The housing options in Chiang Mai are plentiful—depending on your lifestyle! I’ve seen apartments ranging from $100 to $400. If you want a more western style apartment, you’ll pay in the upper range.

Where I stayed was not in a touristy area, but more so where the locals live. My studio apartment cost $150/month and everything came furnished.

For water, electricity, and Wi-Fi I paid about $60. which could be paid at 7/11 (which are on every block). Oh yeah, they pay most things for in cash! As far as transportation goes, I rented a motorbike which ran me about $80 plus $15 a month in gas!

That’s hella affordable, right?

When it comes to food, I don’t know where to begin! I loved grocery shopping, but I also ate out almost every day because my meals range from $1-$6.

If you want to be healthier, you can cook your own food! But the gag is, you don’t need to because everything is STILL affordable. I spent around $50 on food every month. So not only will you be eating GOOD, but your health in other areas will improve.

One of the best things about Thailand is their massages, which start at $5. You might as well make it part of your routine and don’t feel guilty about it because getting massages are normal here.

My personal budget ran me a little less than $600 a month, that includes all my utilities, rent, motorbike, gas, food, miscellaneous, and cell phone bill.
About $1 = 30 baht. Divide everything by 30 to get an estimate of how much it is in USD.

Living in Thailand is a blessing, a chance to stop worrying about things financially and to just start living life. If you’re contemplating moving here, you definitely should, or test it out for a month. I’ve also met some of the friendliest people here who have been helpful.

Have more questions about Chiang Mai?? Drop a comment below!