Final Summary Thailand on $400 a month.

Total $458 for the month of January 2012.

Here we are at the end of the month. I hope that through documenting the month�s costs day by day, you now have a little better idea of what living in Thailand is really like with less than $500 a month. At the beginning of the month my goal was to get by on just $400 I chose that number because it is a relatively insignificant amount to most westerners. As you have seen maintaining a budget like this is possible, though not easy.

Without dissecting every satang / dime / penny, $200 a month, will get you good safe western accommodation and cover your utilities, Internet and phone. The rest is what I like to deem pocket money 6,000 baht / $200 allows you to eat well and have a little fun. 12,000 is better.

The number that I carry around in my head and fall around most months is $600 this allows me the exact same living setup as you have seen, but doubles my daily allowance for food and other activities, this is very attainable with little effort, and offers a lot more freedom.

Some things you will need to remember when considering this budget: Is I have my own transportation. Count on spending another $100 a month to be mobile if you dont buy a motorbike. Because I have been living in Thailand for 18 months, is another big reason why I am able to live on such a small budget. I did not live on such a small amount from day 1 I made a lot of costly mistakes, during my journey to get to this point.

I would suggest that anybody coming to Thailand for the first time, budget considerably more than $600 a month for the first three months, unless you make friends with people already living here before you arrive. This should help you skip a whole lot of the time consuming mistakes and other expenses, allowing you to be up and running in a few weeks on a budget similiar to what you have seen.

When asked; What is the main difference's between the standard of living in America and Thailand? It's real simple, I spend 85% less than I used too. Rather than driving a large SUV I now ride a small motorbike. On the accommodation front; I had a large one-bedroom apartment in a nice area, with a water view. Today it�s a large studio, in a nice area, with a mountain view.

That�s it on the cost of living front; Thailand has a lot more to offer than just been a place to live on a small western income. Where to start is hard because it has a lot, next up will be a few short trips I have taken recently. Here is a video of one on the islands Koh Chang Resort 4 stars for just $30 a night.

About the author Neale.