Brit living in Thailand explains 'too good to be true' amount he spends living in country

A British man living in Thailand has shared exactly how much he spends living in the Asian country each month.

Simon, a retired psychiatric nurse from London, now lives in Nonthaburi, a city just outside Bangkok.

Like many Brits who are sick of the bad weather, expensive bills and ridiculous pint prices, Simon has headed abroad to start a new life and it seems as if he's having a warmer welcome than the folks who have headed to Barcelona.

Although some people are choosing to go to Dubai or even Benidorm to escape the UK, Simon's choice of Thailand, where he lives on a retirement visa, certainly seems to be one of the best choices when it comes to expenses.

He says: "So everyone online says Thailand is cheap. But how cheap is it really in 2025?"

Simon's biggest expense is probably his rent, which costs him 8000 baht a month. This might sound like a lot but it works out at about £186 per month, which probably wouldn't even get you a broom cupboard in London.

But in Thailand, that apparently gets you a 'one bedroom condo just outside Bangkok'. Which according to Simon, is 'quiet, clean and very chilled' and also includes a gym, swimming pool and a sauna, which can all be used for free without the stress of monthly membership fees.

Surely, for a figure that small, you must be thinking that the bills are astronomical and drive the price up, but he spends 1000 baht (£23) on Wi-Fi, and 1200 baht (£28) on electricity, while water is just 60 baht a month, which is just over a £1. Yes, you read that right.

And he doesn't even need to do his own cooking as he can eat out three times a day for a combined price of 150 baht (£3), which is what we probably spend on table water or even a fee for using the cutlery in some European restaurants.

The real kick in the teeth perhaps comes from how much Simon spends on drinks which we Brits treasure, as a coffee sets him back 25 baht (58p), while three bottles of beer on a night out costs 260 baht or £6, which is incredible but also dangerous if you're a big spender after a few sips of alcohol.

Considering he's having cheap beer, massages and sauna trips nearly every day of his life, you can see why he's so relaxed living in Thailand, and frankly makes our lives in the UK sounds pretty dreadful by comparison.

Simon concluded: "All in all, I'm living pretty well and it costs me around 35,000 to 45,000 baht a month (£800-£1050). Is it cheap compared to the UK? Absolutely."

I think that's a slight understatement mate.