After 8 months, high and low seasons, wet and dry seasons, replacement of worn-out or lost or stolen items and 2 major purchases (camera, laptop) I have a pretty good idea of what it costs me to live here. YMMV. Numbers below are average cost per month.
| BY COST | US $ |
| Food Out | 242 |
| Entertainment | 223 |
| Shelter | 216 |
| Electronics | 151 |
| Scooter Rent | 133 |
| Misc. | 129 |
| Visa | 72 |
| Food In | 61 |
| Electricity | 33 |
| US Mailbox and International Shipping | 32 |
| Re-Supply | 28 |
| Medical | 27 |
| Laundry | 24 |
| Household | 21 |
| Cell phone | 8 |
| Bus/Taxi | 7 |
| TOTAL | 1,407 |
Conversion to US dollars is based on the exchange rate when monies were transfered from US to Thai savings account. If all dollar to baht conversion had happened at the current exchange rate costs would be 6 percent higher.
[Added 3-June-2011] Two friends asked me why there is no Travel category. In my first year travel was overnight trips and day trips. Their expenses were counted but not broken out so the empty row marked Travel would mock me each month I wasn’t out exploring more of Thailand. Two trips already this year, more to come.[End add]
The ‘Re-Supply’ category is weird even by my nerdy standards. If I buy a new pair of shorts, for example, it’s recorded as re-supply because I left the states with shorts. Anything else I buy, like a storage container for the apartment is recorded under Household or Misc. OK, that’s how it’s recorded but not why. Damn if I know. I think originally it had something to do with tracking costs of essentials vs nice-to-haves.
Four Letter Nerd 