We know how important it is to work out a budget when you come to Phuket. Accurate information can be hard to come by so we’ve done some research for you and asked some of our students and staff to share their average monthly living costs with us. Today we spoke with Li, an English teacher at Patong Language School, about his lifestyle and expenses.
How much do you spend each month on the following:
- Accommodation: “I live in a 1-bedroom apartment with my girlfriend and our dog. Our apartment is in the middle of Patong near Banzaan Market and Jungceylon. We pay 8,000 Baht per month for rent with an annual contract. The apartment has one air-con in the bedroom, a small kitchen, living room, dining area and large balcony. It’s about 50m from the main road, so it’s relatively quiet (for Patong).”
- Utility bills: “We run the air-con all night, so our electricity bill fluctuates between 700-900 Baht per month depending on the season. Water is about 300 Baht per month because we have our own washing machine. Internet is 590 Baht per month for 3BB’s base package.”
- Transportation: “I’ve accumulated three motorbikes since I moved here. I bought a used Yamaha Mio automatic motorbike from my girlfriend’s parents for 15,000 Baht when I first arrived. Then, a friend gave me a Honda Sonic motorbike when he left Phuket three months after. We recently bought a 1-year-old Honda Click for 37,000 Baht. If I need a car, I can rent one for about 1,000 Baht per day. I go to Kata Beach quite often, so I spend about 5-600 Baht on gas. If I stay in Patong, I usually fill up about once a week for 100 Baht.”
- Food: “The cost of food can vary significantly. Thai food is the cheapest way to go, and anything western will be at least two times the price. A basic Thai meal with a Coke costs about 70 Baht, and an excellent steak dinner at one of my favorite restaurants is about 700 Baht. We go out to eat at a nice restaurant once or twice a week. I cook a lot of western food at home and my girlfriend makes excellent Thai food, so we prefer to eat in most of the time. On average, my total food budget is 1,000-2,500 Baht per week.”
- Nightlife and entertainment: “We usually go out once a week to either Bangla Road or other bars/pubs in Phuket. A night on Bangla can be upwards of 2,000 Baht depending on where you go and what you drink. Beer makes me sleepy, but if you stick to beer, it’s much cheaper. You can see a movie for 80 – 180 Baht, and there are a lot of 2-for-1 deals so we watch a lot of movies. A game of pool is 20 Baht, an hour of karaoke is 200 Baht, a 1-hour Thai massage is 250 Baht and exploring the island will cost you a tank of gas. My favorite things to do on Phuket are actually free. I love photography, so I always have my camera with me if there’s something going on. I go surfing as much as I can in the low season and when the waves disappear in the low season, it’s a great time for snorkeling.”