HOW MUCH I SPENT IN ONE MONTH IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

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It is always difficult to know how much to budget for an extended trip. I know I struggled with it when I was planning my time in Asia!

To help you out I am posting a summary of my actual expenses during my six-month trip. This is the second installment – my complete cost for four weeks in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2026.

Some general info

Travel budgets are highly variable – your budget will likely be higher or lower than mine. But seeing how much I actually spent for the various categories should help you narrow down what to expect.

I will give more information on what my money bought me as the numbers alone may not be helpful. But if you want the numbers without any additonal information, you can jump down to my cost totals and to a list of cost for typical items.

Accomodation in Bangkok

Accomodation was by far my biggest expense, even more so than in Chiang Mai.

For my Bangkok stay I splurged and chose a one-bedroom in a fairly fancy high-rise building right at a BTS Station (Wongwian Yai). For my four week stay via AirBnB I paid a total of 889 Euro.

I loved my apartment and it felt quite upscale

Being close to the BTS station was very convenient and there were plenty of 7-Elevens, markets, stores, etc. nearby. The building felt upscale and secure. In addition to a rooftop garden, there was a regular garden, a common work area, a fitness center, and a pool. The only one of these I used was the pool as it was too hot to sit outside.

The building had a drop-off station for Grab Food etc. near the entrance that came in handy.

The desk was very comfortable and the view just wonderful

The bathroom was nice, WIFI worked well, there was a small kitchen area, and a really nice desk set-up. There was even a washing machine so I could do laundry right in the apartment. A true highlight for me were the views from window/balcony on the 21st floor.

The only possible disadvantage was that the location was a bit further from the usual digital nomad/tourist bubble. However, the BTS (trains run every 6 minutes) took only about 20 minutes from Wongwian Yai to Siam so it wasn’t an issue. I actually liked staying in an area that felt more authentically Thai.

I was extremely happy with my choice and would definitely stay there again!

If you are in Bangkok for a longer time (i.e. several months) you could save money by avoiding AirBnB and renting directly from one of the many apartment buildings. But for me this was too much of a hassle as it is difficult to find a rental for just one month.

You could definitely stay in Bangkok for less money (maybe 100-200 Euro less) and still have a clean, decent place. On the other hand, you would pay quite a bit more if you rented the same apartment in a more central location. All in all, I think my cost for accomodation was slightly higher than necessary.

Food in Bangkok

I definitely spent more money during my four weeks in Bangkok than I did for the same length of time in Chiang Mai (read my Chiang Mai budget break-down to compare). Not so much because Bangkok is more expensive, but because I just lived a completely different life here.

Instead of snacks, street food, and meals at food courts, most of my meals in Bangkok were ordered via Grab. It was just so convenient to get lunch or dinner directly delivered to the apartment. Not least because it was incredibly hot and humid during my stay so even a five minute walk to a restaurant was a challenge.

My typical breakfast – tastier than it looks

Just as in Chiang Mai I generally had breakfast in my room. Most of the time breakfast was 2 Wheatabix biscuits with a bit of honey on top (yes, I now use honey instead of jelly and it is even tastier!) and a cup of green tea.

Highly recommend the Chicken Cesar Salad from 7-11

I also spent quite a bit on drinks and snacks. This was mainly soda (13-16 Baht per can depending on where I bought it), water, various snacks (peanuts, broad beans, etc.), and some candy.

I did buy a couple wine coolers/small bottles of plum wine during my weeks in Bangkok and spent a total of 541 Baht on alcohol.

Food Courts were still one of my go-tos for meals

I ate some meals out at mall food courts (Terminal 21, MKB, IconSiam etc.) but the majority of the time I ate in my apartment. I had a fair number of the really delicious Chicken Ceasar Salads from 7-Eleven (a good deal at just 59 Baht) and I picked up some bakery pastries for some lighter meals.

As far as prices go, dishes at the food court were usually between 30 baht (Terminal 21) and 100 baht. Bakery items were mostly around 30 to 40 baht.

I ordered most meals on Grab

Most of my meals were ordered via Grab. I kept the cost down by using a bunch of rebates/discounts. I believe these show up mostly for new customers so the average price might go up if you stayed longer than I did.

Whereas I pretty much stuck to Thai/Asian food in Chiang Mai, I did order quite a bit of Pizza and Korean food in Bangkok. When I ordered local food, the order mostly came to around 110 Baht. Pizza was significantly more expensive at slightly over 300 Baht after discounts but one pizza was enough for two meals for me.

As you can tell I am still not a big eater. So if you need more/bigger meals, the same style of eating would be more expensive. But if you cooked some meals or ate at street food/inexpensive restaurants your budget might be similar to mine even if you have a bigger appetite.

My total for Grab orders during my stay was 2,878 baht.

Loved this pizza but it did set me back about USD 9.5

I also went on a Food Tour but have listed the cost for that under Entertainment.

All in all, I spent USD 262 in total for food during the four weeks in Bangkok. This also included some necessities (like toothpaste and toilet paper) that I forgot to write down separately.

I am actually quite shocked to see the total amount as it is more than I had planned. Still, I think it is on the low to average side as I am not a big eater and did not do any fancy meals. If you avoid any splurges (alcohol, constant delivery, Non-Asian food) you could spend a bit less but realistically the average visitor would spend at least as much as me and possibly more.

Activities and Entertainment

Considering that I was in Bangkok for four weeks, I didn’t spend a lot on entertainment and activities. This was mostly because I was quite busy and the heat made it difficult to enjoy exploring and sight-seeing. I ended up spending quite a bit of time in the apartment.

As my Airbnb had its own pool, I did not have the pool membership fee that was my biggest single expense for fun in Chiang Mai.

The apartment pool wasn’t quite as posh as Chiang Mai’s hotel pool but very convenient

I also did only one organized excursion – a Food Tour via Get Your Guide. At USD 37 it wasn’t cheap but I had a lot of fun and would recommend it. You can read my review to see if it is something that would work for you.

One of the stops on my food tour

I did spend quite a bit more for entrance fees than in Chiang Mai. These are just more expensive in Bangkok and I think most visitors would have to spend at least as much as I did.

Specifically, I visited the Grand Palace (500 baht), the Reclining Buddha (300 baht), the Jim Thompson House (250 baht), and Wat Arun (200 baht) for a total of 1,250 baht.

Bangkok’s sights were pricey but well-worth the money

Miscellaneous

Transportation

My transportation expenses were much higher in Bangkok than in Chiang Mai. Mostly because the city is bigger, but also because it was incredibly hot and humid. I usually like to walk rather than taking public transport for short distances, but here I gave in and hopped on the train even if it was only one stop.

I also found using the BTS/MRT a lot easier and less intimidating than the options in Chiang Mai.

Most of my explorations used the BTS system

As my apartment was right next to the BTS, I used mostly that system and only hopped on the MRT when necessary. I did buy a Rabbit Card right at the beginning. This is similar to transportation cards in most big cities – you load it with a certain amount of money and then tap it when going through the turnstiles at the beginning and end of your journey.

Unfortunately, the system in Bangkok is a bit convoluted – for the most part the Rabbit Card only works on BTS. I paid cash when taking the Airport Train or MRT.

To get a Rabbit Card you have to show your passport and pay 100 baht (non-refundable). I believe trips with the Rabbit Card are one baht cheaper than if you paid for each journey individually. But unless you stay several months, you will likely pay more than if you just got a ticket every time.

If you are only in town for a day or two, I would forego the card. But it is very convenient to just tap instead of lining up to get a ticket every time if you stay longer. For my four weeks, it was definitely worth getting the Rabbit Card.

In addition to the “Card Fee” I loaded the card with 1,200 baht (and it just about was empty on the last day) for a total of 1,300 baht.

River Boats are an excellent alternative in Bangkok

I also rode the MRT several times (about 150 baht in total), took the airport train twice (total of 90 baht), and took a boat twice (56 Baht in total)

All in all, I spent around 1,600 baht on transportation during the four weeks.

Communication

I had WIFI at the AirBnB and so only used mobile data for Google Maps and an occasional quick search/check of the internet.

Just as in Chiang Mai, I used an esim card. I again used Saily as a provider as I was happy with it and figured no need to change what is not broken. My plan was quite inexpensive at USD 5.99 for four weeks (3 GB) – again much more data than I needed.

If you use mobile data more (or don’t have reliable internet), your best bet is a local sim card with unlimited data which is available both at the airport and all over town.

I also needed to make some international calls (yep, Bank of America once again locked my account due to “Safety Concerns”). As my esim card can not be used for calls, I got some credits with Telz which worked great. I had to put on 10 Euro but only used about 0.29 Euro – almost nothing.

Laundry

There was a washing machine right on my balcony so no extra-expense here! (Of course I did miss the luxury of someone else doing the laundry though).

bank Fees

I tried to withdraw enough money for the entire trip in Chiang Mai as there is a fee of 220 baht each time you take money out of the ATM. I mostly succeeded so I incurred no ATM fees in Bangkok.

I did end up exchanging 20 USD towards the end of my stay as I was just running too low. There was no actual fee for this (I will ignore costs associated with currency exchange rates as these are too hard to quantify).

I also put some expenses (entrance fee for Grand Palace and Grab orders) on my credit card. I do get hit by foreign currency fees for this but it wasn’t too much as the amounts were low. Hopefully, you have a better card and can avoid these extra costs!

Souvenirs

My budget is a bit tight and suitcase space limited, but I did spend more in Bangkok as it was my last stop in Thailand. After realizing that Elephant Pants rock, I bought 4 more pairs for a total of 380 baht.

I also bought some small tea packs (Sweet Pea, Chrysanthemum, Rosella) for a total of 90 baht. All souvenirs were bought at the Chatuchak Weekend Market (do not miss this!).

While I splurged more than in Chiang Mai, my souvenir cost was still fairly low. Most will likely spend more but that is up to you.

Insurance

Probably the MOST IMPORTANT expense on any international trip is decent health insurance. You are always just a small accident or pesky virus away from incurring a huge bill!

Normally, I use an inexpensive annual policy (under $20) for travelling but that only covers trips up to four or six weeks. So for my six months in Asia I signed up for an extended travel insurance policy. I used a German provider as it was the cheapest I could find and paid EUR 55 per month.

However, I believe this can only be bought if your home address is in Germany. For international travellers I have heard World Nomads recommended which many digital nomads and long-term travellers seem to use.

I did splurge more in Bangkok than I had in Chiang Mai

Total Cost for One Month in Bangkok

So how much did I spend in total? Below I am adding up all the components mentioned above – I have converted them to USD (and rounded to full dollars) to make it easier to read. Obviously, exchange rates fluctuate etc. but it should give you a general idea of what to expect for a low-key but comfortable life-style.

Total Expenses – 4 weeks	Bangkok
Accomodation		1,033
Food
Grab Orders	91
Other Food, essentials	171
Total Food		262
Activities and Entertainment
Food Tour	37
Entry Fees	40
Total for Activities and Entertainment		77
Miscellaneous
Transportation (without flight to Bangkok)	51
Communication	6
Laundry	–
Bank Fees	–
Souvenirs	15
Total Miscellaneous		72
Insurance		65
TOTAL EXPENSE		1,509

How typical are my Expenses?

Obviously, I don’t know your spending habits. So I can’t say whether USD 1,500 will be enough for you. Here are a couple of things to consider:

• My accomodation cost was on the higher side. My AirBnB was quite luxurious and even though it wasn’t in the hippest area, it did have a convenient location. While a similar place in Thong Lor would likely cost more, you could absolutely save here and still have a decent place.
• As always, accomodation is easiest to budget for as you can see the actual prices at AirBnB or hotel websites before you start your trip.
• I am not a big eater but I did splurge more in Bangkok than I did in Chiang Mai. Most of my meals were delivered via Grab and I didn’t stick only to local (usually cheaper) dishes. I also had a couple of wine coolers/alcoholic drinks. Not a lot but they add up fast.
• But I didn’t eat anywhere fancy! If you go out to nicer restaurants or expat hangouts, you would blow by my budget in no time.
• My transportation cost was on the low side for four weeks as I stayed in almost half the days. If you wanted to go out and explore every day, you would likely spend more (depending on where you are staying). I would estimate about 100 baht per day for one round trip (a mix of shorter and longer rides).
• Otherwise, my expenses for fun and entertainment were low to average. I visited most of the typical must-see attractions but only did one organized excursion. And again no going out at night/partying/drinking (aside of a couple wine coolers).
• Expenses for miscellaneous were again on the low side (e.g. I barely did any shopping).
• Insurance will vary quite a bit but as with accomodation you can get a quote before your trip so won’t be surprised later on.

I think USD 1,500 is a comfortable amount for four weeks living a fairly luxurious life in Bangkok with a nice apartment and ordering out for food. Cost will go up fast with more tours, nicer restaurants, shopping, or partying. I would say USD 2,000 should give you a nice buffer (without big shopping expeditions or constant partying) but you could probably spend even less than I did and still enjoy yourself.

Some Current Prices

To help you out a bit when you work on your personal budget, I have compiled a short table with average prices for common purchases/expenses (as of February 2026):

Item	Typical Cost in Baht
Single Can of Coca-Cola	13-16
Meal at Food Court	30-100
Average Grab Order	110
Bakery Item	25-50
Chicken Ceasar Salad at 7-Eleven	59
Small bottle of water	7
Small bag of snacks	10-20
Inexpensive toilet paper pack	20
Small wine cooler	60-90
ATM Withdrawal Fee	220
1 Pair of Elephant Pants	100-150
Entrance Fee for Sights	200-300
Train Airport to City Center	45
Average BTS ride	50

Who wants to go out when you have this view at home?

Conclusion

Bangkok has a lot to offer and the cost of living is very reasonable for a major city. My budget of USD 1,500 afforded me a quite luxurious life with a nice apartment and food delivery. While many will spend more, you could definitely make do with about 10% less.

This stay was quite a bit more expensive than my time in Chiang Mai, mostly because I stayed at a bigger, fancier apartment and didn’t watch my food expenses as much. Bangkok did cost more than my average monthly budget for this trip but that wasn’t unexpected for a major city!

Let’s hope I can make up for it during my next stop – Da Nang, Vietnam.