There is definitely a pattern to our spending while in Hua Hin. The last few months have been pretty consistent, so it gives a good guide to general costs here. These are our costs though, and these can vary significantly among different people. Some tell us we spend too much, while others wonder how we live on so little.
Accommodation
We still live at the same condo in Hua Hin, so if you want to see what it’s like, take a look at our Hua Hin Cost of Living April 2020 post. We’ll likely be moving in September, so our costs will change.
We’ve been checking out some new places, and have a couple of possibilities. We’re also thinking of buying a condo, so it’s possible we could do that instead of renting. I’ll write a separate post about whether now is a good time to buy property in Thailand or not.
This month’s expense also includes cleaning costs.
Total accommodation cost: 10,300 baht
Utility Bills (Electricity, Water, Internet, Phone)
Our electricity bill was back to normal this month. We paid 1,378 baht.
Water cost was 155 baht.
Internet and multi-channel TV (AIS Play) is included in the rent.
Mobile phone cost was 1,148 baht.
Total utility bills cost: 2,681 baht
Food
As usually, we ate out every day this month. This isn’t a cost that’s likely to come down any time soon. Eating out is one of life’s pleasures, so is worth spending money on.
Total food costs: 26.926 baht
Tea & Coffee
I don’t think we’ll ever cut down on tea and coffee, so these costs will likley stay quite similar from month to month.
This month we found another new cafe – Baan Tonmai. It’s well worth a visit. They also have a nice selection of cakes.
Total coffee cost: 5,255 baht
Travel Expenses
No extra car expenses this month, so just one visit to the gas station to fill up the tank. A full tank usually lasts us almost a month if we stay local.
Total travel costs: 1,030 baht
Massage
We only had one massage this month, which cost 950 baht including tips.
The women at the massage shop told us that the day before we went, they didn’t have a single customer all day. They can make very good money during the high season, but a struggling these days.
If you can afford it, go and support the locals and get a massage. We plan to have at least two this month,
Total massage costs: 950 baht
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous costs this month included hair salon visits for my wife, clothes, supplements, laundry, three Kindle books, lottery tickets, and cat food for some stray cats.
Total miscellaneous costs: 10,256 baht
Overview
So, we spent a total of 57,398 baht this month. For April, May, June and July our monthly spending was 41,599, 45,306, 53,457 and 59,158, respectively.
So, finally our costs went down a little. Spending around 60,000 baht is good for us, but it would be difficult to spend much less while still enjoying life.
A bonus this month is the the GBP has strengthened against the THB, so we’ve spend less in GBP. Hopefully the GBO will continue to strengthen over the coming months.
I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing these monthly cost of living reports, as not much has changed recently. Maybe I’ll do quarterly or annual reports instead.