Budgeting
for Life in Chiang Mai
Consider settling down in Chiang
Mai, where a retired couple can live for as little as $1,055 per month for
basic expenses.
We know a single man, an American, who lives on only $200 a month,
with half of that for rent. He gets
around on a bicycle and eats at noodle stalls--or for free when a temple
offers lunch. He makes a sport out
of spending as little as possible. We know a Thai American woman who bought an apartment in a small
town 15 k.m. from Chiang Mai. She manages on $600 a month Social
Security and, as she is Thai and over 60, she has free government health
care. But those are special cases,
exceptions. You should start with a
bigger budget, below.
House and apartment rentals can vary a great deal. We know a couple who rent a place in the
countryside 12 kilometers from old town Chiang Mai and pay only $135 for a
small home and garden. You will certainly
pay more for larger, newer places in town.
Foreigners can own apartments/ condos in
Thailand
but, unless they go
through hoops, not real property. So
we show living costs assuming the purchase of an apartment/ condo.
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