Cost of living in LOS

[Coss]

I'm thinking, as many are, about the cost of living that seems to be increasing, for a lot of the world, and I'm wondering if a discussion and comparisons with our home countries and Thailand might be interesting.

So I'll post the following with the hope that some Thailand locals can add their comparisons.

On eggs - today I bought some at NZ 40¢ each  or ~ 23¢ US

Also some Pork Belly from Germany at NZ $13/kg or ~ $7.50 US

These are fairly normal prices for us, so whilst the cost of living is worse, it's mainly Electricity, Banks and Telcos and the usual suspects raping a captive population. So much for free market competition. When the major players in any sector, are in lock step, with their pricing, that's a c*nt of a situation.

[Mekong]

Eggs 74THB Doz 6.166 THB each  $0.184 US

Pork Belly 220 THB kG $6.60 US 

[My Penis is hungry]

Recent shop Aussie meat quite cheap 

[Old Hippie]

USA, where we refuse to use that communist metric system like the rest of the world does, because that would be socialist and who knows what other abomination against god, praise trump/musk (in case they are monitoring)  

Currently 1 USD=33.5THB (until a certain dipshit totally tanks the economy)

Eggs, insane, chickens culled because of some infection that was here, left and is now back…2 dozen organic brown, medium $8 do $4/doz 2 weeks ago at Costco. Or 40 pieces of Jumbo free range eggs for about $35(?) many stores limiting the quantity you can purchase.

Pork Belly, also at Costco, full slab, skin on, $4.50/lb (about 453grams) so $10.04 usd/KG 

Rent…I live in the San Francisco area…known for some of the highest rent in the country…for a small 1 bedroom apartment, 1 covered parking stall I pay $2150/  is considered cheap. I live 10 minutes from work, so commute cost in mill…gas price is about $4.79/gal (3.785liters). 

Average cost of a house whe I am, is about $2million USD…1 bedroom 1 bath condo is just under $1 million depending on area and of course there is the association fee…

state sales tax here is 9.75%. State income tax for my income is about 9+% and federal income tax is about 28% social security tax is 7.5% matched 1/1 by my employer so yeah, I get fucked…

[bust]

But at least y'all be getting a tax cut with dem tariffs

[Old Hippie]

13 hours ago, bust said:

But at least y'all be getting a tax cut with dem tariffs

Yeah, last guy (Regan)that gave me a tax break ended up costing me more money…trump rearranged things, but no real help…$5000 check coming? I won’t hold my breath…

[torrenova]

The UK is fucked. Half decent house outside Londonistan is £1m to £1.5m and upwards. Less in the north but no-one really wants to live up there.

Schools are screwed, my daughter's school fees would be £40k a year now and that is from taxed income, so about £75k before taxes. Two kids ? £150k a year. Madness.

The Labour government has broken the economy and we can hardly borrow any more money at sensible interest rates. A devaluation would be the 1970s equivalent.

Thailand is nowhere as cheap as it was but nowhere is. The killer is the FX rates which means a night of horizontal jogging with a gogo dancer is now 500% to 750% of what it cost 20 years ago in GBP terms.

5* hotels in LOS are still relative bargain in some places but Bangkok has gone daft asking £250+ a day in places that were £100+ just "yesterday". Even my once favoured retirement hotel, the Avani, now wants Bt130k a month, which when you add in the other living expenses of a poolside lifestyle, would means a £50k bill for the hotel and onside drink and food alone. That seems quite high and up from the £30/35k I thought it might be.

[buffalo_bill]

Dear Sir, initially horrified by your comment on BKK hotel prices I checked November rates which is my usual travel time and found  identical offers compared to 3 years ago, virtually no difference. Big increase in airline ticket prices though. 

[Coss]

Since covid, I reckon the airline ticket prices are adjusting, flopping back and forth like a blade of grass in the wind, traditionally, my "get to Bkk and Laos" prices have swung around NZD 1,500 return, over the last 15 years.

The last trip was the same, but October trip coming, is NZD 1,000. Akl~ CAN Guangzhou~ VTE Laos. Long trip and long layover but Two checked in suitcases.

China Southern Airlines

MLG is delighted.

[think_too_mut]

There is no meal in Thai that would be over 100 THB. Even less, without cooking at home.Two people can live there on 1,000 THB a day and even have a couple of beers each, every day, at home.
Assuming, no rent, no Farang ghetto along the Sukhumvit . Then, 40,000 THB (1 K EUR) a month would do. Sure, I have more but do I have to spend it at StarBucks and other Westen establisments that I have abandoned and settled in Thai??