[Beyond Borders]

(12-02-2012 07:56 PM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(12-02-2012 07:46 PM)DirectDanger Wrote:  

@Beyond Borders

Hey Brother I just think we live different lifestyles and have different expectations. I didn't want people thinking it would be a breeze to live so cheap.

If you are able to pull it off that cheap and enjoy it then well done sir.

You guys are both right, IMO. The biggest expense difference is probably rent. You can get a decent place on OnNut for $200-$300 per month. It will be a studio, but a decent one.

The same place off of Asoke or Thonglor will be way more expensive.

I live in BKK on about $1,500 per month, and don't have to budget too much. You could do BKK for $1,000 a month, but it would be a bit tight for me to pull off. $2,000 I think is a good number for BKK, and that would be living very comfortably.

@DirectDanger - I didn't mean to come across so confrontational, and Rio is correct that we're both right, but I tried to make it clear in my initial post that everybody has a different lifestyle and that different locations would vary, etc - I was trying to avoid getting nitpicky about that sort of thing, which is why I included 3 different income ranges to consider (the 3 being: bare bones comfy, well off, and money not much of an issue at all).

Note: Might be a good idea for others to do the same when discussing boots-on-the-ground budgets.

I do understand your concern about getting people all excited. And yeah, finding those good deals does take a bit of time, people skills, travel experience and, most important, effort, but it's quite doable if someone is on a budget. Let it be a disclaimer right here that there will always be some "settling in" and "learning curve" costs to consider as well.

Food budgets are another cost aside from rent that can vary wildly. For instance, on a $1000 minimum budget, you'd be best off eating breakfastes and lunches at restaurants that serve food for 35 baht a plate. The food is awesome at these joints - some of the best around but without the decor. Then splurge on dinners and weekends.

Seeing as how people back in America eat at home often and limit their nights out, I don't think this represents much of a sacrifice to meet budget.

People who only eat in nice places might end up paying 100 baht for every meal, and often more. Those stuck on "farang food" can quickly watch their food expenses skyrocket.

Transportation costs vary too. Some people wouldn't dream of getting on a motorbike in Southeast Asia (and for good reason). If you want to cut costs on tuk tuks and taxis, it's really the way to go. Even still, many riders don't put in the effort to shop around correctly and might pay from 3000 - 5000 baht per month.

By seeking out the cheaper places, you can find them for 2000. Once you meet friends, you can get it down to 1500 or less(my lowest has been 500 for a piece of crap lol).

Or you can purchase a bike and keep it for years, selling it before you leave.

The point is that, yes, there are always varied expectations. And yeah, all of this sounds like a hassle to someone with a solid income - maybe even unrealistic - but that's because in places like SEAsia a higher income, in a large part, goes towards convenience more than anything else.

Those on a budget often simply learn to live a very comparable lifestyle to others but put in the time and occasional sacrifice to get the better deals that make that same lifestyle possible.

If Rio can live on 1500 in BKK and go out and have a decent time - and not "have to budget too much" - then surely someone more spend-thrifty and bargain-conscious could live well and comfortable on 2/3s of that and still go out on the weekends, etc. I find it interesting, in fact, that his approximations match my budget descriptions pretty well even though he's in the most expensive city in Thailand.

Truth be told, I've lived for 10,000 baht per month in Chiang Mai before - now THAT is an unrealistic, lower-class Thai-style budget. I wouldn't dare suggest any newcomer or typical farang do the same. In fact, I highly recommend $2000 per month always be your goal.

[scotian]

I'm brutal with budgets and always end up spending more than I should and Beyond Borders is right that its due mainly to convenience and I don't like hotel/apartment hunting so much, if I find a nice place and its within what I expect to pay, I'll take it rather than going around the city looking for other options. I like to set up shop ASAP in a decent area and get on with whatever I'm there to do.

Also, when I rent an apartment, I like it to be at least on par with my condo back home and I prefer to eat in restaurants than street meat.

Bogota, Colombia: spent about 3 months there, about 2700 per month.

Apartment: $850USD, bachelor pad, WIFI, 24 hour security, flat screen TV, maid service 3X/week. In the Chapinero neigborhood, very good location centrally located between centro and Zona Rosa to the north.

Food: Ate out most meals, I'd get cheap food for breakfast and lunch , about $5 each then have a nice supper at about $10. I'd go to Zona Rosa about twice per month and have a really good meal in a nice restaurant, usually with a girl. $600/month.

Drinks: Went out drinking about twice a week, usually with a girl and this would cost about $50 for the night. Throw in a couple of crazy nights of heavy boozing per month and the cost is about $500.

Taxis: Didn't take public transportation at all, taxis were cheap enough when I had to leave Chapinero which was about 3X/week. $60/month

Spanish lessons: This was expensive at $240/week, I would go about two weeks per month. $480/month

Gym membership: I like nice gyms so went with Body Tech which is way over priced at $150/month. There are way cheaper options but the other gyms are shit.

Other: laundry, movies, smokes, weekly haircut, etc. $100/month

These cost could have been greatly reduced by cooking at home, finding cheaper Spanish lessons and going to a cheaper gym and finding a cheaper place to stay although I wouldn't want to go south of Chapinero because it gets a bit dodgy down there.

Currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand and spending a lot less!

[Vacancier Permanent]

Awesome Thread BB. This is definitely a must to have in the Travel forum. I'd go even as far as suggesting to have put as a sticky at the top of the forum for all to see at all times as this would be helpful before a trip to anywhere to get a rough idea of what to expect cost wise.


The REAL City of Angels, BANGKOK.

At time of writing this: 1US$=30.6 Bahts

Full time living in a good hotel, right on Sukhumvit, in the heart of the action: $700/month. (between end of Oct 2010 to mid Feb 2011). I could have easily found a much cheaper place to stay for around 2-300$/month but the location I was staying at was unbeatable, within walking distance to all the clubs, bars and all.

Meal at nice indian restaurant with a couple of drinks right by Asok on Sukhumvit: 380 Bahts=12 bucks (same price for a very tasty meal at any of the Arabic restaurants on Soi Arab/Soi 3).

Thai meal at any of the local joints: anywhere between 100 to 200 Bahts (3-6$ thats around Sukhumvit), the same meal will be about half away from the heart of BKK's downtown/touristy core.

Cabs: starting at 34 bahts or $1.07 and a ride would usually be anywhere from 40 to 80 bahts around the sukhumvit area, more to longer distances, specially during day time, where taking cabs is highly not recommended due to the very dense traffic but instead to take the very practical and easy to use, BTS. Fares are calculated based on distance travelled. For example from Asok or Nana station to National Stadium where MBK mall is located, if I recall correctly, a one way trip was about 45 Bahts (1.41$). Cab fares are with the meter. Never ever get on a cab where the driver doesn't use his meter as you'll get ripped off royally.

Cab ride from the international airport to say Asok or Nana or even Thong Lo 250 to 300 Bahts including highway tolls (7.87 to 9.45) for a 30-45 minute ride...as a comparison, the same ride from Pearson International in Toronto to my place, about the same length than in BKK from the airport to Asok, was $95....With 95$ in Bangkok, you can hop on a plane for any of the heavenly beaches of Phuket/Krabi or even to Bali/Singapore with Thai Airways International, one of the top 10 airlines in the world...

Booze: in high end clubs/bars: Singha 150 B (about 5 bucks); Heineken, 180. In local type of bars, a lot cheaper, think 50-60 bahts per drink...

1 hour of professional thai massage (200-300 bahts 6-9 bucks) without happy ending or special services. Those are extra and can be easily and cheaply obtained if desired for an extra 500 or so baht (15 bucks). But nothing better than going for one hour massage every day just to have your entire body be brought back to life after a long day of working or recovering from a long night partying and hang over). As a comparison, one hour so so massage here in Boretown would go for at least 60 bucks at the cheapest joint.

- 24/7 delivery McDos or BKings (yeah, why the hell eat fast food while in a food heaven like LOS, but trust me, even McDos or Burger King is way more tastier in LOS than in NA because their products are natural, not filled with chemicals....more than once I had them deliver a nice combo for me and my girl (s) at 3-4 am after the club...for about 180 to 250 for combo (6 to 7.8$), including delivery fee and tip...
- electronics and cars are about 2 if not 3 times more expensive than North America. For example, I remember seeing an Iphone 3 for 20k Bahts (600 bucks)...
- delicious street food for 30-40 baht a plate and you can get filled for 90 bahts (3 bucks) with a nice plate of rice/noodles, vegetable, meat.
- super delicious and healthy fruits on a stick for about 10-20 baths per stick or small plastic bag (30 cents to 60 cents).
- big bottle of cold water from the 7/11 starting at 7 baths to 14 bath (almost free, really 1 or 2 quarters...Wink ).
- big bottle of Heineken that you buy freely from the 7/11 and they open it for you to drink it on the streets for 40 bahts (1.26$). AMAZING THAILAND!Smile
- box of 3 thin condoms: about 40 bahts (1.26). Smile
- gum, I believe 10 or 20 bahts (not sure anymore).
- delicious chicken pad thai 30-40 bahts (1 to 1.3 bucks).
- amazingly delicious big glasses of tropical fruit juices 30 to 60 bahts (1 to 2 bucks).
- nice condos to buy in a good area of BKK: starting at 50k$, if you look a little bit outside the fun area, you can find for 30k$.
-in Pattaya, on Jomtien beach, saw a bunch of ads for condos 1 or 2 blocks from the beach starting at 30k$ and if you spend another 5k, it'll be fully furnished. Unreal. For BKK, for about 60K, you can have a very nice pad that you can call your own. Or if you want to ball, make that 100k, fully furnished, penthouse type of thing. I'm working on that...Smile
as Bkk would be a PERFECT place to base oneself: 1st world city with 3rd world prices and with very easy and cheap access to world class locations.
- tailor made custom dress shirts, cloth: 500 bahts (15 bucks); cotton, 750B or 23$ each and silk 1kB or 30 bucks.
- tailor made 3 piece suit: from 3k B 95 bucks.
For about 500 bucks, you can have an entire new wardrobe. Did I say how much I LOVE BKK?

When I was living in BKK, I would withdraw every week about 15kBahts or 500 bucks and it would be more than enough for play money, to go out every night, eat out all the time, pay for drinks for me, friends and girls. Add to that, 7-800 for accommodations and you get a monthly figure of about 2.7 to 2.8 but I'll round it up to 3k/month and I was having a lifestyle that would cost at least 12-15k here in Boretown.

I didn't find BKK that expensive compared to say Phuket which was really more expensive than BKK in everything by a good margin. Specially accommodation and transportation.

The Greatest And Sickest City on Earth, Tokyo.
Current exchange rate: 1$ = 82 Yen.

Here's a tip/heads up for guys going to Tokyo for the first time: apparently you can only withdraw cash from the ATMs located inside the 7/11's. That's what I ended up doing everytime I need cash. Can any Tokyo pro confirm that you can only withdraw cash from the atms inside the 7/11s?

From what I remember off the top of my head from the time I spent there at the end of Feb 2011:

- Train from Narita to Ikebukuro station: 2000 yen ( I think) or 26 bucks.
- cab from Narita airport to Tokyo from 20000 to 30000+ (260 to 390$+) as it's quite far from Tokyo. So be aware of that if you cab it. I wonder how much is it with the Shinkansen...anyone knows from first hand experience?
- Unlimited* daily metro pass (*only on certain lines) 800 yen or 10.4$.
- Getting stuffed at a sush bar with the freshest, tastiest sushi in the entire world: 1000 to 1200 yen (13-15 bucks).
- meal at decent japanese restaurant including drinks: 2500-3000 yen (32-39$).
- Tickets to go up the Tokyo Tower: 800-1000 yen (10-15$). Well worth it as the views are spectacular!
- bus from Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku to Narita Airport: 3000Y/person (39$).

Don't know about club entrances as I was there only for a week and the jet lag was brutal, I would wake up at 5 or 6am and by 8-9pm, would simply pass out. But from talking with guys, clubs are in the 3000-4000 or even 5000 yen (39-42-56$). Yeah, this is Tokyo and it shows. Go there with pocket fulls of hard currency, this isn't a place for low budget travelling.
- Nice pair of dress pants from a department store in Shinjuku (don't remember the name of the store) 7800 yen = 94$.
- Indian buffet in Shinjuku: 1000 yen = 13 bucks which is uber cheap for Tokyo. I couldn't believe the price when I saw it! Unfortunately, don't remember the name anymore...Sad
- Staying at Kimi Ryoken in Ikebukuro about 80 bucks/night. Wanted to try typical J style accommodations for the first 2 nights before moving to a more comfortable (western) hotel, the Hilton in Shinjuku...
- Staying at the Hilton in Shinjuku, right by the Metropolitan Government area: 32,000Y/night (416$/night). Expensive yes but extremely convenient. Location, location, location, remember and Shinjuku is where it's at.

I only spent 1 week in Tokyo (ironically or thank God as it was the week before the major earthquake in March 2011, guess my lucky star was protecting me at that time...Anyways, I was blown away like no other place I've been. My dream is to spend a few months to a year or two there. Not all that time in Tokyo but also in cities like Osaka, Nagoya etc...I figure that for Tokyo, 5-6k/month would be the minimum budget to have a decent lifestyle, while that figure would allow a better lifestyle in the other citied cities. Can those who have spent long time in Japan chip on this?

The City of Unlimited Fresh, Sexy and Nubile 18 year olds Supply aka Cebu City, the Philippines

1$=40.9 Pesos

- Cab from airport to Cebu City, around Mango Square (200 pesos under 5 bucks)
- decent hotel, within walking distance to Mango Square (nightlife central) about 1000 pesos/night (23 bucks).
- beer outside clubs at Mango square: 50 pesos for an Heineken and 60 for a liquor. I remember starting the evenings sitting on those outside patios on Mango square and getting absolutely wasted for about 200-250 pesos (4.6 to 5.7$).
- Entrance to clubs on Mango square: between 50 to 100 pesos, including a local beer such as San Miguel or bottle of water (1.15 to 2.3$).
- cab from my hotel near Mango square to Ayala Mall, the biggest, nicest mall, heaven for day game: 40-50 pesos tops (90 cents to 1.15$).
- cab from my hotel near Mango square to Mactan, where the beaches in Cebu are located: 150-200 during the day, 250-300 at night. (3.46-4.6-5.7-6.9$).
- meal at a Jolibee, the local fast food: about 90 to 120 pesos 2.07 to 2.77). Not a big fan of it.
- meal at McDos: about 200 pesos 4.60$ for a combo). Yeah, I told you I must have eaten more in 3 weeks in the Phils in a fastfood than in the entire 2 years prior to that.
- delicious pizza at the local chain, yellow cab or something like that: 500 pesos (11.54) more than enough for 2 people.
During my 3 weeks in Cebu, I would withdraw about 10k Pesos every week (about 233 bucks) and that would be more than enough to go out every night, pay for drinks for me, buddies and girls, eat out all the time, basically do whatever the hell my heart desired without worrying about $. Add to that about 1k pesos/night for hotel for a total of about 50k Pesos for 3 weeks (about 1154 bucks). Mind you, if I were to stay for a longer term, I can certainly get the accommodation figure down to 3-400/month and then, go with a budget of 10k/week or 40k play money and 13k for an apart or about 50-55k Pesos or 1200-1300 bucks/month for a very fun lifestyle. Make that 2k/month and you can do whatever the hell you want. Literally.

OK, here'st an interesting list I found on another site. List for the top 10 most expensive cities in Asia and further, below, for around the world.

1.Tokyo (Japan) 304
2.Singapore (Singapore) 222
3.Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 216
4.Shanghai (China) 137
5.Seoul (South Korea) 124
6.Beijing (China) 116
7.Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 116
8.Jakarta (Indonesia) 115
9.Bangkok (Thailand) 112
10.Manila (Philippines) 103

And worldwide list below:
http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/index

"To calculate each cities' Cost of Living Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a central reference city (that happens to be Prague). Once the reference point has been stablished, the Price Index value of every other city in the database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague. Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague."

So, how accurate/innacurate is that list?

[Beyond Borders]

Thanks for the input, VP!!!

[Beyond Borders]

DUPE

[Cincinnatus]

Speaking of cost of living indexes, here's a chart for major US urban areas:

Where I live, Cincinnati, the composite is 93.8

This compared to a few other random places:

Denver - 103.2
Portland OR - 111.3
Seattle - 121.4
Minneapolis - 111.0

[Saladin]

(12-02-2012 10:43 PM)scotian Wrote:  

I'm brutal with budgets and always end up spending more than I should and Beyond Borders is right that its due mainly to convenience and I don't like hotel/apartment hunting so much, if I find a nice place and its within what I expect to pay, I'll take it rather than going around the city looking for other options. I like to set up shop ASAP in a decent area and get on with whatever I'm there to do.

Also, when I rent an apartment, I like it to be at least on par with my condo back home and I prefer to eat in restaurants than street meat.

Bogota, Colombia: spent about 3 months there, about 2700 per month.

Apartment: $850USD, bachelor pad, WIFI, 24 hour security, flat screen TV, maid service 3X/week. In the Chapinero neigborhood, very good location centrally located between centro and Zona Rosa to the north.

Food: Ate out most meals, I'd get cheap food for breakfast and lunch , about $5 each then have a nice supper at about $10. I'd go to Zona Rosa about twice per month and have a really good meal in a nice restaurant, usually with a girl. $600/month.

Drinks: Went out drinking about twice a week, usually with a girl and this would cost about $50 for the night. Throw in a couple of crazy nights of heavy boozing per month and the cost is about $500.

Taxis: Didn't take public transportation at all, taxis were cheap enough when I had to leave Chapinero which was about 3X/week. $60/month

Spanish lessons: This was expensive at $240/week, I would go about two weeks per month. $480/month

Gym membership: I like nice gyms so went with Body Tech which is way over priced at $150/month. There are way cheaper options but the other gyms are shit.

Other: laundry, movies, smokes, weekly haircut, etc. $100/month

These cost could have been greatly reduced by cooking at home, finding cheaper Spanish lessons and going to a cheaper gym and finding a cheaper place to stay although I wouldn't want to go south of Chapinero because it gets a bit dodgy down there.

Currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand and spending a lot less!

Damn thats a ton on booze!

I'm in college and I probably spend around 100 dollars a month AT Most on booze. Usually I pre drink and don't drink much at the bar. And my tolerance is pretty low.

[Spike]

Great thread! Will make some posts when I have time to type up something good.

[Beyond Borders]

(12-04-2012 05:20 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

Great thread! Will make some posts when I have time to type up something good.

Looking forward to it!

[Nudge]

Just for giggles here is my London cost of living:

Accommodation: $US 1,100 a month for a decent room in a nice share house, zone 1. If you move out further it gets much cheaper but then you pay a fortune for transport. If you want to live alone be prepared to fork out some serious cash.

Transport: Minimal, I ride my bike to work and everywhere and usually go out around where I live. Needless to say taxi are ridiculous here so I always try to avoid. Say $US 50 a month max. Definitely get a bike in London!

Food: Would say around $US 400 - 500 a month for buying basic lunches most days, eating dinner at home during the week and going out for a few meals on the weekend.

Drinks/going out: The biggest money pit for most Londoners. The drinking culture here is ridiculous. I would say $US 700 - 800 a month or drinking at the pub/bars with dates/going out clubbing. Of course you could easily double this with the amount of stuff going on.

Weekend trips to Europe: Of course one of the best things about London is being able to duck out to the continent for weekend trips. I would say I spend an average of $US 200 a month on these.

Other: Gym, playing sports, other bits and pieces. $100 a month.

So in total I spend around $US 2,700 - $US 2,900 a month for a fairly comfortable but modest lifestyle where I do have to watch my budget a bit, otherwise things can get out of control very quickly here. I see some guys here very easily thrown down $US 5 or 6k per month and it’s still not ballin in the slightest.

Dammit this place is expensive, I need to get out

[GameTheory]

(12-02-2012 06:26 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

As for really softening your standards, I lived in a place for years at $60 per month. That right there would be in what I'd describe as an older building far form the coolest spot of town and living at a somewhat lower-class local standard - though it was a large studio flat about 3 times the size of what you stated. I still had air-con and TV and a farang toilet. There was a bar, restaurant, and internet cafe in the lobby and the other residents were all university kids.

can you tell us the city and district ?

(12-01-2012 11:34 AM)bacon Wrote:  

in mexico i pay 200 for rent for 1 bedroom apartment near city center
40 for cable internet

city ?

(12-01-2012 07:51 AM)patron Wrote:  

Location: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Time spent there: Several Years
Visa: Not needed. You are allowed to stay up to 15 days. After that you pay a small fine when you leave. I has here for over 2 years and I paid around $100 when I left

what year did you leave the DR ? essentially, you paid $100 for a 2-year visa which i think is awesome !!!

[patron]

(12-04-2012 05:15 PM)GameTheory Wrote:  

(12-02-2012 06:26 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

As for really softening your standards, I lived in a place for years at $60 per month. That right there would be in what I'd describe as an older building far form the coolest spot of town and living at a somewhat lower-class local standard - though it was a large studio flat about 3 times the size of what you stated. I still had air-con and TV and a farang toilet. There was a bar, restaurant, and internet cafe in the lobby and the other residents were all university kids.

can you tell us the city and district ?

(12-01-2012 11:34 AM)bacon Wrote:  

in mexico i pay 200 for rent for 1 bedroom apartment near city center
40 for cable internet

city ?

(12-01-2012 07:51 AM)patron Wrote:  

Location: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Time spent there: Several Years
Visa: Not needed. You are allowed to stay up to 15 days. After that you pay a small fine when you leave. I has here for over 2 years and I paid around $100 when I left

what year did you leave the DR ? essentially, you paid $100 for a 2-year visa which i think is awesome !!!

I am still in the DR. Here are the new over staying fees: Pesos 40 to1:
30 days to 3 months RD$800
3 to 9 months RD$1,000
9 months to 1 year RD$2,500
1 year to 1 year and 6 months RD$4,000
1 year and 6 months to 2 years RD$5,000
2 years to 2 years and 6 months RD$6,500
2 years and 6 months to 3 years RD$9,000
3 to 5 years RD$14,000
Over 5 years RD$17,000

[Merenguero]

(12-04-2012 05:34 PM)patron Wrote:  

(12-04-2012 05:15 PM)GameTheory Wrote:  

(12-02-2012 06:26 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

As for really softening your standards, I lived in a place for years at $60 per month. That right there would be in what I'd describe as an older building far form the coolest spot of town and living at a somewhat lower-class local standard - though it was a large studio flat about 3 times the size of what you stated. I still had air-con and TV and a farang toilet. There was a bar, restaurant, and internet cafe in the lobby and the other residents were all university kids.

can you tell us the city and district ?

(12-01-2012 11:34 AM)bacon Wrote:  

in mexico i pay 200 for rent for 1 bedroom apartment near city center
40 for cable internet

city ?

(12-01-2012 07:51 AM)patron Wrote:  

Location: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Time spent there: Several Years
Visa: Not needed. You are allowed to stay up to 15 days. After that you pay a small fine when you leave. I has here for over 2 years and I paid around $100 when I left

what year did you leave the DR ? essentially, you paid $100 for a 2-year visa which i think is awesome !!!

I am still in the DR. Here are the new over staying fees: Pesos 40 to1:
30 days to 3 months RD$800
3 to 9 months RD$1,000
9 months to 1 year RD$2,500
1 year to 1 year and 6 months RD$4,000
1 year and 6 months to 2 years RD$5,000
2 years to 2 years and 6 months RD$6,500
2 years and 6 months to 3 years RD$9,000
3 to 5 years RD$14,000
Over 5 years RD$17,000

So the maximum you can possibly be hit with for overstaying your visa is a $425.00 fine? Not bad.

[20Nation]

Cambodia

Minimum Needed to Live a Nice, Comfy Life (This is what I am thinking to do in the future if I need to save some money and just work, I would work from home. Go out about 6 times a week, and be my general, usually cheap self, using extra game to make up for the fact I don't pay for much):
$500 US (Rent $150, Food $150, Transportation $100, Partying, phone, girls etc. $100) Have to live anywhere but tourist areas.

Very Comfortable Life:
$900 US (What I'm spending now while living in hotels)

Living Phat:
$1600+ US

[Cincinnatus]

(12-04-2012 05:37 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

So the maximum you can possibly be hit with for overstaying your visa is a $425.00 fine? Not bad.

I wonder how much shit you'd have to put up with though if a local cop looks at your passport. Would he even know/look at your entry stamp/visa? Perhaps ask for a bribe to let you go?

[w00t]

Great thread!

In Prague, Czech Republic I spent less than 1000€ a month.
That money included

I thnk about 400€ for my apartment with internet (BIG furnished apartment in walking distance to Wenceslaw Square, i got really lucky as housing is fucking expensive in Prague).
Eating out every day. I hate to cook.
Gym.
Going on dates with chicks every week. Usually I would take them to a nice cocktail bar for drinks and shisha.
Going out for beers with my buddies whenever I felt like it. Beers is ridiculously cheap in Prague and very good. I usually spent less than 10€ on a night out as most clubs dont have cover fee either and imt not a big drinker.
Monthly Ticket for the trams/subway
Internet and credits for my cellphone.

Had an amazing time in this beautifull city.

Im a university student and back home in Germany I live on 800€ a month but my life is fucking miserable.
I could break down my cost of living for Germany too but I dont want to encourage people to visit LOL.

[WanderingSoul]

(12-06-2012 10:40 AM)20Nation Wrote:  

Cambodia

Minimum Needed to Live a Nice, Comfy Life (This is what I am thinking to do in the future if I need to save some money and just work, I would work from home. Go out about 6 times a week, and be my general, usually cheap self, using extra game to make up for the fact I don't pay for much):
$500 US (Rent $150, Food $150, Transportation $100, Partying, phone, girls etc. $100) Have to live anywhere but tourist areas.

Very Comfortable Life:
$900 US (What I'm spending now while living in hotels)

Living Phat:
$1600+ US

Which city are you living in, and how long have you lived there?

[Vacancier Permanent]

Wow, is it really that cheap in Cambodia? Where about? I remember from Neil's book that it was dirt cheap there but damn, 900 for very comfy lifestyle and 1600 for balling level? How is the talent there? I'm getting more and more curious about Cambodia and also Vietnam. Anyone in here has been to Vietnam and could share their expenses there?

Quote:

20 Nation wrote:
Cambodia

Minimum Needed to Live a Nice, Comfy Life (This is what I am thinking to do in the future if I need to save some money and just work, I would work from home. Go out about 6 times a week, and be my general, usually cheap self, using extra game to make up for the fact I don't pay for much):
$500 US (Rent $150, Food $150, Transportation $100, Partying, phone, girls etc. $100) Have to live anywhere but tourist areas.

Very Comfortable Life:
$900 US (What I'm spending now while living in hotels)

Living Phat:
$1600+ US

[Beyond Borders]

(12-04-2012 05:15 PM)GameTheory Wrote:  

(12-02-2012 06:26 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

As for really softening your standards, I lived in a place for years at $60 per month. That right there would be in what I'd describe as an older building far form the coolest spot of town and living at a somewhat lower-class local standard - though it was a large studio flat about 3 times the size of what you stated. I still had air-con and TV and a farang toilet. There was a bar, restaurant, and internet cafe in the lobby and the other residents were all university kids.

can you tell us the city and district ?

This was in Chiang Mai - the area surrounding Payap University. It's a lot quieter over there and not many farang, but if you don't mind ripping a motorbike around, it's still pretty accessible.

And once you explore the area, there are quite a few fancy restaurants around and university bars at a good price. Carrefoure is right down the street, and behind Carrefoure they've got a mini-version of JJ Market. I also found a couple nice coffee shops w/internet and a gym within walking distance. And there is a Germany brewery too - always dead when I was there but the beer is pretty damn good.

On top of all that, there was a government-subsidized place in the neighborhood with 60 baht massages. And you're right off the freeway so it's a straight and easy (albeit long) shot to either Aiport Plaza or Nimanheimen.

I think there are some nicer apartments around at great prices compared to what's in the center. Not $60 but still very reasonable. Again, it's quiet, but you could do worse for an area to live in.

[Beyond Borders]

(12-06-2012 10:40 AM)20Nation Wrote:  

Cambodia

Minimum Needed to Live a Nice, Comfy Life (This is what I am thinking to do in the future if I need to save some money and just work, I would work from home. Go out about 6 times a week, and be my general, usually cheap self, using extra game to make up for the fact I don't pay for much):
$500 US (Rent $150, Food $150, Transportation $100, Partying, phone, girls etc. $100) Have to live anywhere but tourist areas.

Very Comfortable Life:
$900 US (What I'm spending now while living in hotels)

Living Phat:
$1600+ US

This sounds promising!

I always wondered if Cambodia might be a bit rugged for a long-term destination - never made it over there but meant to. Word around SE Asia is that all the real reject farangs end up there. And the infrastructure seems a bit beat compared to Thailand...

What city do you think would make a good home? Any recommended places to live that are on the ocean? And is it feasible for people who work online to live there given the infrastructure?

Finally, how dangerous would you say it is? I don't worry too much about this type of thing but I think it should certainly weigh into your decisions when picking long-term spots, so it bears asking.

Thanks!

[Vacancier Permanent]

I'm wondering the exact thing about Cambodia that BB so if you 20Nation or anyone who's familiar with Cambodia could drop more info on it, that would be highly appreciated.

BB,
The way you picture CM you make it sound like an awesome place to be. I really regret not having made it there when I was living in BKK. Now, it's a must go place when I return! How long are you going to stay in LOS this time around?

[Beyond Borders]

(12-06-2012 04:42 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

I'm wondering the exact thing about Cambodia that BB so if you 20Nation or anyone who's familiar with Cambodia could drop more info on it, that would be highly appreciated.

BB,
The way you picture CM you make it sound like an awesome place to be. I really regret not having made it there when I was living in BKK. Now, it's a must go place when I return! How long are you going to stay in LOS this time around?

I was planning at least a few months and then maybe move to a neighboring country, but honestly, I'm a bit hesitant about all the reports of Thai police searching farang lately for no apparent reason. Of course, I realize that can happen anywhere, but to me it's pretty suggestive of a long-held anti-foreigner resentment starting to boil closer to the surface. And that kind of unprovoked aggression from the police in a country where the police have so much unchecked power is a scary thing.

One thing that's always bothered me about Thailand is that the fact that most don't respect us or even want us there becomes progressively more transparent over the years, in both government policies and the general behavior of the people. I'm in no way the only expat who has noticed this.

I might start looking at other places less played-out again, like Malaysia or Taiwan. In any event, I've got a couple friends to see so I'll probably at least swing through. As always, I'll no doubt fail to make any concrete decisions until the night before stepping on a plane.

[20Nation]

I'm in Phnom Penh. The information about 500$ a month I got from a 45 year old Australian guy. He said he gets 800$ every month from his government and that the only place he can 100% live on it is Cambodia. He's been living in Phnom Penh for over 2 years. He also spends over 300$ a month on hookers so I took that out of the equation. When I found out on how little he was living I couldn't believe it. I questioned the hell out of him.

As far as money goes. If you go to normal places (not expensive and not cheap) meals are about $1.50 including drink eating out, beers are $.50, if you speak a small amount of Khmer so you can show you've been here for a while you can get a ride anywhere on the city for $1 on a moto. Khmer's have a "us vs. foreigners mentality" so showing you have been there for a while and speak at least 30 words of their language will really impress them. Overall I've never been to any place nearly this cheap. If you buy a moto, transportation becomes dirt cheap.

As far as how dangerous it is, i think it's a lot more safe than I originally thought. I'd say I feel a lot more safe here than Colombia, and I loved Colombia. However, it's still smart to stay in the right areas at night and don't carry too much cash on you. Still, the law has very little power here in Cambodia, so I would not suggest coming if you are the type that bumps head with people easily. If you bump heads with the wrong person (he has enough money) he can just pull out a gun and shoot you, then pay off the cops. However, I guess they need a lot more money to pay off the cops if they kill a tourist, since it will reflect poorly on the country.

I think the average salary in Cambodia is nearly 1/5 of the average salary in neighboring Thailand. That should help you understand how poor it is here. However, because of that, other than Phnom Penh you won't find much nightlife because people just don't have the money to go out. You will find parents who want to marry you off to their beautiful daughter. Almost anybody here can have the top girls in Cambodia if they are willing to marry them, but with some game they are definitely accessible without marriage.

[genjuro]

My living cost in Toronto :
Mortgage, condo condo maintenance fees plus utility : $1500
Food : $400~500. I eat out often.
Transportation : car insurance + gas , $400~$500
Entertainment : dancing class, drink, party etc, $500

roughly $3k a month, comfortable but nothing luxury


I lived 6 months in Chongqing, China, in 2010.
Rent for a decent one bedroom apartment (40 square meters) in a good neighborhood, $300

food $300, eat out everyday in normal restaurant. A good sushi buffet in downtown area costs $11, meal at a budget restaurant costs $3~5

transportation $100, took taxi most of time, very cheap, but the city is big

entertainment : in expensive clubs, import beer $5, domestic beer $2~$3. No cover.

night out with a girl : including taxi, dinner and/or movie, clubbing and drinking, probably $30~$50

It was very cheap I never really calculated how much I spent over there

[rudebwoy]

(12-04-2012 06:33 AM)Nudge Wrote:  

Just for giggles here is my London cost of living:

Accommodation: $US 1,100 a month for a decent room in a nice share house, zone 1. If you move out further it gets much cheaper but then you pay a fortune for transport. If you want to live alone be prepared to fork out some serious cash.

Transport: Minimal, I ride my bike to work and everywhere and usually go out around where I live. Needless to say taxi are ridiculous here so I always try to avoid. Say $US 50 a month max. Definitely get a bike in London!

Food: Would say around $US 400 - 500 a month for buying basic lunches most days, eating dinner at home during the week and going out for a few meals on the weekend.

Drinks/going out: The biggest money pit for most Londoners. The drinking culture here is ridiculous. I would say $US 700 - 800 a month or drinking at the pub/bars with dates/going out clubbing. Of course you could easily double this with the amount of stuff going on.

Weekend trips to Europe: Of course one of the best things about London is being able to duck out to the continent for weekend trips. I would say I spend an average of $US 200 a month on these.

Other: Gym, playing sports, other bits and pieces. $100 a month.

So in total I spend around $US 2,700 - $US 2,900 a month for a fairly comfortable but modest lifestyle where I do have to watch my budget a bit, otherwise things can get out of control very quickly here. I see some guys here very easily thrown down $US 5 or 6k per month and it’s still not ballin in the slightest.

Dammit this place is expensive, I need to get out

I know these prices are in dollars but they seem a bit off to me.

1 GBP = 1.6 USD $

Housing - shared accomodation which consists of a room in a house with other strangers. 500-700 GBP/month plus utilites depending.
Renting your own place starting from 800 GBP/month and up, something modern will cost you a cool 1K (studio).
They also have this thing called council tax, I never paid it but I would say it can be an extra 50 GBP per month.

Transportation - Monthly pass for Train/Bus Zones 1 and 2 - 90 GBP/month. These are the two zones in the center of London, there are 5 zones I believe which cost more the further you go out.

Gym - Virgin Active, posh modern style gym with spinning etc. - 80 GBP/month
Meathead gym with broken equipment - 40GBP/month
Since I left the EasyJet group has opened a few gyms and they are cheaper.

Food - Expensive and crap. People here eat sandwiches for lunch which on average are 2.50 GBP.
Meals are 7 GBP and up, a good deal is food + pint for 6 GBP at the pub (wetherspoons).

Nightlife - Expensive cover 20 GBP on average
Drink 7/8 GBP on average at a regular club.

As mentioned the greatest deal is the airfares out of the UK to the continent.