Hi again. In two previous articles I described my lifestyle in Asoke, Bangkok – one that costs me 95,000 ฿ (around 2,700 $) a month. My question was simple like this – how much I will need to pay in New York if I live the same lifestyle there. It sounds a simple question, still it’s a bit more complicated to calculate that I thought. I am continuing my mathematical and accounting exercise and I promise to come soon with an exact sum – give me few more days.
For meanwhile, I have requires from our readers to compare Bangkok with other cities in the world. Wow, I would love to do it and I start with … Sydney, Australia. Why Sydney you may ask. Oh, simply it was requested more times that any other city.
How Much I Will Need To Spend In Sydney For My Asoke, Bangkok Lifestyle
In this part 2.A I will cover all – food, transportation, utilities, sports & leisure as well as clothing and shoes. That will bring us to comparison of Consumer Prices, Restaurant Prices and Groceries Prices. Real Estate prices I will compare in my last part, may be even together with New York. I don’t promise, but I will do my best to calculate all three of them – New York, Sydney and Asoke Bangkok.
Certainly, in this part 2.A I will translate Thai Baht to Australian Dollar, so that our Aussie readers can get better picture. For those of you who are not Australians, please note that 1 US Dollar stands for 1.32 Australian Dollars right now when I write this post.
Food Cost in Asoke Bangkok and Sydney
When comparing Asoke Bangkok food cost with Sydney, the most amazing is a cost of Inexpensive Restaurants in Sydney – they are actually 6 – 7 times more expensive in Sydney. I hardly can call them “inexpensive” in my Thai prospective. Do you think this is the biggest gap? You are wrong – water is the winner. Water in Sydney costs 7 – 8 times more than water in Asoke Bangkok. If compare all food and drinks, then the whole picture looks like this:
If we go to markets, prices in Sydney look more affordable. Do you know that you can buy milk in Sydney market cheaper than in Asoke Bangkok? I personally like cheese and wine, that are so expensive here and more affordable in Sydney. If compare market prices in Asoke or other central Bangkok areas with Sydney Australia, then the whole picture looks like this:
Cost of Transportation in Asoke Bangkok and Sydney
What can I say about transportation in Sydney? Only one – don’t use taxi, it will cost you more than 10 !!! times of Bangkok. Better buy a car that is actually even cheaper in Sydney. That’s cool! If compare transportation prices in Asoke or other central Bangkok area with Sydney, then the whole picture looks like this:
Other Non-Real Estate Costs in Asoke Bangkok and Sydney Australia
If compare all other costs, still before we talk about real estate, I need to mention very important thing. We all use mobile phones in Thailand as the main communication tool. Please note that cost of mobile calls in Sydney is almost 10 times higher than that in Bangkok. Also internet is almost triple price in Sydney if compare with Bangkok. If compare all other (not real estate) expenses, then the whole picture looks like this:
To summarize cost of living comparison between Asoke Bangkok and Sydney:
- Consumer Prices (excluding Real Estate rent) in Sydney are 76% higher than in Bangkok
- Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 182% higher than in Bangkok
- Groceries Prices in Sydney are 51% higher than in Bangkok
Sydney looks expensive indeed, still more affordable than New York for my lifestyle.
I still work to find out what will be the final cost of living in New York to support my lifestyle in Asoke Bangkok that I spend 95,000 ฿ (around 2,700 $) a month. If I can, I will also try to calculate the same for Sydney. This calculation will use Cost of Living plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax).
Follow us to see what numbers I will come to – it’s now about Bangkok, New York and Sydney.
