How Much I Spent During One Month in Bangkok as a Tourist 2026

Before I moved to Bangkok long term in 2025, I spent one full month here with my husband to see what daily life in the city might actually feel like. Bangkok can still be very affordable if you live simply, eat local food and use public transport, but it can also become surprisingly expensive if you want a comfortable apartment, regular cafés, Western food, rooftop drinks and convenience.

For our one-month stay in Bangkok, we spent around $2,700 for two people. This included a small one-bedroom apartment in Ari, food, coffee, transport, massages, bars, activities, a cooking class, a food tour and a day trip to Ayutthaya. It was not a backpacker month, but it was not luxury either, I’d describe it as a comfortable mid-range stay.

In this guide, I’ll break down exactly how much one month in Bangkok cost us, where our money went, what surprised me most, and how much I’d realistically budget.

➞ If you’re still planning your first visit, start with my full Bangkok travel guide, where I cover where to stay, how to get around, what to do, food, safety and practical tips.

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Quick Overview: How Much Does a Month in Bangkok Cost?

These estimates are for a temporary one-month stay, not a long-term lease. If you sign a one-year rental contract, accommodation can be much cheaper.

➞ If you’re only visiting Bangkok for a few days, read my 3-day Bangkok budget breakdown instead.

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My Real Cost for One Month in Bangkok

The total cost of one month in Bangkok will depend massively on your lifestyle, but to give you a realistic idea, here is what my month in Bangkok looked like.

This was not a backpacker month, but it was not luxury either. I would describe it as a comfortable, mid-range stay where we paid for convenience in some areas, kept other things simple, and still wanted to enjoy the city properly.

Our overall budget included a small apartment in Ari, about an eight-minute walk from the BTS. The kitchen was pretty decent, so we prepared breakfast at home and ate out the rest of the time. For food, we spent on average around 1,000 THB (30 USD) per day for both of us. We are also past the age of going to clubs, so we’d usually go to a sky bar or have a drink at a local bar instead.

When it came to activities, we did a food tour, a cooking class, and a day trip to Ayutthaya on our own.

My Real Monthly Bangkok Budget for 2 People

Monthly Accommodation Costs in Bangkok

Until I looked at our spreadsheet, I thought accommodation had been our biggest cost, but it actually came second. I have to say, I really liked our little Airbnb apartment in Ari. It was in a low-rise building and had one small bedroom, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a living room with a sofa, TV, and a narrow desk attached to the wall.

We also had access to a gym, a pool, and a common area, which was really useful for studying or getting some work done. The apartment was a bit dark, and I definitely could not imagine living there long term, but for a month it was totally fine. What I really loved was the location. Ari is more residential and calmer than Sukhumvit, but still has plenty of restaurants, cafés, street vendors, and quick access to Chatuchak Park and Siam.

The most expensive area for a short-term stay in Bangkok is usually Sukhumvit, especially areas like Asok, Phrom Phong, and Thong Lo, where prices can be very high for places that are only a few minutes’ walk from the BTS. I think a good compromise is Ari, Chatuchak, Silom, Sathorn, or Thonburi on the other side of the river.

You can definitely find simple local-style apartments and basic rooms for very little, especially outside the most central areas, but that usually means you will have to rely on taxis or motorbike taxis as your main mode of transport.

As a rough guide, this is what you might expect per month:

➞ Where to Stay in Bangkok for First-Timers: Best Areas, Hotels, and Tips

How Much Does Food Cost for One Month in Bangkok?

Food ended up being the category we spent the most on, which was honestly quite shocking. I remembered how little I spent on groceries in Phuket back in 2015, but the truth is that back then I would eat pretty much anything. Now I am much more aware of all the nasty and unnecessary ingredients that seem to be in everything. So yes, I did splurge on Greek yoghurt (7 USD for 500 g), grass-fed butter (5 USD for 250 g), and organic vegetables. Unfortunately, those things are more pricey in Bangkok.

The closest supermarket we had was Villa Market, which stocks exactly all those western goodies, but I only shopped there for breakfast basics like eggs, yoghurt, vegetables, cheddar, and occasionally pasta and tinned tomatoes when we felt like having a home-cooked meal.

For lunch, the Grab app was our saviour, and we usually spent between 100 and 250 THB (3 – 8 USD) per person. In the evenings, we mostly went out to eat, and we didn’t limit ourselves to Thai food only. We found some great burgers, Mexican food, ramen, and Korean meals.

Our evenings out were usually either rooftop bars or having a drink in a local pub. Going out can really skyrocket your budget, especially if you drink cocktails, which are usually around 350–450 THB before VAT and service charge are added on top.

How Much We Spent on Coffee and Cafés

When it came to coffee, we did enjoy the pricier cafés at the weekends, but during the week we usually grabbed one from a little coffee window close to our apartment, where an iced cappuccino cost just 55 THB (1,70 USD). In nicer cafés, we usually paid between 100 and 140 THB for a coffee.

A rough monthly guide for one person might look like this:

➞ If you are happy eating Thai street food most of the time, you will spend much less than we did. But if you are planning western brunches and dinners in trendy restaurants, your monthly total will rise very quickly.

Monthly Transport Costs in Bangkok

Compared with many other big cities, public transport in Bangkok is still fairly affordable, especially if you stay somewhere close to the BTS or MRT. That decision can save you a lot of money over a month, but it can also save you something just as important in Bangkok: time.

We were based on the BTS Sukhumvit line, so it was very easy to connect to other parts of the city. Skytrain tickets are priced based on distance, so if you travel only two stops, you will pay less than if you travel six, and the same goes for the MRT. For example, a trip from Ekkamai to Thong Lo, which is just one stop, costs 17 THB (0,5 USD).

Then there is also Grab taxi and Grab bike. We barely used taxis because they often took a long time to arrive, and then we usually just ended up stuck in traffic. I tried Grab bike only twice and decided it really was not for me. I felt like one tiny mistake and I could end up seriously injured.

A rough monthly transport budget for one might look like this:

➞ How to Use Grab in Thailand: Honest Tips for Tourists and Expats

Monthly Cost of Activities, Day Trips and Lifestyle Extras

When I think about it now, my favourite activity in Bangkok was simply to pick one area for the weekend and go and explore it. By that I mean wandering around, finding a café, stopping somewhere to eat, wandering a bit more, and then heading home.

But apart from that, we also did a cooking class, which was great, a food tour in Chinatown that I would highly recommend, and a day trip to Ayutthaya, which we organised on our own rather than booking through an agency.

I also realised it was worth spending money on things I don’t usually do back in Europe. For example, going for a foot or face massage, which is very affordable in Thailand, and it would be a shame not to.

If you are in Bangkok for a month, you may not be sightseeing hard every day, but you do start spending on all sorts of smaller lifestyle extras that would barely register on a short trip.

That can include:

• massages
• cinema trips
• museums or galleries
• cooking classes
• food tours
• day trips
• short beach escapes
• gym day passes or co-working

A rough monthly estimate for one for this category could look like:

What Made Bangkok More Expensive Than Expected

For me, it was mainly the cost of eating clean-ish, which definitely added a lot to our budget, and also the price of drinks in rooftop bars. Cocktails there are usually around 17 USD once VAT and service charge are included, which is much closer to London prices than people might expect.

Bangkok can still be very good value, but it’s not always as cheap as people imagine.

FAQ: Cost of Spending One Month in Bangkok as a Tourist

Is this the same as the cost of living in Bangkok?

Not exactly. This is the cost of spending one month in Bangkok as a tourist. If you sign a one-year lease, cook more at home, avoid tourist activities and live further from the BTS, your monthly costs can be much lower. But for a one-month stay, you usually pay more for flexible accommodation, convenience and activities.

How much money do I need for one month in Bangkok?

The final amount really comes down to how much you like going out and how much western food you want to eat. I’d say those two things can increase your monthly budget quite a lot. It will also be a bit cheaper if you travel as a couple, because you can split the cost of accommodation. We spent 2,700 USD between the two of us, and it felt pretty comfortable. If you are travelling alone, I would make sure you have at least 1,700 USD.

Is Bangkok cheap for a month?

It can be, especially if you eat local food, use public transport, don’t party too hard, and are not too picky about your accommodation. It’s not as cheap as many people might expect, but you will still get better value than in most European or American destinations.

What is the biggest monthly expense in Bangkok?

For me, it was food, mainly the combination of buying western groceries, ordering through Grab, and eating out every day. The second biggest expense was accommodation.

Is food expensive in Bangkok?

In Bangkok, you can find food at every price point, from cheap food court meals for 50 THB to fancy western meals costing a few hundred baht. There are really options for everyone, and it all comes down to your eating habits.

Final Thoughts: How Much Should You Budget for One Month in Bangkok as a tourist?

I feel like for our budget, we had a pretty easy stay without really limiting ourselves. If you asked me whether it was worth the money, I’d say absolutely. If we ate out every day in Europe, we would most likely end up spending several times more. Even though Thailand is not as cheap anymore, it still offers very good value compared with places like Dubai, Paris, or Sydney.

If you want a comfortable stay for two, I’d make sure you budget somewhere between 2,600 and 3,500 USD per month.

➞ If you’re deciding whether to spend the whole month in Bangkok or travel around the country, read my one month in Thailand itinerary.