Have you ever been curious how much your vacation to Thailand would cost? On my two week Thailand vacation my boyfriend and I spent $2,500 USD. This includes everything except our round trip flights from the US.
We were by no means on a back packer budget but we also weren’t staying at luxury resorts. Ok we stayed at one luxury resort for 3 nights….
For $2,500 we took 3 domestic flights, spent 3 nights in an Airbnb, 6 nights in hotels, and 3 nights in a beach hut. We also visited two national parks, attended a Thai cooking class, went snorkeling, and had a beer or two every day.
In this post I will share how much we spent in each city on accommodations, transportation, activities and food. I will also share what I think was worth the splurge, and where we could have cut back.
Our 2 Week Itinerary
On this trip we spent 3 nights in Bangkok, flew to Chiang Mai for 3 nights, then flew to Krabi. In Krabi we spent 3 nights on Tonsai Beach then took a ferry to Koh Lanta for 2 nights. After Koh Lanta, we flew back to Bangkok for one final night before flying back to the U.S.
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Four Nights in Bangkok
Bangkok Lodging Costs
For our first three nights in Bangkok we stayed in an Airbnb in central Bangkok close to the Central Plaza Grand Rama 9 Metro station. The area is not very touristy and is mostly filled with malls and apartment buildings.
It cost $60 a night and slept three people, which we needed because my cousin joined us in Bangkok for 2 of the nights. If you only need room for 2, you could find Airbnb’s for $30-$50 depending on the area.
Our final night in Thailand we were back in Bangkok and we chose to stay in a hotel because we needed a late checkout for an evening flight. We paid $80 for a very nice hotel with a roof top pool right in the heart of the touristy Sukhumvit neighborhood, and another $50 to checkout at 7:00pm.
You can find hotels varying in price from $30 a night to $300 a night. We did not choose to stay in hostels on this trip but you can find bunks for $5 to $15 a night.
Bangkok Transportation Costs
I was surprised by how smoothly the metro operated and how clean the stations and cars were! It was all much nicer than the “L” here in Chicago! The metro was very easy to use and costs around $1 per ride. We took Grabs (Asian equivalent of Uber) to and from the airport 3 times in Bangkok and it cost around $16 each time. We took the train to the airport once and it cost $3.
Bangkok Food Costs
The cheapest meal I had in Bangkok was the bowl of soup above for under $2, from a little corner shop in Chinatown. Our most expensive meal in Bangkok wasn’t even a full meal, but we paid around $15 a person for a cocktail and appetizer at a nice place in Sukhumvit.
Expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $25 per person per day on food in Bangkok. It’s not hard to find cheap eats, but it’s also easy to get stuck in a tourist restaurant paying double, triple, or more than Thai people would ever pay for the same dish.
Activities & Other Bangkok Information
The only entrance fee we paid in Bangkok was for Wat Pho temple which cost 200 Baht, around $7, and included a bottle of water (a very hot commodity while walking in the Bangkok heat.) The dress code at Wat Pho is more relaxed than at the Grand Palace. I was wearing long pants, but the guys I was with were wearing shorts and were just fine.
We ended up not going to the Grand Palace as my boyfriend and cousin were wearing shorts and we didn’t want to buy overpriced elephant pants, but it costs 500 Baht, or around $16. My cousin had also been on a previous trip, but hopefully the next time I’m in Bangkok I will be fully prepared to go and see the beautiful palace.
There are many other temples you can visit with varying entrance fees, but we preferred to simply wander the streets of Bangkok and admire them from the outside.
One of the best free activities to do in Bangkok is walking through the markets. Exploring the many markets of Bangkok can take up multiple days, but a fun one to try is the Night Train Market, conveniently located just outside the Thailand Cultural Centre metro stop. We also enjoyed the endless mazes of Chinatown alley markets.
Book your street food or temple tour in Bangkok on Viator, my favorite tour booking platform!
Two more costs to keep in mind when building your Thailand Budget are water bottles and ATM Fees. The cheapest place to buy water is at 7/11, were you can buy two 1.5 liter bottles for $1. If you buy water at restaurants expect to pay $1-$3 for .5 liters.
The ATM fees in Thailand were the same every time we took cash out, at 220 Baht, which is just over $7. Thailand has some of the hight ATM Fees in the world. Be aware of this and take out as much cash at a time as you are comfortable with.
To read more about our trip to Bangkok check out my cousin’s blog post on this great city here.
To learn more about Thailand, click one of the posts below!
3 Days in Chiang Mai – And Why You Should Stay Longer if You Can
Year Long Honeymoon – January 2023: 8 Months of Full Time Travel!
Three Nights in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is known for being inexpensive, even for Southeast Asia. However, as you can see, it is easy to spend more than you’d think here. Read on to find out what we splurged on, and if it’s worth it for you!
Chiang Mai Lodging Costs
We chose to splurge on our hotel in Chiang Mai, because splurging on a 5-star resort with a gorgeous pool only costs $100 USD a night! Unfortunately this placed us just outside walking distance to the Old City, which is where most of the temples and restaurants are. There are hotels in the Old City from $30-$100 a night, and hotels under $30 if you stay further from the Old City.
You can also find affordable Airbnb’s ($20) in the Old City, as well as hostel bunks for as low as $5 a night.
Chiang Mai Transportation Costs
Most of the touristy activities and restaurants are all within walking distance of the Old City. To save money on transportation costs you should plan to stay in or near the Old City. We stayed about 2 miles outside of the Old City and used Grab (very similar to Uber, but you pay with cash at the end of the trip) quite frequently, and it cost around $3-$4 per trip.
Both of the activities we did offered free pick-up and drop-off, so that helped save some money on transportation.
If you’re brave and know where you’re going, you can attempt to ride a songthaew which is like a hybrid bus/taxi. They have generally set routes, but you can hail it and get off whenever you need to, and should cost around $1 per ride. Renting scooters is another option if you decide to stay outside of the Old City.
Chiang Mai Food Costs
Food in Chiang Mai is cheaper than the other cities in Thailand that I visited. The above bowl of delicious Khao Soi cost under $2. Except to pay around $3 for an entree in the Old city, and $1.5-$2 for an entree outside of the Old City.
There is another expensive part of town called Nimman, near the local university, where meals can cost $3-$5 at a sit down restaurant.
Beer in Chiang Mai was also very cheap; you can find a liter of Thai beer for under $2 at most restaurants.
I paid $5 for the above bowl of khao soi (can you tell I love khao soi?!) and a liter of Chang. This restaurant was in front of a hostel located right in Old City Chiang Mai.
Activities & Other Chiang Mai Information
We did two great activities in Chiang Mai that every one should do when you visit: a Thai cooking class, and a trip to Doi Inthanon National Park. Our cooking school was located in the Old City and they provided round trip transportation from our hotel. It cost about $26 USD per person, but we made 5 courses and didn’t have to buy breakfast or lunch that day. Book your cooking class here, it will definitely be a highlight of your trip!
For our visit to Doi Inthanon National Park we went on this day trip through Airbnb Experiences. The experience cost $100, lasts for 10 hours and includes coffee, lunch, and water bottles throughout the day. If you’re in Thailand for vacation, the price is definitely worth it, but if you’re on a backpacking trip, you can probably get to the park a cheaper way.
Another popular experience to have in Chiang Mai is visiting an elephant sanctuary. Expect to spend between $50 – $100.
For more information on Chiang Mai, read my full post on the awesome Northern Thai city: 3 Days in Chiang Mai – And Why You Should Stay Longer if You Can
Five Nights in Krabi Province
Despite the islands having a reputation for being expensive, we managed to spend less than in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Maybe because we were content to simply relax most days, and stayed in basic lodging. Read more to find out how to live the island life for $58 a day, (with no hostel bunks in sight!)
Krabi Lodging Costs
We spent 3 nights on Tonsai beach at Chill Out Bungalows. One cabin sleeps two people and costs $20/ night. What an affordable private beach cabin, right?! Well for that price you don’t get hot water, and the electricity (and therefore WiFi) is only on from 6:00pm-6:00am.
Nonetheless, if you know what you’re getting before you come, you will learn to appreciate the simplicity, and being a 5 minute walk from the gorgeous beach below.
On Koh Lanta our lodging was even cheaper at $15 a night! And there was A/C! It was a pretty basic room, and the water pressure sucked, but we had access to a pool that overlooked the ocean so there’s not much to complain about. Expect to pay $5 for a hostel bed, and up to $100 for a private room or bungalow in a nice hotel.
Krabi Transportation Costs
For Tonsai and Railay, the beaches are small enough that you can walk everywhere once you get there. However, you will have to take a long tail boat or ferry to reach the beaches. That will cost between $3-$5 for a long tail boat from Ao Nang, or $15 to $20 for a ferry from Koh Lanta, or Koh Phi Phi.
For Koh Lanta, the main form of transportation once you get there is renting a scooter. We were only there for two days and chose to walk everywhere, so we were limited to restaurants and beaches close to our hotel. If you’re there for longer than two days I highly recommend renting a scooter and exploring the entire island.
Getting to Koh Lanta is easy from the mainland or another island. On the way there we took a 2 hour ferry ride from Tonsai beach that cost $17. Leaving Koh Lanta we were headed to the Krabi airport and the shared minibus cost $13 per person, and included pick up at your hotel.
Krabi Food Costs
Food and beer prices on the islands were more than Chiang Mai, but still very affordable by American standards.
On Tonsai we ate breakfast and dinner at the restaurants in the same complex as our bungalows. We paid about $4 for a dinner entree and $2 for a normal size beer. We also had a smoothie everyday that cost $2.
The food on Koh Lanta was slightly cheaper than Tonsai, and there were many more options. We found a place that served American style breakfasts that included coffee and juice for under $4. For a typical dinner at a sit down restaurant expect to pay around $4-$5 for an entree and $3 for a liter of Thai beer.
Activities & Other Krabi Information
The one big activity we did on the islands was a 5 island tour which included snorkeling and lunch. It cost $40 per person, which also includes a National Park entrance fee.
A dry bag was my favorite thing we packed for our stay on the Thai Islands. It kept all our phones and clothes completely dry while enjoying our island tours and beach days. We bought our dry bag for this trip and still use it for every beach day since then!
On Koh Lanta I paid $18 for a Thai massage, pedicure and a tip. Everyone should try a Thai massage at least once while visiting Thailand! Prices range from $3 in cheaper areas like Chiang Mai to $15+ in nicer spots in the islands or in Bangkok.
Other popular activities include renting kayaks, getting scuba certified and climbing the beautiful limestone cliffs. Prices range from $5 for renting a kayak for a few hours to $500+ for a 3 or 4 day scuba certification course.
For more information on the gorgeous beaches and islands in Krabi Province, read my blog post here – Krabi Province Thailand: Spending a Week in Paradise
Daily Cost by Travel Style
In the above city by city descriptions, I excluded the flights between the destinations. We paid $55 for a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, $140 for Chiang Mai to Krabi, and $50 for Krabi to Bangkok. This brings the grand total to $2,525 for 2 people for 12 nights in Thailand, or $105 per day.
Per Day Costs: Budget/ Back Packer
With Chiang Mai on the low end and Bankgkok on the high end, you can get by in Thailand for $20-$40 a day. You can do this by staying in hostels, eating street food a majority of the time and sticking to local Thai beer. Additionally, avoid expensive flights, like the one I took from Chiang Mai to Krabi, and instead travel by train and bus.
Engage in free activities, such as admiring the temples from the outside, and walking through Thailand’s many markets.
Per Day Costs: Mid-Range
I would definitely consider our budget as mid-range, and we could have easily cut back on what we spent on certain things, like our lodging in Chiang Mai, but we also could have easily spent more, by staying in nicer accommodations on the islands, or eating in fancy restaurants in Bangkok. For a normal vacation budget, expect to spend between $80-$120 a day, per person.
On vacations you normally have a limited amount of time, so you can chose to spend the money on flights between cities and taking Grabs instead of busses to save time. These things don’t break the bank, but are expenses a backpacker would try to avoid.
Per Day Costs: High End
If money is no object for you, or you just want to ball out on one awesome vacation, you can spend $150-$250+ daily per person. You can stay in the nicest hotels in Bangkok for $200-$300 a night, in Chiang Mai for $100-$150 a night, and on the islands for $200-$400 a night. If you eat 3 meals a day in sit down restaurants and order cocktails with dinner, expect to spend around $25-$50/day on meals.
Have you been to Thailand? How much did you spend on your trip? Let me know in the comments!
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20 Comments
An incredibly detailed guide. Thank you so much for this post. I hope to visit these beautiful places someday.
I am very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.
Being a solo budget traveler, this post is really helpful. Khao soi looks delicious. Very well written and immaculately detailed!
I love seeing the breakdown of costs! It’s so useful when planning my own trip. You definitely got a lot for such little money!
Wow! What an extensive breakdown! Great job! It really makes me realize how expensive things can be when you have to budget it all.
So impressed by your use of pie charts! It looks like everything was worth it.
This is super helpful for getting an idea about how much everything will cost once you get to Thailand. I think you guys did a fantastic job at balancing comfort with good value. It sounds like you had an amaazing trip.
p.s. You must be drooling when you look back at the foodie photos!
Love the graphs and how detailed your notes are! I could never keep track of expenses while traveling, especially down to the cent. I definitely need to go to Chiang Mai next time I’m in Thailand though! It was just too easy to end up splurging in Bangkok!
Yeah, you’ve got to check out Chiang Mai! I hope I can go back and spend more time there soon!
We are planning to go to Thailand in the next 3 years and I am amazed by how inexpensive accommodation can be. For me, however, A/C is a must-have and I am willing to pay up to get it.
It wasn’t too bad at night, however we never really wanted to hang out in our room during the day. It was an experience for sure!
That sounds amazing! So many great experiences at a great price! The beach you stayed for under $20 a night looks like a dream! I really need to get myself to Thailand
I love how you used such informative pie charts! Thanks for the many details (:
Congratulations on traveling well on a reasonable budget. We are in Mexico and it’s just as cheap as in Thailand, We are spending about $100 a day in an all-inclusive resort plus some sight-seeing costs.! So, we stay for three months every year.
I love traveling to Mexico as well! I went in the winter of 2018 and 2019, but unfortunately no plans for this winter:(
I love the place you splurged at- the 5 star and it turns out to be a really great exchange rate. I can’t believe how inexpensive the food is.
Thailand is just paradise… Would love to visit Lombok and do Mount Rijani hike 🙂
Wow, it really looks like you both got your money’s worth! Loved the variety in you accommodations, and the food looked delicious!
We certainly did! I wish I could get Thai food that cheaply in the US!