How much does a Day in Bangkok Cost: The Daily Expenses

Planning a trip to Thailand and curious about expenses in Bangkok? Not to worry, we composed a list of all possible expenses. We give an indication of our own average expenses and will let you know how not to spend more money than necessary in Bangkok!

Food & drink in Bangkok

Going out for dinner in Bangkok? The options are unlimited. From the street food stalls on Khao San Road to luxury rooftop bars, there are a lot of choices. Assuming you want to experience everything in Bangkok, the prices (per person) mentioned below are generous estimates:

Western breakfast with bread, omelet, and coffee: 250 Thai Baht.
Street food plus drink: 120 Thai Baht.
Dinner at a good restaurant including drinks: 400 Thai Baht.
Snacks at the 7-Eleven: 80 Thai Baht.

So the food and drink expenses in Bangkok are roughly 850 Thai Baht per person, per day.

Photo credit: mattmangum

Hotels in Bangkok

Bangkok is a city of extremes: for every luxury hotel, there’s a crappy hostel where you can stay the night for a couple of euros. Let’s assume that you would like to stay in a nice location, in a clean room that’s comfortable, though not necessarily luxurious, and that you’d like a private bathroom, a wifi connection and perhaps a nice roof terrace.

In Bangkok, we usually stay in a double room that’s air-conditioned for 1000 Thai Baht per night. That is 500 Thai Baht per person, per night.

The Rambuttri Village Hotel is a great example of gorgeous and affordable hotel rooms in Bangkok is. From 1250 Thai Baht per night.

Cost of transport in Bangkok

Traffic in Bangkok is organized chaos. To get to where you need to go you can take a cab, go by tuk-tuk, travel by boat among the locals or just use public transport. We generally take the taxi or the boat. Taxis operate on a starting rate of 35 Thai Baht (though make sure to ask before you get in) and will take you anywhere. Going by boat you save a lot of money and avoid much of the crowd.

Getting around in Bangkok doesn’t need to cost much. You just need to do it smartly. Seeing the main sights of the city will generally cost about 150 Thai Baht per person, per day.

Additional expenses in Bangkok

Additional expenses could include guided tours, entrance fees, personal hygiene, transaction costs when using the ATM, etc. Tours are very convenient but they are also easy to save money on. It’s so much fun (and so easy!) to organize your own trips. Arrange your own transportation. Why not organize a tour of your own and go and explore Bangkok by yourself?

Additional expenses are hard to estimate but expect them to come to at least 500 Thai Baht per person, per day in Bangkok.

Photo credit: Thomas Ballandras

Total costs Bangkok

Your average daily expenses in Bangkok will come to around 2000 Thai Baht per person, per day. It could be a lot more expensive, but also a lot cheaper.

And with 2000 Thai Baht you can do a ton of fun stuff. Stuff like, for instance, go on bike tours, have dinner in a nice restaurant or an evening drink at a special place.

But you can also choose the less expensive option and live like a local. It’s completely up to you!

Best Hotels Bangkok

iSanook - $$

iSanook lies just outside Chinatown and has the best price-quality ratio. The rooms are like small apartments and are equipped with a fridge, a flat-screen TV and a huge bed, among other things. There’s also a swimming pool, a gym and a rooftop bar.

Rambuttri Village - $$

Though a mere 5-minute walk from Khao San Road, you won’t experience any noise pollution at Rambuttri Village. It’s located in a calm and picturesque little street. There’s a swimming pool on the roof and their breakfast is nice as well!