Is Bangkok Expensive To Visit In 2024?
Wondering whether Bangkok is expensive to visit?
Then you’ve come to the right place as I’m a full-time traveller so I have a good judgement of how expensive places are, and I’ve visited Bangkok on more than one occasion.
Bangkok is one of the most popular cities to visit in Southeast Asia and for good reason, it’s a city jam-packed with life and it gives a great glimpse into city life in Thailand.
But is a trip to Bangkok expensive? The answer is it depends on how much you want to spend.
Is Bangkok Expensive?
For the most part, Bangkok is not expensive. The cost of things in Bangkok is pretty low and it’s an affordable city to visit. Many people who visit Bangkok leave with the impression that it is a cheap place, myself included.
That being said, as I hinted at in the intro, there isn’t a “yes or no” answer to the question of “Is Bangkok expensive?” and the reason for that is that there are lots of different types of people who visit Bangkok.
If you want Bangkok to be cheap, you can make it really really cheap. I’m talking like $15 USD a day cheap including accommodation, food, activities and transport. This is for those backpacking in Thailand like I did, although I allowed myself to spend a bit more than that.
And if you don’t care about how much you spend then Bangkok can get pretty expensive, just like anywhere in the world. If you join one of those Thailand Facebook groups, every time someone asks for a rough budget, you’ll get replies from anywhere from $10 a day up to $200 a day.
Personally, I stayed in Bangkok for 4 days (3 nights) on my first trip and I spent a total of 4100 Thai baht, which is roughly the equivalent of $114 (£90/€106) and this included staying in a hostel, doing 3 or 4 things each day, eating 3 meals a day and using bikes to get around the city.
I thought this was pretty reasonable for what is essentially a city break, as it’s not like the rest of Thailand where you can spend nothing all day except on food by just relaxing on the beach.
My personal answer to the question of whether Bangkok is expensive or not is no, it’s not expensive, but I appreciate I’m from the UK which has a much stronger currency than the Thai baht.
Is Bangkok Cheap?
Bangkok is a super cheap city to visit if you are coming from a country which has a higher cost of living such as countries in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia etc.
If you are visiting Bangkok from countries which have a lower cost of living such as the Philippines or Belize, then you might feel like the prices in Bangkok are pretty similar to home.
The city is a common stop for those travelling on a budget, which is how I visited the city, and after spending time there, I can really see why. It’s really easy to spend a low amount of money each day in the Thai capital.
Food is cheap in Bangkok as there are lots of street food stalls around the city, transport is cheap although you can walk between many of the main sights, accommodation is cheaper than in most countries unless you go for a luxury resort, and in terms of things to do, most things are low priced and there are also lots of free things to do too.
For those backpacking Bangkok along with the rest of Thailand, you’ll probably find Bangkok to be more expensive than other cities but cheaper than most of the islands.
But all in all, yes, Bangkok is relatively cheap to visit.
How Much Is Accommodation In Bangkok?
Accommodation in Bangkok varies from pennies to thousands. Just like everything, it depends how much you’re willing to spend.
If you want to travel cheaply the way I do, then I recommend staying in a hostel. You can find lots of hostels for as cheap as $4 a day, but usually, these aren’t great. Make sure to use my tips for choosing a hostel to make sure you end up somewhere decent.
I stayed in NapPark Hostel at Khao San which was $10 a night. I’d recommend it, the location is good, the beds are comfortable and the staff are really friendly. And I made some good friends too with other people staying there.
But if hostel life isn’t for you, no worries, hotels aren’t too expensive in Bangkok either. You can find a decent mid-range hotel in the city for around $30 or less a night. It’s really cheap to stay somewhere decent in Bangkok. One of my favourite reasons to backpack Thailand is how cheap the accommodation is.
It’s crazy to me how you can get hotels of the same quality as in Europe for like 10% of the price – why do more people not visit Thailand?! Sure, the flights are expensive, but things balance out!
For example, you can also find really good luxury hotels for less than $100 a night, which is a steal compared to other places around the world where you would pay thousands.
However, it is still possible to spend thousands a night in Bangkok but if you’ve got that much money to burn, I doubt you’re going to be reading a post on whether Bangkok is expensive or not.
How Much Are Tourist Attractions In Bangkok?
The most expensive of the “must-do” tourist attractions in Bangkok is the Grand Palace which costs 500฿ for an adult ticket. It’s worth it though and you can’t visit Bangkok without going.
Most of the other temples will have an entry fee ranging from 100฿ to 300฿. When you go outside of Bangkok such as to Chiang Mai, many of the temples are free to enter.
As for other tourist attractions in Bangkok, many of them are free. Such as visiting the floating markets (although a boat ride costs), exploring China Town or enjoying the vibes down Khao San Road. All of these things are free.
Of course, there is a lot more to Bangkok than this but for the most part, tourist attractions will cost you no more than 500฿.
How Much Is Food In Bangkok?
There are two ways to eat in Bangkok. You can either eat street food or you can eat in restaurants.
If you choose to eat street food, you will spend peanuts on food. For example, on my first night, I had this delicious chicken Pad Thai which cost 60 Baht ($1.68/€1.54/£1.32) which is obviously really cheap and it tasted really good too.
And contrary to popular belief: no, eating street food doesn’t give you food poisoning. Well, 99% of the time, but you can always get unlucky. My top tip is to find a stall where locals are getting food as then you will know it is good food (most Thai people eat street food rather than making their own meals).
If you go for the restaurant option, then food will still be cheaper than in restaurants in the US for example, but it’s still more expensive than street food. A Pad Thai in a restaurant would typically cost around 200 THB, more than 3 times the cost of a street food vendor.
In terms of breakfast and lunch in Bangkok, personally, I just go to a 7-Eleven (they are everywhere and I mean everywhere) and buy something from there. Some days I’ll get a croissant for like 30 Baht, other days I’ll get a cheese toastie for like 40 Baht (they can heat it up for you). But as you can see, it’s always cheap.
On an average day, I spend between 100 and 150 Baht on food in Bangkok. Food is one of the cheapest things in Bangkok and won’t kill your budget too much.
Note that you can’t drink the water in Thailand, so you need to buy bottled water. Again, it’s really cheap and you can get it for 6 THB from 7-Elevens.
How Much Is Transport In Bangkok?
There are a few ways to get around Bangkok and these are the options in my order of recommendation:
- Grab Bike
- Grab Car (there is no Uber in Bangkok)
- Walking
- Public Transport
- Car Rental
Obviously renting a car will be the most expensive option but I don’t recommend it at all as the roads in Bangkok are absolutely nuts – I would avoid driving at all costs.
Public transport is the cheapest option (except for walking of course) but it’s pretty hard to navigate the transport in Bangkok. I only recommend the Metro and SkyTrain, the buses are too confusing if you ask me – plus they’re unreliable.
A lot of the main attractions in Bangkok (Grand Palace and Wat Pho, for example) are within walking distance of each other. An added bonus is walking through the streets of Bangkok is an experience in itself – if you’ve never been to Asia before, it will be a culture shock for sure.
My favourite way of getting around Bangkok for distances more than a 20-minute walk (because who wants to walk longer than that in the heat?) is to take a GrabBike (Win). In other words, get on the back of someone’s bike who will take you to your destination.
I get it’s not for everyone though, which is why a Grab Car is the best alternative. Still, a bike is faster as it can weave through traffic, and it’s much cheaper (usually a quarter of the price). Granted, if you aren’t a thrill seeker, probably don’t give it a go as it’s by no means the safest way of travelling around the city.
To reiterate my point once again, Bangkok can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it, and naturally, how you get around the city is another factor in your budget.
FAQs
Below are some common questions about “Is Bangkok expensive?” along with my answers to each question.
In Bangkok, your budget per day depends on how much you want to spend. You can easily survive on $15 a day in Bangkok, and you can easily spend $100 a day if you are careless. Most people opt for somewhere in the middle for around $40-50 a day.
No, Bangkok is the third cheapest city in the world. First is Hanoi in Vietnam, second is Beijing in China and third is Bangkok. It is still an incredibly cheap city to visit.
Bangkok is not an expensive city to visit. It is cheap and you can save money in lots of ways such as by eating street food, staying in a hostel and walking places. But for the most part, Bangkok is not expensive.
The cost of living in Bangkok is low, which makes it a cheap city to visit. The average wage in Bangkok is just over $600 a month, so visiting with a Western salary makes it seem really cheap. Locals also eat street food instead of cooking too which keeps the prices low for tourists eating out every night.
A bottle of beer in Bangkok can be bought in a 7Eleven for as low as 40 Baht. In bars, it usually starts from around 80 Baht. A pint of draft beer in Bangkok usually costs around 75 Baht.
Is Bangkok Expensive: Final Thoughts
And there you have it, a complete overview and an in-depth answer to the question of “Is Bangkok expensive?”.
The message I hope to have put across throughout the post is that Bangkok can either be the cheapest city you will ever visit or one of the most expensive and it’s down to how lenient you are with spending money.
Personally, I didn’t spend a fortune in the city and I found it to be cheap from my experience.
Being able to visit such a spectacular place for so little is incredible. Make sure to use Revolut in Bangkok any time you are spending money to save on fees.
