money
What £1,500 a Month Gets You in Pattaya
A line-by-line look at a realistic mid-range month.
Published 9 March 2026 · Last updated 1 August 2026
Fifteen hundred pounds a month is roughly what a decent private pension plus a state pension might produce, so it is the number people most often ask about. Here is a plausible version of that month, with the conversion clearly flagged as a sample rate.
The month
| Item | THB | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom condo, Jomtien, pool and gym | 20,000 | Not beachfront, well maintained, a few minutes from the beach |
| Electricity and water | 3,200 | Air conditioning at night most of the year |
| Internet and mobile | 1,300 | Fibre plus a generous data package |
| Groceries | 8,000 | Mostly local, some imported items |
| Eating out | 10,000 | Out four or five times a week, mixed Thai and Western |
| Transport | 3,000 | Baht buses, occasional app car, a scooter |
| Health insurance | 9,000 | Inpatient cover with a moderate deductible, mid-sixties |
| Social and hobbies | 5,000 | Golf twice a month, gym, going out |
| Miscellaneous | 4,000 | Haircuts, laundry, household, the unexpected |
| Total | 63,500 | Leaves a margin within a £1,500 budget at the sample rate |
What the margin is for
Do not spend it. That remainder is what absorbs the visa year, the flight home, the exchange rate moving against you, and the month you spend more than you meant to. A budget with no margin is not a budget, it is a hope.
Sources and official information
We link to primary sources wherever one exists. Rules change — check the official page before acting on anything here.
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