It'S Amazing How Much Cheaper Food Is In America Than Thailand

[Konini]

Expat Syndrome = if I never eat Thai food again as long as I live I'll die happy. I used to love Thai food, now I would rather go hungry or eat crackers. I'm told it's not uncommon. It costs so much more to cook every night than to eat at the markets, but I really don't care. Today, English; tomorrow, Italian; the next day French; the day after Middle Eastern, then Chinese then Mexican then Spanish. Quite literally anything but Thai. It costs more to cook than to eat at the markets or cheaper Thai restaurants, but I enjoy cooking. I try to mix local market things with pantry (expensive supermarket) things. Still would be cheaper to eat at the local markets, but I've really had enough. My husband still eats Thai every day for lunch whilst I have a tomato sandwich. Surely, I'm not alone here?

[Ulysses G.]

I was never very impressed by Thai food so never overdid it. I don't mind some dishes and really like a few, but I mostly eat it for health and budgetary reasons, rather than any great love - sort of like eating baloney/egg salad/peanut butter sandwiches back home. I mostly eat Thai vegetarian food. I never ate it constantly, so I still don't mind it once a day or so and it certainly saves money.

[giddyup]

No one has mentioned the two essentials, beer and cigarettes. A Heineken in a bar in Australia will cost around $A7, a packet of 25 cigarettes, about A$12, here in Pattaya a Heineken is around 50-60 baht, or A$2. A packet of smokes about 80 baht or less that A$3. Take a girl out in Oz for a meal and a movie and you aren't going to get much change out of A$120 (4000 baht) and you might get a begrudging "thanks" at the end of the night, if you're lucky.

Edited April 25, 2011 by giddyup

[Spee]

Fresh young coconuts - 10 baht in Thailand

x10 in America (roughly the equivalent of 90-100 baht)

[bonobo]

I contend that it is cheaper for a basket of food in the US than in Thailand for anyone who cooks a variety of foods. However, I had a hankering for southern-fried shrimp this weekend, and so I think I have to point out that I bought the shrimp for 28 baht. Back in the US, this same amount of shrimp would have been over $10.

The gazpacho I made to accompany the shrimp cost much more, but the shrimp was sure cheap. (Maybe 120 baht for the gazpacho, not including the olive oil and vinegar, and maybe 33 baht all told for the shrimp.)

[DP25]

American cuisine! whats that... A slab of meat and potato...

American breakfast for 120bt. thats like 4$. wayyyy over priced.t wooooo fried egg, hot dog, toast coffee amazingly complex farang food for 120bt!!!

Ah, I love it when posters ignore post after post to try and put forth their own prejudices! A number of posers have given examples of American cuisine, yet some people like to flaunt their ignorance.

And hot dogs as part of an "American Breakfast?" Nowhere in the US, that is for sure.

A hot dog is what you get when you order an American breakie in Thailand! You don;t often get a proper sausage!

Be honest, American cuisine is pretty salty and bland when compared to the complex flavours of Thai food.

"American breakfast" in Thailand has nothing to do with America. Neither does "American fried rice" for that matter, even if Thais (and a few foreigners apparently) think both of those dishes do.

[Kilgore Trout]

To me it works both ways. I lived in Thailand for a year and a half, recently. When I was trying to buy something "Western", it was expensive. Back here in the States (Colorado), when I try to buy Thai food items, much more expensive. A rice cooker -- here in the States much more expensive.

Where are you shopping? My mom bought a rice cooker for 10 bucks at Wal Mart recently; Black and Decker I think.

[Konini]

No one has mentioned the two essentials, beer and cigarettes. A Heineken in a bar in Australia will cost around $A7, a packet of 25 cigarettes, about A$12, here in Pattaya a Heineken is around 50-60 baht, or A$2. A packet of smokes about 80 baht or less that A$3. Take a girl out in Oz for a meal and a movie and you aren't going to get much change out of A$120 (4000 baht) and you might get a begrudging "thanks" at the end of the night, if you're lucky.

I'm obviously a very Cheap Charlie as I only pay 30 baht a pack for my SMS ciggies. And I think prices (taxes) have gone up again in Aus recently again. When we first moved there in 1987 it was very, very cheap to smoke. Last year as we went through duty free at Melbourne airport I was amazed that Horizon (the cheapest ciggies) were AUD70 per carton. No idea what they were on the street, and I'm glad I took enough of my 30 baht a pack to last me the 3 weeks we were there. Didn't bother with duty free in Thailand as they don't sell the real cheapies, I just bought them from Tesco or 7/11 and packed them in my case. Whilst there, we took two friends out to dinner - not a posh place, just a pub and I paid the bill on my credit card. It was $180, and the boys were buying drinks over the counter, so that was just for food. Average $45 each for a starter and main. In a pub. It puts things into perspective a bit.

We got to Australia every October to keep ourselves legal, and last year for the first time I really noticed a difference in prices in the supermarkets - prices for just about everything have shot up since the previous year. Don't know about beer as I don't drink it, but the wine is less than a quarter of what we pay here. I dont' think that's a new thing, there are big import taxes for wine here. I still get grumpy about paying more than 200 baht for a jar of Picallili or Branston Pickle and 180 baht for a kilo of museli or block of Mainland or Feta cheese, but if you want imported stuff you have to bite the bullet and pay for it. Because everything else is so cheap, it seems more expensive. Thinking hard, I would pay the equivalent of 180 baht for a kilo of museli in Aus - it just *feels* more expensive because most things are ridiculously cheap here. Some things are much cheaper, some things are slightly more expensive and a few things are very much more expensive, but it all balances out and with cheap rents (in CM anyway) and utilities making it far cheaper living here than in Australia, as well as being more relaxed and convivial - the reason most of us choose to live here. When we go for our annual visit to family in England, I don't understand how people can afford to live, never mind smoke and drink. An average night out on the grog (no food except maybe a kebab on the way home) for my husband with the boys is going to come in at at least GBP50 which is about 2,500 baht with the current horrible exchange rate. Here, the same (minus the kebab but maybe a street stall snack) drinking 5 or 6 big bottles of Leo in both Thai huts and expat bars is around 500-600 baht at most, often less. Very big difference.

[kikoman]

It depends on ones life style, if you want to eat the foods from home ,it will cost you and if you eat out western food are expensive and mostly tasteless here in Thailand. Thai food I like, but there is more than just Thai food available here . But I prefer home cooked meals and would rather eat at home, the wife is a great cook.

I make up my own recipes for food I crave from home, I make tamales from sticky rice, blended with red Chile and a filling of Mexican Chile con carne, or Thai long light green peppers and cheese, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed ,works for me. I do buy dried beans, corn tortillas and canned olives here. And it is expensive. At home in the Mexican Super market , purchased beans two pounds for a dollar (30 baht) I buy made in the store corn tortillas for a package of 7 or 8 dozen corn tortillas for $2.00 ,canned black olives are about 79 cents American.

Besides some foods, I found the cost of living in America very high, as I live mostly as the Thais do, with Thai foods purchased from the markets. I make my own ham, bacon, sausage , pickle, flour tortillas, and the great variety of vegetables from the market and that we grow at home. I raise my own meat chickens and our laying hens give us about 16 fresh eggs a day,and raise my own rabbits.

I find satellite TV expensive here and INTERNET service to my home, My medication is very inexpensive here,I buy about 3 months of medication here for less then the cost of the same meds, cost me for a month at the VA hospital.

But all in all I find life much cheaper here in Thailand, It fit right into the lifestyle I chose to live.

Everyone makes a choice of how they chose to live, and I am happy with the choice I made!

Edited June 1, 2011 by kikoman

[bonobo]

I just got back from a trip to Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and France), and all I can say is my goodness! How do people afford to live there? 87 Euros to fill up a car with diesel? 2 euros for a smallish bottle of water? 110 euros for a fairly "cheap" meal for 4? 15 euros for a burger (a very good burger, I have to admit). 115 euros for a room at Isis?

The US is much cheaper than Thailand for some things, and Thailand is cheaper than the US for some things. But except for dijon mustard, I never saw anything in Europe cheaper than in Thailand.

[kyb789]

If you live like you lived in the USA then yes it costs you quite more . If you live more like the Thai do then you will find things much more reasonable here then in the USA . Yes things have gone up over the years more so than I like but I can live a decent life here and enjoy retirment and not have to consider working ...

Come guys, we are trying to compare apples to apples here. I can wear knockoffs and shop at the flee market in the U.S also and save tons of money. I can live in the getto that looks the same as a Thai getto.

[bangkokburning]

Staples are far cheaper in Thailand

Spirits about the same, beer as well

Baked goods about the same

Shellfish is more expensive, as is a proper saltwater fish

Candy/Chocolate is abt same price

Sweet biscuits (cookies) less expensive Thailand

Cheap snacks less expensive Thai, the real stuff - horribly expensive in Thailand

I find a mediocre good/fresh fish, tiny swimming crabs and even crappy warm water lobster criminally priced here in Thailand.

Faux western foods appear to be less expensive than low end US brands of similar

Western brands range run + to +++ more expensive

If you can cook, you can still save a bundle over costs in the west. If your idea of cooking comes out of a can or jar, not so much.

The only time I eat bread is when I have a sandwich at home, I keep on hand when hunger hits and I am lazy. At night, bread and jam if I want something sweet and semi low cal.

Most household goods are far less expensive here.

I could cherry pick a basket of items and have it come out far cheaper in US , or could do same here.

HUGE bag of Lays potato chips in India is about B20! I think 40+gms

[bangkokburning]

Italian is a great cuisine.

European food is highly over rated.

A piece of dried meat drenched in an overworked sauce.

[vpi78]

Staples are far cheaper in Thailand

Spirits about the same, beer as well

Baked goods about the same

Shellfish is more expensive, as is a proper saltwater fish

Candy/Chocolate is abt same price

Sweet biscuits (cookies) less expensive Thailand

Cheap snacks less expensive Thai, the real stuff - horribly expensive in Thailand

I find a mediocre good/fresh fish, tiny swimming crabs and even crappy warm water lobster criminally priced here in Thailand.

Faux western foods appear to be less expensive than low end US brands of similar

Western brands range run + to +++ more expensive

If you can cook, you can still save a bundle over costs in the west. If your idea of cooking comes out of a can or jar, not so much

The only time I eat bread is when I have a sandwich at home, I keep on hand when hunger hits and I am lazy. At night, bread and jam if I want something sweet and semi low cal.

Most household goods are far less expensive here.

I could cherry pick a basket of items and have it come out far cheaper in US , or could do same here.

Ok, prove it, that is that a basket of common items used by the average Fred Farang is cheaper here than in the US with the current exchange rate of 30:1. NFW.

HUGE bag of Lays potato chips in India is about B20! I think 40+gms

[honoluabay]

Very true I would make dinner every night for about 3 bucks 3 course meal, that's a great price. In Kata beach I always go to the farmers market 2 times a week. Fish, meat, fruit and Veg all together and for real prices of course in BKK Farmers market my be harder to find but not off the chart. And Yes the chicken is alot cheaper and very good.

I agree that many things are overpriced, but some things are still cheaper such as;

Chicken!

I regularly buy two large chicken breasts for about 32 baht (a little more than 1 dollar), in the us the same weight of skinless boneless chx brst would be about 5-6 dollars.

When I buy food to make a meal, (usually chicken ) I am a bit comforted by this as in some small way it evens things out a bit

[Phil Conners]

Italian is a great cuisine.

European food is highly over rated.

A piece of dried meat drenched in an overworked sauce.

Hm, last I checked Italy was in Europe.