💰 Trip to Thailand Cost: 2024 Budget Breakdown (2024)

Known for its magnificent Buddhist temples and flavorful cuisine, Thailand is an affordable country that can be visited with a budget of $30 to $150 a day.

My almost two-week trip to Thailand cost a total of $1,138. In this post, I share:

• 💰 Expected travel costs
• 💡 Budgeting tips
• 💵 How much cash to bring
• ✈️ My trip’s costs by category
• 📍 My trip’s costs by major cities

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Thailand.

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Is Thailand Expensive To Travel To?

Thailand is a popular destination and one of the most affordable countries to visit by United States standards.

Although it’s ranked as one of Southeast Asia’s more affordable countries, it’s generally not as cheap as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Indonesia (excluding Bali).

💰 Trip Daily Budget for Countries in Asia

Travel budget varies by travel style. For comparison, I visited these countries in Asia within a year of visiting Thailand, and here’s how much I spent per day at each one:

*My Cambodia trip could have been closer to $85 per day, but I splurged on accommodation.

💰 Trip Daily Budget for Popular Destinations

Thailand is the cheapest vacation I’ve taken. Here’s how my Thailand trip cost compares to the cost of other popular destinations I’ve visited:

How Much Is a Trip to Thailand?

Depending on your travel style, here’s how much you can expect to spend in Thailand on a daily basis and during a one-week trip.

🎒 Thailand Trip Cost for a Budget Traveler

Budget travelers can expect to spend approximately $30 per day or $210 for one week of travel in Thailand, excluding flights.

To travel on a budget to Thailand, here are some things you’ll need to do:

• Accommodation: For the cheapest option, stay at a hostel with dorm rooms for about $8 a night. You can also stay at homestays where you can stay with a local family for about $12 a night.
• Transportation: Take local buses, which can cost less than $1 per trip, or $2 songthaews, which are red passenger trucks that are common local transportation.

  In Bangkok, public transportation (e.g., the MRT and BTS Skytrain) can cost less than $2 per ride. The city’s train is convenient for getting to and from Bangkok International Airport.

• Food: Eat at night markets and try local food at street stalls for less than $4 per meal. I ate six times at night markets in Chiang Mai and Krabi and averaged $5 per meal without trying to budget.

Tap water is generally unsafe to drink in Thailand, so you can also stock up on drinks and water at convenience stores instead of paying for them at restaurants or touristy places.

• Attractions: Look for free temples and monasteries to visit instead of visiting famous ones with entrance fees (e.g., the famous Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace in Bangkok have a ~$15 fee). If you’re traveling in tourist areas, you can negotiate tour prices in person instead of booking them ahead, especially if you’re looking to book a guided tour for the next day (I did this in Krabi for the Phi Phi Islands tour, which saved me $20).
• Travel Season: For the best deals on accommodations, travel to Thailand during the low season, which runs from April to May and July to September. April to May are the hottest months, and July to September is the wet season.

💰 Thailand Trip Cost for a Mid-Range Budget Traveler

A mid-range budget traveler like myself can expect to spend approximately $75 per day or $525 for one week of travel in Thailand, excluding flights.

I break down my Thailand travel expenses by category below.

Is Thailand or Vietnam More Affordable To Travel To?

Thailand and Vietnam are Southeast Asia’s most popular and affordable destinations, so they’re often compared, even though each country offers a different travel experience.

🇹🇭 Thailand is, on average, slightly more expensive than Vietnam to travel to. However, affordability and cost of living vary by region within each country. Still, Thailand is a more developed country than Vietnam, and Vietnam’s cost of living is lower than Thailand’s.

💰 For tourists, Thailand’s cost per day is, on average, higher than Vietnam’s. Below is a rough daily budget comparison between Vietnam and Thailand for a mid-range budget traveler. The cost varies depending on where you travel in either country, but these averages should give you an idea of the cost differences.

Based on the chart above, you can expect to spend approximately $455 for a one-week trip in Vietnam and $525 for a one-week trip in Thailand.

About My Thailand Trip

To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip to Thailand:

🗓️12 days. I spent close to two weeks visiting major cities and popular destinations in Thailand. I spent three days in the capital city of Bangkok, five days in Chiang Mai, and four days in Krabi, a beach destination.

☀️ High season. I visited Thailand in November, which is considered the high season.

Thailand’s peak season runs from November to February when the weather is drier and cooler.

✌️ Two travelers. I traveled with one other person, so I was able to split accommodation, food, and transportation costs.

💰Mid-range budget. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m thoughtful about how and where I spend. I consider myself a mid-range budget traveler, and these expenses reflect that.

💵 US dollars. All costs listed in this post are per person and in US dollars, converted from Thailand’s local currency, the Thai baht.

The exchange rate was $1 USD = ฿ 35 at the time of writing.

Thailand Trip’s Total Cost: $1,138

My almost two-week trip to Thailand cost a total of $1,138, including flights.

My trip’s highlights are featured in this 10-day Thailand itinerary.

💰 Cost Breakdown for Thailand

Here’s a quick overview of my Thailand travel expenses by category:

💵 Daily Budget in Thailand: $77

My Thailand trip cost $77 per day, excluding flights.

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend $75 per day in Thailand. This generally means staying at accommodations that cost about $40 per night, eating a mix of street and restaurant food, and going on several non-private guided tours.

✈️ Flight Cost to Thailand: $218

I usually take round-trip flights from the United States, but I flew into Thailand from Vietnam and out to Cambodia for this trip.

Here are my flight costs:

I also took several domestic flights to get around Thailand. Those are listed under the transportation cost below.

April is the cheapest month to fly to Thailand from the United States. A direct, round-trip flight that is below $800 is considered inexpensive.

Be aware of bag weight limits if you’re flying on budget airlines that hop around Asia. I flew AirAsia and VietJet Air, and both had a combined carry-on and checked-bag limit of 7kg (about 15 lbs). If you pass this limit, you’ll have to pay an extra checked bag fee. I paid $14 per bag, but some fees were as high as $45.

🏠 Accommodation Cost in Thailand: $211

My average cost of accommodation in Thailand was $18 per day. I was able to split accommodations with one other person at all times.

Here are all the accommodations I stayed at in Thailand and how much I paid for each one:

Accommodations in Thailand areincredibly affordable. At mid-range hotels, you can stay for as low as $15 per night; at budget hotels, a private room costs as low as $10 per night. Even luxury hotels, which cost about $150 or more per night, are considered affordable.

🍛 Food Cost in Thailand: $95

My average cost of food in Thailand was $8 per day.

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about$15 per dayon food in Thailand.

Cheapest Meals in Thailand

My most affordable meals in Thailand were all in Chiang Mai. Here are the cheapest meals I had:

Food in Thailand is extremely affordable. You can easily eat meals for $5 or less every day if you go to local restaurants, night markets, and street food stalls.

Most Expensive Meals in Thailand

Here are the most expensive meals I had in Thailand:

I recommend going on a food tour early in your Thailand trip. This is the easiest and best way to discover authentic, delicious food and restaurants you can try throughout your trip.

🚙 Transportation Cost in Thailand: $233

My average cost of transportation in Thailand was $19 per day.

My average cost of transportation is high because I took two domestic flights to travel long distances within Thailand. Had I not taken any domestic flights, my average cost of transportation would have been $8 per day.

Here are all the transportation methods I took in Thailand and how much I paid for each:

Grab rides are almost always more affordable than flagging down a taxi or tuk-tuk in Thailand. Pro tip: use Grab prices as a baseline for negotiating with taxis or tuk-tuks when they’re more conveniently available.

✨ Entertainment Costs in Thailand: $381

My average cost of attractions and activities in Thailand was $32 per day. This total includes tips (because I’m from the United States), which were usually around 10%.

Here are all the activities I paid for in Thailand and how much each cost:

Learn how to choose ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand.

Cost Breakdown by City in Thailand

Below are my trip expense breakdowns for the three places I visited in Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Krabi (specifically in the Ao Nang area).

🏍️ Bangkok Cost Breakdown

I spent a total of $170 for three days in Bangkok, so my average cost was $57 per day.

I stayed at this mid-range budget hotel and was able to split accommodation costs with one other person. In Bangkok, I did a unique and memorable food tour, visited Wat Pho, and was impressed with the city’s aquarium.

Despite being the capital city and one of the more expensive places in Thailand, Bangkok is still incredibly affordable. A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend $55 per day in Bangkok. You can find mid-range accommodations for less than $20 a night, eat for less than $5 a meal, and take advantage of public transportation to get around.

🐘 Chiang Mai Cost Breakdown

I spent a total of $392 for five days in Chiang Mai, so my average cost was $78 per day. Without including my flight ticket from Krabi, my total cost was $304, and my average cost was $61 per day.

I split an Airbnb with someone else and did quintessential Chiang Mai activities (e.g., visited an ethical elephant sanctuary, talked to monks, and attended a cabaret show).

Chiang Mai is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand and is affordable. A mid-range budget traveler can expect to have a daily travel budget of $60, similar to Bangkok.

🚤 Krabi/Ao Nang Cost Breakdown

I spent a total of $357 for four days in the Ao Nang town of Krabi, so my average cost was $89 per day. Without including my flight ticket to Krabi from Bangkok, my total cost was $307, and my average cost was $77 per day.

I split an Airbnb with someone else and did activities like a Phi Phi Islands day tour (which included stops at the beautiful beaches of Koh Phi Phi, Ton Sai, and Bamboo Island), outdoor rock climbing at Railay Beach, and an informative and delicious northern Thailand food tour.

Krabi is less popular than phu*ket in terms of Thailand beaches. But it’s still one of the pricier destinations where a mid-range budget traveler can expect to have a daily travel budget of $60.

Do You Need Cash in Thailand?

Thailand’s economy is largely based on cash transactions, especially in non-tourist areas, so bring some cash. I needed to use cash almost everywhere when I visited.

Here are some tips on bringing and using cash in Thailand:

💵 1. Withdraw cash in Thai baht.

Thailand’s local currency is the Thai baht (฿), and the US dollar is not widely accepted.

ATMs are readily available in many tourist places in Thailand, but if your debit card doesn’t reimburse your ATM fees, you’ll want to withdraw a higher amount less frequently to save on fees.

🏧 2. Carry more than $40 worth of cash per day in Thailand.

In Thailand, a typical day for a mid-range budget traveler will requireat least $40for food, transportation, attractions, and tips.

I kept my cash in my crossbody pouch, but if you want extra protection against pickpocketing, carry a hidden money belt instead.

💳 3. Very few places in Thailand take credit cards.

Being able to use a credit card in Thailand is the exception, but below are some places that accepted credit cards during my trip:

• Touristy restaurants, especially in Bangkok
• Established massage places that have a 3% credit card fee
• Grab app rides
• The Bangkok aquarium

I otherwise used cash during the entire time of my Thailand trip.

💰 4. Tipping in Thailand is not customary.

Tipping is not rude in Thailand, and it’s often appreciated, but it’s optional.

• Tour guides will gladly accept 10% to 15% tips, especially those serving more Americans.
• When eating out, you can leave behind some of the remaining change.
• For drivers, you can tip through the Grab app at about 5% to 10% if you like.
• Given how affordable massages are in Thailand, consider leaving a 20% tip since it won’t be that much money for you, but it can make a difference to the masseuse.

See other Thailand essential travel tips before visiting.

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below.