Bangkok's cheapness is real and so is the trap: because everything feels cheap, you stop counting, and the hotel, the taxis and the rooftop do the rest.
Where the money goes#
| Cheap | Expensive |
|---|---|
| Street food, food courts | Restaurants with English menus in tourist zones |
| BTS, MRT, river boats | Taxis in traffic, tuk-tuks for tourists |
| Temples (small entry fees, Grand Palace the exception) | Organised tours of things a boat reaches |
| Neighbourhood massage shops | Hotel spas |
| Beer from 7-Eleven | Rooftop cocktails |
Budget vs luxury at local prices shows the gap item by item, and the trip cost guide has current numbers by budget.
Three budgets#
Backpacker. Hostel bed (Khao San, Chinatown or Silom: hostels guide), street food every meal, boats and BTS, free temples, one paid thing a day. Very cheap.
Mid-range. A clean hotel room on the BTS, street food by day and one sit-down dinner, a massage, the Grand Palace, a canal boat. Still cheap.
Comfortable. A good hotel by the river, a rooftop sunset, a spa afternoon, a private long-tail, dinner in Thonglor. This is where it starts to cost what Europe does.
Four and five days#
Daily figure times four or five, plus the hotel, plus flights, plus one splurge. The hotel moves the total more than everything else combined; where to stay covers which areas give value.
Free Bangkok#
The river ferries at commuter prices, the parks (Lumphini at dawn), Chinatown by day, Chatuchak without buying, the temple courtyards, the hidden places, a 7-Eleven dinner on a soi with everyone else. Scams are the other budget line: the gem shop and the "closed temple" tuk-tuk are how a cheap day becomes an expensive one.
The best money you'll spend#
A few hours with a Local Friend costs less than a tour and buys you the stall, the bar and the neighbourhood you'd have missed. Post your dates on Roavi Community first; travellers on a budget on your dates appear there too, and sharing a long-tail or a taxi halves it.
Bangkok on a budget? The best value in the city is a local for an evening.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
How much does Bangkok cost per day on a budget?
A hostel bed, three street-food meals, BTS and boat rides and a temple or two come to a very low daily total by Western standards. Add a sit-down dinner and a beer or two and it's still cheap. The trip-cost guide breaks it down by budget with current figures.What's a good budget for 5 days in Bangkok?
Take your daily figure (backpacker, mid-range or comfortable), multiply by five, add the hotel and flights, and leave room for one splurge: a rooftop, a spa, a day trip. The hotel is the biggest variable by far.Is food expensive in Bangkok?
No. Street food and food courts are the cheapest good eating in any major city. Restaurants with English menus in tourist areas cost several times more; rooftop cocktails cost what they do at home.What's worth paying for in Bangkok?
A good massage, one rooftop sunset, the Grand Palace entry, a canal boat, the sleeper train north, and a few hours with a Local Friend. What's not: taxis in traffic, tours of things you can reach by boat, and drinks on Khao San.
