Living in Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is a major coastal city in Thailand (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 28°C over the year with about 1,310 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,636 a month to live centrally, and Thailand sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Thailand is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $1,986 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,636
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 28°C
- 1,310 mm rain a year
- Size
- Major
- over 5 million people
- Safety
- 60/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~210 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Bangkok
- Warmer than 98% of the cities we track
- Self-funded residency from about $1,986 a month in income
- Has a residency route for remote workers
- On or near the sea
Climate
Bangkok averages 28°C across the year with about 1,310 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 98% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Thailand offers several realistic long-term routes: the renewable 10-year LTR visa for wealthy individuals, high-earning professionals and remote workers, the pay-to-stay Thailand Privilege membership open to any age, and a sufficient-means retirement visa for applicants over 50; baht figures converted at ~32.73 THB/USD (Wise mid-market, confirmed 2026-06).
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Thailand:
- Income: about $1,986 a month (Thailand retirement Non-Immigrant O visa, THB 65,000/mo pension income (age 50+; alt. THB 800,000 deposit), ~32.73 THB/USD; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $20k (Thailand Privilege Bronze membership, THB 650,000 one-time fee for a renewable 5-year long-stay, ~32.73 THB/USD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 97 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 44 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 57 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Thailand scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Thailand.
Language and culture
Main languages: Thai. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 60 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Thailand runs at about 210 Mbps, faster than 64% of the cities we compare. Thailand also has a residency route aimed at remote workers (see residency below).
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,636 a month to live centrally in Bangkok, 3% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 61% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Taxes
Thailand sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Bangkok in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Safety and stability
Thailand scores 60 out of 100 on safety, safer than 50% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.3 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Thailand. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Bangkok
Is Bangkok a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Bangkok scores well on healthcare. It is weaker on English. Expect a warm, wet climate (28°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Bangkok and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Bangkok?
We estimate about €2,636 a month for a couple living centrally, 3% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Bangkok?
Thailand is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Bangkok in their results.
Can foreigners live in Thailand long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Thailand offers several realistic long-term routes: the renewable 10-year LTR visa for wealthy individuals, high-earning professionals and remote workers, the pay-to-stay Thailand Privilege membership open to any age, and a sufficient-means retirement visa for applicants over 50; baht figures converted at ~32.73 THB/USD (Wise mid-market, confirmed 2026-06). The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,986 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $20k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Bangkok?
Bangkok averages 28°C across the year with about 1,310 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 98% of the cities we track.
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