In a good way.
I'm moving here soon. I am on an exploratory run right now and I am happy to find that the cost of living here is much less than I had figured it would be.
While i have been here before, it was nearly 20 years ago. I had never lived here or ever inquired about a place to live. Back then, i was a backpacker and I was just staying wherever. I don't recall what i paid 20 years ago but I am sure it wasn't much. I have spent the past decade living in Krabi and Phuket. This is my first ever foray into attempting to live in the north of this country and I am discovering something that is actually very welcome: Everything is cheaper up here.
I started to suspect this was the case when I asked the krav maga school about a place to stay nearby and they recommended the Oasis Hotel. I looked online for a booking and found out that it was less than $10 a night. This is not some crappy dorm-bed type environment either. I have a big bed, air con, a fridge, hot water shower, tub and lots of space - for about $9.20 a night. Now this place isn't winning any stars any time soon, but I have absolutely no problem with it. I can't believe it is so cheap. It even has a pool. How's this economically possible?
I used to own a small hotel and we were barely making money selling lesser-quality rooms at double this price.
the city is also rich in history, which is always nice
The savings carries on to every other aspect of life. I was in a taxi the other day to go visit the old walled city. I was in this taxi for at least 20 minutes. The total cost was about $2. I had a cappaccino this morning at a corner coffeeshop that had one of those enormous Italian espresso machines and a barista that definitely knew what they were doing. This was less than $1. I had a rice plate at a road side stall last night. It was delicious and it was about 70 cents including soup and drinking water. I didn't take a photo because I hate those guys, but take my word for it.
I am here at the moment searching for a house to rent in the near future. I am just astonished at how cheap it is. I am finding condos for as little at $150 a month in places that have security, pools, and fitness centers. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to live there because of my doggo.
The houses I am finding are furnished, normally far more bedrooms and baths then I actually want, have a garden and a fence around the property (perfect for a doggo) and what would you expect to pay for something like that? In Krabi you would be looking at around 20,000B, perhaps more. I currently have a list of over 20 properties that I need to go have a look at and they are all between 6 and 15,000B.
This is all the opposite of what I had grown accustomed to in USA. The larger the city, the more everything costs. I remember trying to buy a diet coke in a minimart the last time I was in New York City and it was more than 3 times the price it would cost not in NYC. My friend's apartment in Brooklyn follows the same "three times the price" rule.
I guess I am starting to find out why it is that Chiang Mai has such a massive expat population as well as a thriving digital nomad sector. It reminds me of how I felt when I first arrived in Thailand so long ago. The amazement I was feeling about the prices of everything being so low that it makes you wonder how it is that anyone is making any money. They must be or they wouldn't be doing it.
I, for one am really excited about enjoying life without breaking the bank and I suppose if any of you are thinking about coming to Thailand to live long-term. You may want to have a look at Chiang Mai. There are no beaches here, but for this guy anyway, who has lived at the beach for the past decade.... I"m O.K. with that.