Bangkok on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Bangkok is one of the easiest big cities in the world for a budget trip. A realistic minimum is about ฿1,750 per person a day (฿700 bed, ฿400 food, ฿500 sights, ฿150 transport), and less on days without paid temples.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | baht700 | baht1,700 | baht5,000 |
| Food & drink | baht400 | baht1,000 | baht3,000 |
| Sights & tickets | baht500 | baht900 | baht1,500 |
| Local transport | baht150 | baht400 | baht1,000 |
| Per person, per day | baht1,750 | baht4,000 | baht10,500 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Bangkok day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Lumphini Park, with its lake, monitor lizards and early-morning tai chi
- Walking Yaowarat (Chinatown) and the Sampeng market lanes
- Browsing Chatuchak Weekend Market on Saturday or Sunday
- The Talat Noi riverside lanes and their street art
- The Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong, busy with worshippers and dancers
- The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) near Siam, with free main exhibitions
Cheap eats
- Boat noodles near Victory Monument: about ฿20–40 a small bowl
- Khao man gai (chicken rice): about ฿50–80
- Som tam (papaya salad): about ฿50–100
- Pad thai: about ฿60–100 at a stall
- Kuay jab rolled-noodle soup in Yaowarat: about ฿60–120
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Banglamphu around Khao San Road, walking distance from the Grand Palace, with dorm beds roughly ฿250–600 and budget doubles about ฿1,000–1,800; it is noisy at night and has no BTS. Hostels near BTS and MRT stations in Silom, Sukhumvit and Chinatown cost a little more but make getting around easier.
Getting around cheaply
Use the BTS and MRT for most trips (fares rise with distance, mostly well under ฿60 a ride) and the Chao Phraya Express boat for the old town. From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link costs about ฿15–45 to the city; from Don Mueang, airport buses and the SRT Red Line are the cheap options. Use Grab for taxis so you know the fare.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Grand Palace at 8:30 (฿500)
- Lunch: pad thai on Phra Athit Road (about ฿80)
- Afternoon: Wat Pho (about ฿300) and the ferry to Wat Arun (a few baht)
- Evening: Yaowarat street food, grazing for about ฿300
- Total: about ฿1,250 plus your bed and a little transport, about ฿1,750–2,000 a day
More ways to save
- Group the paid temples into one day and fill other days with free parks, markets and neighbourhood walks.
- Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien to Wat Arun for a few baht instead of a long-tail boat tour.
- Go to Ayutthaya by third-class train from Krung Thep Aphiwat, which costs only a few dozen baht.
- Get a Thai SIM or eSIM so you can use Grab and maps instead of asking tuk-tuks.
- Eat in mall food courts (for example Siam Paragon or ICONSIAM) for air-conditioned meals at near-street prices.
- Travel in May–June or September for lower room rates, carrying an umbrella for afternoon storms.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Common questions
Can I visit Bangkok on ฿1,500 a day?
Yes, with a dorm bed, street food and mostly free sights. Days with the Grand Palace (฿500) cost more.
What is the cheapest way from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city?
The Airport Rail Link, at about ฿15–45, connects to the BTS at Phaya Thai and the MRT at Makkasan.
Where should budget travellers stay?
Banglamphu around Khao San Road for the cheapest beds near the temples, or a hostel near a BTS station for easier transport.