Is Thailand Expensive To Visit In 2025?

If you’re wondering if Thailand is as affordable as social media influencers make out, then you’ve come to the right place!

We’re experts on Thailand travel here at Feel Free Travel, and we know exactly how much an unforgettable trip to Thailand is likely to sting you. 

It’s no secret that Thailand is rapidly becoming a more popular destination among travellers.

And with so many new visitors arriving across the country, is Thailand still as cheap as it’s often made out to be?

This post will give you the full rundown of the answer to “Is Thailand expensive?” and help you tally up potential costs for your trip to help you budget wisely.

Let’s get into it.

Is Thailand Expensive?

In a short answer: no.

Thailand is certainly not a destination that will run your bank account dry – especially if you are smart about how you travel.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s definitely more expensive than it was a decade or two ago, but pretty much everywhere is.

Thankfully, you can still travel very cheaply and comfortably, even on the tightest of budgets.

In fact, according to the 2025 US News and World Report, the country is rated #1 for affordability. 

The most expensive thing you’ll have to budget for will likely be your flights in and out of Thailand, especially if you’re coming from across the globe – but even then, you can still find good deals if you know how.

Day-to-day life in Thailand is very affordable, with food, drink and local transport adding up to just a few dollars a day if you’re not looking for anything extravagant.

If you’re after a luxury retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, then Thailand can also cater perfectly for that, with more and more lodges popping up across the country. And even premium experiences like this are much cheaper than at home.

No matter your budget, you’re bound to be able to find a travel experience that suits you while visiting Thailand.

Let’s break down exactly how much you can expect to pay for items and activities while travelling around Thailand.

Price of Food in Thailand

If you’ve ever spoken to anyone who has been to Thailand, you’ll know all about the delicious local cuisine on offer, and how the great prices make it even more tasty. 

Street food stalls are a lot of travellers’ go-to, especially those backpacking Thailand. You can find rice and noodle dishes for as little as 40-60 baht at some markets (and sometimes even cheaper in less popular cities), which is around $1.20-$1.80.

If you’d prefer to dine in mid-range restaurants, then you can expect to pay around $4-$7 per dish – perhaps slightly more in Bangkok restaurants, which is still incredibly affordable for most travellers.

If you’re fancying a more upmarket dining experience, then you can expect a price tag of around $5-15 per dish. Again, still incredibly cheap for a meal!

Price of Drinks in Thailand

Thailand is known for delicious cocktails, local Mekhong (a spirit similar to whiskey) and Lao Khao (a rice-based spirit) and the great news for many travellers is that they are all very affordable to try.

Local bottled beers cost around $2.40-3.60 in Thailand, while cocktails will set you back around $3-6. Buckets are very popular, especially at beach parties, costing around $8. 

However, you will notice that some areas of Thailand are a lot cheaper, with the average bucket in Koh Phi Phi costing just $4. If you’re looking for a particular brand from back home, then you should expect to pay slightly higher prices due to the import costs.

While in comparison to food or non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol can look expensive, it’s still very affordable when you consider Western prices, and you can have a very cheap night out, especially if you pace yourself well!

If you’d rather indulge in a smoothie, then you can expect to pay around $1-3, which is very great value for how fresh they are. Mango smoothies are a must-try when visiting Thailand!

Drinking water is also very important while travelling around Thailand, given how hot it can get. It’s important to keep yourself hydrated.

A 1.5-litre bottle of water costs less than $0.50, with some rural areas offering prices as low as $0.10.

Price of Transport in Thailand

Transport in Thailand is also considered to be fairly affordable. Naturally, longer journeys will cost more money, but local travel around each city or island that you are visiting is unlikely to leave a scar on your bank account.

Local bus journeys can be as low as $0.50, and availing of taxis and motorbikes through companies like Grab will give you the best prices for short journeys. However, you will need to mentally prepare for the chaos of Thai roads in the big cities!

Taxis are pretty cheap in Thailand too, but it’s important that you negotiate the price of the journey beforehand and/or ensure the taxi has a meter. Otherwise, you are leaving yourself open to being scammed. This applies to rickshaw and tuk-tuk rides too.

You can also use Grab or Bolt to get around. These apps are Thailand’s equivalent of Uber and are super affordable and convenient. You can get cars and bikes

Or if you prefer to drive yourself around and live like a local, then motorbike rental can cost as little as $5-10 each day.

Car hire will set you back a little bit more at around $20 per day, but if you’re travelling as a larger group, then this could be an even more affordable option than anything else. You could also look at hiring a private driver for around $40 per day if you’d like to travel in style.

For longer journeys across the country or for ferry rides from the mainland to the nearby islands, you’ll need to budget a little more, but seeing as they are less frequent in your trip, it’s easy enough to balance to books to be able to spare the cash for these. You can book these using 12Go, through hostels/hotels or through tour sellers.

Depending on the time of day and year that you wish to travel, you should expect to budget around $25 for cross-country journeys on the bus or train, for example, between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. However, during the low season, tickets can drop as low as $12!

Price of Accommodation in Thailand

Accommodation choices are what can make or break your Thailand budget. Whether you’d like to stay in a 5-star retreat or are happy to kick back in an 18-bed hostel will depend on your travel style, but will have a huge impact on how much money you’ll need to set aside for your trip.

Backpackers on a budget will be able to find incredible deals on hostels across Thailand with some hostels costing as little as $7 per night – and they’re often quite nice too!

The average cost of a one-night hostel stay in Thailand in 2025 is approximately $14, which isn’t to be sniffed at. If you want to save some money, then you can definitely get by in the cheap accommodation options. 

Budget backpacker hostels are often the best place to make friends as a solo traveller, too!

If you’d prefer the privacy of your own hotel room or a rental apartment, then you can probably expect to pay around $35-60 per night, depending on where you are in the country. Again, incredibly cheap compared to the West, but still a lot pricier than hostels.

And if you’re on the other end of the spectrum and are visiting Thailand for the cheap luxury, you’ll want to set aside around $100+ per night. There are only a few countries where you can stay in high-end resorts or even 5* hotels for this price, but Thailand is one of them!

Price of Activities in Thailand

Activities in Thailand will be another daily expense that you need to include in your budgeting, and again, their prices can vary significantly depending on what your preferences are.

There are an unlimited number of free things that you can spend your day doing in Thailand, like exploring (some) temples, relaxing at the beach, hiking or wandering through markets, all of which will give you a great insight into the culture and natural beauty of Thailand.

However, while in Thailand you’re bound to want to try some new activities like scuba diving, Thai cooking classes or Muay Thai combat.

A full scuba diving certification course will cost around $275-$300, making it one of the cheapest (and prettiest!) places in the world to complete it. You can expect to pay around $25-$30 for a Thai cooking class and around $10-$20 for a session with a Muay Thai expert, learning the basics.

Most tourist attractions will set you back around $5-$20 such as the larger temples, museums and national parks.

It’s hard to imagine how much you’ll need to budget for activities until you draw up a rough plan and research further what exactly you’d like to do. 

Our suggestion is budgeting around $400 for activities and spending money per person for two weeks in Thailand.

Are flights to Thailand expensive?

Flights to Thailand ultimately depend on how far of a distance you are flying and at what time of year. They will likely make up the largest portion of your travel budget, depending on how long you are planning to spend in Thailand, so shopping around for the best deal is always a good idea.

Generally, the cheapest months to fly into Bangkok International are October, January and May, the middle of which is great for making the most of the dry season. 

Flight prices from the UK start from around £400 each way, but average prices are around £600-$700. You can find the cheapest deals by opting for multiple layovers during your journey, which can sometimes be nice to break up the long flight time.

Internal flights in Thailand can be a good option, even if you’re on a budget. Domestic flights are a fast alternative to crossing the country or reaching bigger islands. Searching for and booking these a few months in advance of your trip could provide you with big discounts.

And while you’re in this part of the world, why not visit some other countries in Southeast Asia like Vietnam or Bali?

FAQs

Below are some commonly asked questions about whether Thailand is expensive or not, along with our expert answers to each.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the answer to the question of whether Thailand is expensive is not really. Thailand can be as cheap or as pricey as you make it! 

If you’re a stringent backpacker getting by on a shoestring budget, then Thailand’s economy will allow you to stretch your pennies. But, if you’re looking for an extravagant getaway, then Thailand can also cater for that too.

No matter what your budget, it’s important to consider potential costs for your food and drink, accommodation, transport, activities and of course, your flights before deciding how much money you’ll need for your unforgettable adventure.

However you choose to budget, we are sure you will have an incredible time in Thailand. And if you want to take all the stress of planning your own trip, why not join one of our Thailand group tours?

---

Whether you’re looking to travel solo or bring a friend along for the ride, our group tours in South East Asia & Australia are the perfect balance of culture, adventure, chill time & nightlife. You’ll arrive as strangers and leave as the best of friends.

Here are a few useful links to help with that planning;
👉🏼 View all Trips
👉🏼 Frequently Asked Questions
👉🏼 Check out our Reviews
👉🏼 Why choose us?
👉🏼 How does it all work?

If you’ve got any burning questions or just need a little travel inspo… jump in the DM’s with the team via either Whatsapp, Livechat or Instagram.