Budget for a Week in Bangkok: The Real Prices

Bangkok has a reputation as a cheap capital. That’s true… as long as you know where your money is going. You can live very well there on a small budget, just as you can spend as much as in Paris on rooftop bars and grand hotels. Here are the real prices, item by item, and three sample budgets for a week.

The exchange rate: in October 2026, 1 euro is worth about 37 to 38 baht (THB). For a quick calculation: 100 baht is a little under 3 euros. The prices below are a guide and may vary.

Accommodation: the biggest expense

• Dorm bed: €5 to €15 a night.
• Small hotel or guesthouse: €20 to €35.
• Mid-range hotel (3–4 stars, often with a rooftop pool): €50 to €100.
• Grand hotel: from €150, and a lot more on the riverside.

The neighborhood makes a big difference to prices: Khao San and Pratunam are the cheapest, Sukhumvit and the riverside the most expensive. To choose, read our article Where to stay in Bangkok.

Eating: the best value for money in the world

• A street food dish (pad kra pao, khao man gai, noodles): 50 to 100 baht, or €1.50 to €3.
• A meal in a small Thai restaurant: 100 to 250 baht.
• A Western restaurant: 300 to 600 baht per dish.
• A beer from 7-Eleven: about 50 to 70 baht. In a bar: 120 to 250 baht.
• A cocktail at a rooftop bar: often 400 to 700 baht.

Eating on the street isn’t just cheap: it’s often where you’ll eat best. Our guide What to eat in Bangkok tells you what to order.

Good to know: alcohol is the real hidden expense in Bangkok. It’s heavily taxed and comparatively expensive. A €3 street food dinner can turn into a €30 night out with a few cocktails.

Getting around

• BTS and MRT: about 17 to 65 baht per trip, depending on distance.
• River boat (orange flag): about 20 baht.
• Taxi, Grab or Bolt in town: often 60 to 250 baht.
• From Suvarnabhumi airport: the Airport Rail Link train costs under 50 baht. By taxi, expect about 300 to 500 baht, tolls and airport surcharge included.

All the details are in our article Getting around Bangkok.

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Sightseeing

• Grand Palace: 500 baht.
• Wat Pho (the Reclining Buddha): 300 baht.
• Wat Arun: 200 baht.
• Golden Mount (Wat Saket): 100 baht.
• Jim Thompson House: 250 baht.
• Chatuchak Market, Chinatown, Lumpini Park: free.

Temple entry fees have gone up in recent years: check on site. And don’t believe the stranger who tells you the Grand Palace is “closed today”: it’s a well-known scam.

The little extras

• A one-hour Thai massage at a neighborhood parlor: often 300 to 500 baht.
• Tourist SIM card or eSIM: about €10 to €20 for one to four weeks.
• ATM withdrawals: most Thai banks charge 220 baht per withdrawal with a foreign card. Take out large amounts at once rather than small amounts often.

Three budgets for a week in Bangkok

These budgets are per person, for seven nights, not including airfare. On top of that, depending on the season and the airline, a round trip from Paris or Brussels often costs €600 to €1,000.

• Shoestring budget: about €250 to €400. Hostel or small guesthouse, street food morning, noon and night, metro and boat, two or three temples, one massage.
• Mid-range budget: about €700 to €1,000. A 3–4 star hotel with a pool (cheaper per person if you share a room), a mix of street food and restaurants, a few Grab rides, all the major sights, one rooftop bar.
• Comfort budget: from €1,800. A grand hotel on the riverside or in Sukhumvit, good restaurants, taxis, spa and nights out.

Our tips for spending less

• Eat where Thai people eat: the busier it is, the better it is.
• Take the metro at rush hour instead of a taxi: faster and ten times cheaper.
• Buy water and drinks at 7-Eleven rather than at your hotel.
• Avoid changing money at the airport, where the rate is worse.
• Travel outside high season (May, June, September): hotels are noticeably cheaper. Our article When to go to Thailand helps you choose.