Thailand is still one of the most amazing places on Earth that you can visit right now and a great choice overall for Digital Nomads of all ages. It is actually the place to be in right now if you are a Digital Nomad and you want to meet like-minded people! And even though the cost of living and prices have increased a bit over the past years because of the influx of tourists, retirees and digital nomads, you can still live there for a fraction of what would cost you in the US, most of Europe or Australia / New Zealand.
But where should you stay in Thailand? Should you rent a house or an apartment / condo? What should you choose? We’ll discuss about this in today’s article, where I will share with you my own opinions on the matter.
The answer to your question obviously depends a lot on what type of life you expect to live, where do you want to live (in the heart of the city or further away in the jungle, surrounded by beautiful nature) and, of course, the budget you have. And since we’re talking about budget, remember one extremely important thing about Thailand and renting: the longer you rent your house or apartment for, the lower you should pay. So make sure that you always negotiate and try to bring the price down, by a lot if you’re going for a long term contract (2 years or more).
With these in mind, it’s time to see what to choose when coming to Thailand: a house or an apartment? In order to make things easier to follow, I am listing the Pros and Cons of each option below:
Houses: Pros
– Rent is usually much cheaper, you get to live around locals.
– Usually close by to schools (obviously it matters if you travel with children)
– For example: 3,500 Baht (around $100) outside the ring of Chiang Mai gets you a 2 bed, 2 bath house! (Of course, there are much more expensive options available as well!)
Houses: Cons
– Long distance from the city centers, all the tourists and digital nomads
– Away from the shopping areas
– Electrical bill will be higher then a Condo
Condo: Pros
– Can find a good Condo close to or in the city center
– Vibrant night life
– Shopping Centers close, you’re basically close to everything
Condo: Cons
– Condos tend to cost way more then renting a house
– Neighbors, as living around others means dealing with their drama or more noise
– Dealing with shady Condo companies (so always research before you rent!)
So basically, it would all sum up to this, in the end: do you want to live the life and go with the flow? Then rent an apartment and be in the heart of everything. If you are looking to move away from the rest of the world a bit, be closer to nature and live like the locals (more or less), a House might be a better option. But since it is Thailand that we’re talking about, the great news is that you can get a great, modern house in a great area, or a really cheap apartment among locals. So the choice is yours!
What other Pros and Cons do you see when it comes to renting your place in Thailand? What would you go for – a house or a condo?
