#Costofliving

A recent profile of a seasoned editor who moved from bustling global cities to Phuket to restart a career reveals a simple truth: living well on $1,500 a month is not only possible, it’s increasingly plausible for certain expats and remote workers in Thailand. The story traces rent that can be surprisingly affordable, groceries that stretch a long way, and a lifestyle built around flexibility rather than high salaries. It’s more than a personal anecdote. It maps a growing conversation about affordable relocation, work-life balance, and what makes a place truly livable in Southeast Asia today.

A leading financial advisor has spotlighted a striking finding: living abroad in Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of Eastern Europe can be roughly 30% cheaper than in India, with the added benefit of cleaner air in many cities. For Thai readers weighing the prospect of relocation or retirement overseas, this claim arrives at a moment of rising domestic living costs and a growing interest in international options that balance affordability with quality of life. The lead suggests not only a lower price tag but a potential upgrade in air quality and everyday conveniences that families and working adults often prioritize when planning long-term moves. The report also underscores how such savings could reshape household budgeting, healthcare decisions, and even education planning for dependents who might study abroad or transfer to foreign schools.

Greece’s summer of 2025 is unfolding as a paradox. Tourism booms to record levels, drawing millions of visitors to sun-kissed islands and historic towns. Yet for half of Greeks, the annual August holiday has become a distant dream. Wages have stayed flat for years, while the price of travel—from ferries to hotel rooms to meals—has surged beyond what many households can bear.

Across Athens and the Aegean, the story is visible in the queues at the port, the empty sunloungers on beaches that would normally be packed by now, and the dissonant chatter of families weighing the cost of an island escape against other essential expenses. One ferry clerk in a busy port booth captures the mood: ticket sales are down by about 50 percent from last year. The anecdote echoes through coastal towns where tourism should fuel livelihoods, but the daily math on a family budget often refuses to cooperate with the dream of a seaside break.

Grandparents are stepping in as essential caregivers in Thailand, filling the gap created by rising childcare costs, uneven public services, and shifting work patterns. Across urban and rural communities, older generations balance caregiving with their own needs, enriching family life while facing real challenges.

In many households, grandparents do more than babysit. They help with morning routines, meals, reading, and after-school supervision. Research on family care in Southeast Asia shows that multigenerational arrangements are a practical response to income pressures and housing realities. As two-income households become more common and parents work away from extended families, the role of grandparents in daily childcare grows more central, underscoring the durability of family-based support in Thai society.

Across the world, grandparents are stepping in to fill the childcare gap left by soaring costs and insufficient support. A recent feature published in The Guardian highlights how “an overwhelming bond of love” is driving countless grandparents in the UK to take up sustained roles that look less like occasional babysitting and more like active parenting. This trend—rooted in love, necessity, and social circumstance—is not confined to the UK. Here in Thailand, shifting family structures, economic pressures, and policy gaps have likewise thrust grandparents into pivotal roles as childcare providers, producing both unique rewards and considerable challenges for Thai families.

A global survey reveals Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai as Asia’s priciest cities for “living well” in 2025, with Singapore ranked the most expensive city worldwide for luxury living for a third consecutive year. The findings come from the Julius Baer Global Wealth & Lifestyle Report 2025 and highlight how luxury consumption patterns affect Thai travelers, investors, and residents seeking prestige with value.

The Julius Baer Lifestyle Index measures the cost of maintaining a high-net-worth lifestyle across 25 major cities. It considers prime property, private healthcare, luxury goods, business-class travel, and even the price of an international MBA. The 2025 edition blends objective price data with insights from affluent individuals about their priorities, offering a snapshot of global luxury aspirations and realities.

A new international survey has found Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai lead the list of Asia’s most expensive cities for “living well” in 2025, with Singapore claiming the global top spot for the third consecutive year. The findings, published in Julius Baer Group’s Global Wealth & Lifestyle Report 2025, underscore shifting trends in luxury consumption—and hold important implications for affluent Thais and Southeast Asian travelers seeking both status and substance in urban living.

Financial stress is harming mental health and disrupting sleep, a trend that hits Thai youth and working adults hardest as living costs rise. The issue travels beyond borders: a US study showed more than half of adults lose sleep over money worries, and many max out credit to cover essentials. Here in Thailand, local research confirms similar or greater distress, underscoring the need for culturally attuned support.

Chronic financial worry triggers a prolonged stress response, increasing allostatic load and raising risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, weakened immunity, and mental health struggles. Thai universities have highlighted the magnitude of the problem. A 2022 Bangkok study found about 40% of students experience frequent stress, around 30% endure persistent depression, and 4% have contemplated suicide. Debt from loans and informal lenders compounds the burden. Beyond campus, surveys show many Thai adults have faced mental health challenges in recent months, with stress, insomnia, and anxiety at the forefront.

A new wave of research is shedding light on the heavy toll financial stress is exacting on individuals’ mental health and sleep, with implications that resonate strongly in Thailand’s own escalating cost-of-living crisis. While a recent US-based study conducted by the Affordable Housing Hub found that over half of surveyed adults lose sleep over money worries, the underlying story has deep international relevance—including for Thai society, where struggles with financial anxiety, depression, and insomnia are rising sharply (ksby.com).

Financial anxiety is taking a toll on Thai sleep and mental health, according to recent research. A survey of 1,000 adults found that more than half report chronic sleep loss linked to money worries, with many relying on credit to cover essentials such as food and utilities. The findings point to a broader mental health challenge affecting families in cities and rural areas alike.

Rising living costs and job instability amplify stress and erode wellbeing. Financial strain shapes not only budgets but also psychological and physical health, affecting access to care and leading to exhaustion across demographics. Health professionals warn that economic pressure can degrade overall wellbeing and strain families’ ability to seek timely support.

More than half of adults surveyed in a new study admit that financial stress is robbing them of sleep, highlighting a deepening crisis as economic anxieties seep into every corner of daily life. The research, conducted by Affordable Housing Hub and released in late June 2025, polled 1,000 U.S. participants and found 53% reported losing sleep due to money worries. Nearly half confessed to depending on credit cards to meet basic needs like food and utilities. These findings echo similar struggles in countries like Thailand, where rising living costs and unsteady employment have combined to create a potent source of chronic stress (KSBY.com).

In a story capturing the attention of family researchers and social commentators, a 25-year-old woman in South Carolina has found that sharing a home with her current husband and ex-husband has proved not only cost-effective but unexpectedly beneficial for their children. Published by Business Insider, the account details the journey of this family as they navigate an unconventional domestic arrangement born from both economic necessity and a commitment to shared parenting (businessinsider.com).

A South Carolina family’s living arrangement is drawing attention from researchers and commentators: a 25-year-old woman, her current husband, and her ex-husband now share a single home. The arrangement aims to reduce costs and strengthen parenting for their two children. The story, originally featured by Business Insider, highlights how economic pressures and a commitment to collaborative parenting can reshape family life.

For Thai readers, the piece resonates with broader themes: rising living costs, evolving family structures, and practical approaches to caregiving. The household first began to cohabit in the summer of 2024, prompted by financial strain and the complexities of coordinating parenting across separate households. Despite initial separation and relationship challenges, the trio found common ground by choosing to live together, distributing chores, meals, and daily routines.

A growing trend is reshaping retirement abroad, with Chiang Mai in northern Thailand emerging as a favored destination for foreign retirees. A Business Insider profile follows a former Disney Imagineer couple who traded high-pressure careers in the United States and Asia for a new life in Chiang Mai. Even as they faced health setbacks, their backgrounds in architecture and design helped them discover a balance of affordable living, accessible healthcare, and a creative lifestyle that many retirees in the West often seek. This story highlights both opportunity and challenge for foreign retirees in Thailand and invites reflection on healthcare, living costs, and the country’s evolving role in global retirement migration.