Ontario man opens up about ridiculously cheap cost of living after moving to Thailand

If you enjoyed the recent season of The White Lotus, you've likely fallen in love with the beauty of Thailand.

For one Canadian, a trip to the country unexpectedly led to the decision to stay, ultimately inspiring him to start a new life there.

At 27, Mick Brown moved from Sheffield, U.K., to join his family in Canada, where he eventually became a citizen. Mick, now 60, lived in Mississauga, Ontario, where he worked as a realtor.

"I loved being a realtor," he said. "I actually worked mostly with expats relocating to Toronto globally for work reasons."

Thirty-three years later, he's once again adjusting to life in a new country.

Moving to Thailand

In 2018, Mick met his future wife, Darlene Garcia-Brown, 53, a grief coach from Laos who works with widows after she became a widow 10 years ago. The pair married six months ago and are now living in Thailand.

Previously, the couple had spent several months living in Mexico.

"We both have online businesses, so the nomadic lifestyle suited us," said Mick.

The couple both have remote jobs: in addition to coaching, Darlene is starting a program on finding love after loss, while Mick gave up his realtor job during the pandemic and now works as a forex trader and content creator.

He said that when they travelled to Thailand, they neither planned to fall in love with the country, nor were they looking to relocate.

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"Our initial intention was to travel a little and then return to Canada," he said.

But that soon changed.

"We initially signed a two-month condo lease and then extended to six months," he said. "Now we've extended for a year. We're in love with the culture, the pace, the quality, and the cost of living. Not to mention Thai food."

Adjusting to life in Thailand

Despite their nomadic lifestyle, the couple has decided to create a home base in Thailand for at least the next few years. Mick said that they're applying for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), a five-year multiple-entry visa that would allow them to work and travel in the country.

"We have been in touch with an agent who will get the ball rolling," he shared. "We contemplated doing it ourselves, but it's less time-consuming to pay someone who may have connections. We will vacate to Bali for a couple of weeks once we give the go-ahead."

According to Mick, he's seeing more and more expats visiting and staying.

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"I foresee that happening more so over the next 12 months as recession fears worsen," he said. "We are afraid Thailand may get stricter with visas, so we are on it."

Currently, the couple are renting a condo in Bangkok's upscale Thong Lor neighbourhood, known for its trendy bars, cafes, shops, and nightlife.

When asked what it's been like living in Thailand, he said, "Wonderful, as we are in a luxurious condo with a gym and pool. Our rent is $825 USD ($1,142 CAD), which is a steal, I'm sure you'll agree."

He said that he has also had a good experience with healthcare in Thailand, which he described as "very good and affordable."

"Even pharmacies are helpful and gave me an antibiotic cream and dressing for bad mosquito bites," he recalled.

When he compares his life in Canada to his life now, Mick said, things are "extremely less stressful."

"Just being with my partner, setting goals, and exploring is perfect," he stated. "We have had many times apart due to obligations on both sides."

Breaking down the cost of living

For the Browns, the cost of living is hard to beat.

"Let's just say there is a pad thai place across the street that is about $2 USD ($2.77 CAD), it's like night and day," shared Mick.

According to Statista, the average monthly household income in Bangkok in 2023 was 39,100 Thai baht ($1,623 CAD). Meanwhile, in Canada, the federal minimum wage has recently increased to $17.75 per hour.

Wise, a global money transfer company, recently ranked cities worldwide based on their cost of living in 2025 — the higher the number, the more expensive it is to live in that city. Bangkok received a cost-of-living score of 39.5 and a rent index of 14.8. In comparison, Toronto has a cost-of-living score of 67.4 and a rent index of 44.6.

Below, Mick shares their monthly expenses in Canadian dollars:

Rent: A one-bedroom condo for $1,142

Groceries: $650

Dining out: $425. "Food is affordable, although it can be expensive, but that's a choice dependent on whether you're budgeting or not," said Mick.

Electricity, utilities, water: $94

Internet: $0 (included in condo rent)

Phone for two people: $20 total

Healthcare/health insurance: $200

Transportation (public transport and taxis): $60. "We love to walk and work out daily," said Mick.

Looking ahead

Although their move hadn't been planned, for Mick, the timing couldn't have been more ideal.

"We figure we got out at the right time, especially with the whole Trump Tariff circus," he said.

He also said he's proud to be Canadian, but certainly doesn't miss the winters up north.

"I love Toronto, although as I age, I'm no longer keen on the cold weather," Mick said, adding that he does plan to return to visit loved ones. However, living in a place like Thailand means that they are more likely to host visitors.

"I have a 23-year-old daughter in Ottawa," said Mick. "She actually may be visiting soon."

There are some things that they've had to get used to: the traffic, humidity, and the language barrier.

But the couple plans to address at least one of those issues.

"We are going to be taking a language course at some point soon, as it would be even better to converse, even just a little, with the lovely Thai people," explained Mick. "I've pretty much worn out sawadee krup (hello) and kob kun krup (thank you)!"

In the past, we've covered stories of Canadians who have moved to Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the Maldives, and more.