Can I live on Koh Tao for 1,000 dollars a month?

USD 1,000 is a tight but honest target on Koh Tao. The arithmetic is unforgiving because the baht moves, so convert at today's rate in the currency check tool before you commit to anything, then build the month in baht.

What the budget looks like

Digital Nomads World describes the whole package at 15,000 to 20,000 THB a month. It only works if you hold the three lines above.

What you give up

1. Air conditioning. Nomads.com counts it in only 37 percent of buildings, and landlords bill the electricity on top of the rent.
2. A coworking desk. Blacktip charges 3,500 THB a month on its own price list, a real slice of this budget, so you work from cafes and your own room.
3. Diving. BAANLYY prices a single fun dive at 1,000 to 1,500 THB, so two a week cost more than the room.
4. Western food, at 250 to 500 THB a plate against 50 to 100 THB for a Thai one.

How to make it work

Rent between Sairee and Mae Haad so you can walk instead of renting a bike. Arrive for the low season: Wonderland Koh Tao reports rooms 50 to 60 percent cheaper than peak, and October is the cheapest month. Negotiate three months in person rather than booking from abroad, and pay in cash, because card payments often carry a 3 to 4 percent surcharge.

Our Koh Tao cost of living guide prices the comfortable version with a desk and diving, how much rent costs on Koh Tao sets out the room bands, and what we actually spent in a month on Koh Tao walks through a real monthly budget.