First, forget all the Youtube stories that tell you how cheap it is to live in Thailand.
Second, define your idea of living in Thailand?
Build/buy a western house or rent a place?
Location, location, location!
Rural Thailand, meaning not near any big city is extremely cheap.
Living in the city costs more.
Living at the beach costs even more.
Living in the heart of Bangkok cost even more.
So, yes, money does matter.
Each living environment is different as far as cost is concerned.
Be advised Bangkok and tourist beach areas can be MORE expensive than your own home countries!
99% of the expats could not afford to buy a beach house in Phuket or expensive condo in the best neighborhoods in Bangkok.
Yes, money does matter.
Your quality of living will depend entirely on how much money you have each month.
Do you want to live in a condo in Bangkok the size of your closet back home?
Do you want to live in a 1 room Thai flat with no air conditioning?
Yes, money does matter.
Define your housing budget. Include utilities, electric, cooking gas, cable TV, internet, mobile phone, etc.
Once you have a figure, that figure will define exactly how you can live.
Do you want to spend your golden years trapped in a one room flat with no air-con and noisy neighbors?
Of course not, no one does.
Rural Thailand offers the cheapest bet for owning a stand along home (with your Thai wife, of course) and some land. Many retiree’s opt for this option. It is very possible to find a place or have small house built in the 200,000 to 400,000 baht range (~US $5,000 to $11,400). ~2,000,000 to 3,000,000 baht will get you a very nice western style house (US $57,000 to US $85,000).
It is also possible to rent a wooden Thai style house with no air-con or ammenities, sleeping under mosquito nets and using a squatting toilet for 2,000 to 3,000 baht a month (Less than US $100)
If you want to rent a decent western style condo, prices can run from 10,000 to 30,000 baht depending on location (US $300 to $850 a month).
So, you can see that money does matter.
The amount of your monthly housing budget will determine exactly what kind place you can live in.
It is very important to figure out a housing budget and include possible increases over the life of the lease or mortgage.
What you get today, may cost much more in the future.
Plan ahead and plan wisely.
Money does matter!