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BTS, MRT, Grab, Bike: A Bangkok Transport Cost Breakdown
BTS and MRT are not the same network. Four modes, four routes, real numbers. What I actually pay to get around Bangkok and which mode wins where.
- transport
- bts
- grab
- bike
- bangkok
Getting around Bangkok is a genuine optimisation problem. The wrong mode for a given route costs you 200 baht and 45 minutes. The right one costs 30 baht and takes the same. Here is what actually works for the routes I do most.
The contenders
- BTS (Skytrain). Above-ground. Sukhumvit Line (light green) and Silom Line (dark green), plus the Gold Line. 17–62 baht per ride depending on distance. Take a Rabbit card.
- MRT (subway). Underground (mostly). Blue Line, Purple Line, Pink Line, Yellow Line. 17–45 baht typical. Different operator, different ticket system. The MRT accepts contactless Visa and Mastercard at the gate, so you can tap straight in without buying a token. The BTS does not (Rabbit card or QR ticket only).
- Grab. Ride-hailing app. 80–250 baht for most cross-town trips, more in traffic.
- Bike (owned). I have a 110cc Yamaha. Cost is fuel only, ~50 baht for a tank that lasts a week.
- Honourable mentions: taxi (basically Grab without the app), tuk-tuk (tourist tax), boat (great for Sathorn–Pratunam), motorbike taxi (orange vest, useful for soi runs).
I am ignoring private car ownership. Bangkok with a car is misery and expense; do not do it as a remote worker. I am also strongly ignoring scooter rental, see below.
BTS vs MRT, briefly
They are not the same network. Different operators, different ticket systems, different lines, different prices. Connections are at fixed interchange stations (Asok BTS / Sukhumvit MRT, Silom BTS / Sala Daeng MRT, Mo Chit BTS / Chatuchak MRT, etc). You walk between them above-ground.
I personally prefer the MRT lines: cleaner trains, less crush at peak, more recently extended into useful neighbourhoods, and the Visa-tap-to-enter is genuinely a lifesaver on the days I forgot to top up my Rabbit card. The BTS still wins for the Sukhumvit corridor (Asok, Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai, Phra Khanong, On Nut), where the MRT does not go.
Route 1: Sutthisan to Asok (about 5km via the city centre)
This is my coworking commute.
| Mode | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTS + MRT | 50 baht | 35 min | Two transfers, can get sweaty |
| Grab | 110–180 baht | 25–55 min | Variable in traffic |
| Bike | ~5 baht fuel | 20 min | Fastest if traffic is light |
| Bike + traffic | ~5 baht fuel | 35 min | Filtering through cars |
Bike wins on cost and usually on time. I do this route on the bike unless it is raining.
Route 2: Asok to Sathorn (about 4km, peak hour)
| Mode | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTS | 31 baht | 12 min | Reliable, no traffic |
| Grab | 100–180 baht | 30–60 min | Suk Road in rush is brutal |
| Bike | ~5 baht | 18 min | Filtering helps |
BTS wins. Direct line, no traffic, predictable. I never Grab this route.
Route 3: Phra Khanong to JJ Market (about 12km, weekend)
| Mode | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTS to MRT | 62 baht | 50 min | Includes transfer |
| Grab | 180–250 baht | 35–60 min | Weekend traffic varies |
| Bike | ~10 baht fuel | 30 min | Highway routes possible |
Bike wins on time, BTS wins on chill. If I am going to JJ I take BTS because I am going to be on my feet for hours and want to start fresh.
Route 4: Sutthisan to Suvarnabhumi airport (about 35km)
| Mode | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARL + MRT | 90 baht | 90 min | Multiple transfers, fine if you are early |
| Grab | 350–500 baht | 45–80 min | Depends on traffic |
| Bike | (don’t) | (don’t) | Highway, luggage, heat. Not viable |
Grab if I have luggage, ARL if I am travelling light and want to save 300 baht.
When each mode wins
BTS / MRT wins when:
- The route is on a single line or one transfer
- It is rush hour
- It is hot and humid (the AC is a feature)
- You will be on your feet at the destination
Grab wins when:
- You have luggage
- You are travelling at 11pm with no BTS
- You need a specific door-to-door drop
- It is raining hard
Bike wins when:
- The route is on real roads, not highways
- Traffic is moderate (filtering still works)
- You are making multiple stops in a sub-10km radius
- Cost matters and the weather is okay
On bike safety, and why I will not recommend scooter rental
Bangkok bike riding is not for the casually curious. I rode in the UK for years before moving here. If you have not ridden a motorbike, do not learn in Bangkok traffic.
I strongly advise against renting a scooter as a beginner in Bangkok. This is the position the post takes; it is not a hedge. The reasons:
- Insurance is essentially fictional. Most rental shops offer cover that excludes liability for injuring others, riding without a Thai licence (your home licence and IDP often does not satisfy Thai law for scooters above 110cc), and any accident where you are even nominally at fault. A real claim turns into a real bill.
- Thai licence enforcement has tightened. Police checkpoints in Sukhumvit, Khao San, and around tourist hubs now stop riders without a Thai licence. Fines run 500–1,000 baht per stop, and they will stop you again the next day at the next checkpoint.
- Hospital bills for serious accidents are not in your travel-insurance cap. A real road-trauma admission at Bumrungrad or Samitivej runs into the hundreds of thousands of baht. SafetyWing-tier travel cover excludes “high-risk” activities including motorbike riding without a valid licence in many policies, see SafetyWing for onebag travellers for the specifics.
- The roads are not the issue. Other riders are. Bangkok traffic is dense, fast, and unforgiving for someone learning hand-and-foot controls in 35°C heat with luggage.
If you actually want to learn to ride, do it somewhere quieter. Pai, Chiang Mai outskirts, Koh Lanta, even rural Cambodia. Come back to Bangkok after 30+ hours on a bike, with a real licence, and the traffic feels manageable. Do it the other way round and you are one wrong day from a 200,000-baht hospital bill.
If you do ride here, having earned the experience elsewhere first:
- Helmet, every time. The fine is small but the head injury is final.
- Filter wide, not narrow. Buses do not see you.
- Avoid Suk Road centre lanes during rush. Use parallel sois.
- Rain + bike = walk it home. Bangkok rain is a different category.
Grab tricks that save money
- Use the “send a parcel” option for non-fragile single items. Cheaper than a passenger ride.
- “Schedule” the ride 30 mins ahead to avoid surge.
- “GrabCar Premium” is rarely worth it; the car class doesn’t change your time materially.
- For airport runs, “GrabTaxi” with a metered fare can be cheaper than fixed Grab pricing during off-peak.
Tourist transport via Klook
If you are visiting and want a one-off airport pickup or BTS-pass bundle, Klook often discounts these by 15–25% off walk-up rates. Worth checking once before you arrive. After that, Grab plus a Rabbit card on the BTS is all you need.
My monthly transport budget
About 1,800 baht/mo: ~1,200 baht BTS/MRT (mostly when raining or going far), ~400 baht Grab (airport runs and emergency rain), ~200 baht fuel for the bike. The bike does most of the work and costs almost nothing.
If I had no bike, my transport spend would roughly triple, 5,000–6,000 baht/mo on BTS plus Grab. The bike pays itself back in about three months.
Where to go next
For the broader monthly cost picture: Bangkok cost of living 2026. For neighbourhood selection (which BTS line you live on shapes your transport): best areas for remote workers.