The wealthier Talaing may live in homes with plank walls and floors. There is a verandah in front and a kitchen at the back of the house. A monastery is located in each village. Most of the Talaing are peasant farmers, although a few are merchants and craftsmen. The farmers generally raise fruits or vegetables.
Irrigated rice is their principal crop, and it is grown for both consumption and trade.
The wet rice farmers cultivate their fields with plows drawn by buffalo or oxen. Vegetables, sugar cane, and pineapples are grown in home gardens. Some of the men have full-time jobs as blacksmiths. This deity is located in the home of the eldest living male of a lineage. The spirit's clothing and gear hang in a basket on the southeastern post of the house.