Cost of Living in Taiwan

Taiwan offers a great opportunity for teachers to earn and save money. Although things are cheap, you aren’t sacrificing quality or living in squalor. Taiwan is a cheap, affordable, comfortable place to live. This is especially true of the southern half of Taiwan where housing costs are less than half of Taipei, Taiwan's capital city to the north.

Sample Monthly Budget for Taiwan

Taiwan Information - Cost of Living in Taiwan

Teachers can do pretty well in Taiwan if they watch their budget. This is a basic budget:

Carrefour Cost of Living in Taiwan

Taiwan Information - Cost of Living in Taiwan

Check out the prices at Carrefour, one of Taiwan's big box stores. Their flier (flyer) provides a pretty go indication of how much things cost... you just have to figure our the quantities to enable a comparison with your home country pricing.

Cost of Utilities in Taiwan

Taiwan Information - Cost of Living in Taiwan

Utilities run about NT$1500 per month. During the winter it is much cheaper than this. Teachers who run their air conditioning all day long will, of course, pay more than that. So will teachers who exceed the norm on long-distance phone calls. Long distance rates in Taiwan are reasonable, however. Calls to America, for instance, only cost NT$6 per minute. You may get even better rates if you place your call during non-peak hours (11 p.m.~7 a.m. Taiwan time), or if you use a private long-distance company.

Gas: NT$600
Electricity: NT$500-1,000 (with air-conditioner)
Water: NT$250
Telephone: NT$500

Cost of Food in Taiwan

Taiwan Information - Cost of Living in Taiwan

Western and Asian food is available at fast food establishments, restaurants and grocery stores throughout Taiwan. One can spend NT$200 per day here and eat well. Most teachers spend a bit more, however, but with the exception of a weekend splurge at TGI Friday's or Pizza Hut, they seldom spend more than NT$250-NT$300 per day on food.

Cost of Medical and Dental Insurance in Taiwan

Taiwan Information - Cost of Living in Taiwan

Compared to Western countries (e.g., America, Canada) that have privatized health and dental care, Taiwan is a bargain. With a national health insurance card, a visit to a doctor may be as little as NT$150. National health insurance, however, does not cover 100% of all kinds of medical care. It only pays a portion of hospital stays, surgeries and some types of prescription medicine.

Footprints highly recommends getting Expat Medical Insurance in Taiwan and in every other country where we represent job opportunities. This is the safest way to travel to ensure you are covered in the event of a medical emergency.