Low Cost of Living – Rent
The first thing that makes it worthwhile teaching English in Taiwan is the low cost of living. You’ll save money if you don’t plan to live like a king, as rent in Taiwan compared to most countries like Australia, the US and the UK is relatively low. You don’t have to live in a shoe box to save on your rent in Taiwan, but if you want to save money you’ll have to avoid living in the exclusive and upper class parts of town.
Just what and how much you pay for rent will depend on which city you live in and how many rooms it has. There are four kinds of accommodation typically available; shared, studio apartments, apartments and town houses. These are listed from the cheapest to most expensive.
Shared Accommodation 2,000 – 5,000 NT/month ($60 – $150 USD)
As the name implies, you’ll be sharing with someone else. Just how much you pay depends but on average you can expect to pay anywhere from 2,000 – 5,000 a month. Water, gas, electricity, cable TV and internet access may or may not be included in this price. You’ll have to see what your landlord has to offer. Many foreign teachers live together and this is the style of accommodation they prefer.
Studio Apartment – 5,000 – 10,000 NT/month ($150 – $310 USD)
If you don’t like sharing with someone, a studio apartment or single bedroom apartment might be for you. These single room apartments vary greatly in price depending on the city you are in and how new or old they are. This kind of accommodation is popular and targeted towards singles and students. They usually aren’t very big, but you can save a lot of money living like this.
Apartment – 8,000 – 25,000 NT/month ($250 – $780 USD)
If a single room apartment is too small, then a normal apartment will give you much more space. The prices for apartments varies depending again on the city, the area of the city it is in and how many rooms it has. You’ll have problems living by yourself on an average English teacher’s wage if you rent a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment in Taipei, but apartments outside of Taipei city can be had for usually 10,000 – 15,000 NT a month and are very comfortable to live in.
Town Houses – 25,000 NT+ month ($780+ USD)
Town houses are usually 4 to 5 stories and adjoined with other town houses on both sides. This style of accommodation is very expensive, especially in Taipei and while it is nice to have an entire house of your own, you won’t be able to pay the bills on the average teacher’s wage if you live in one of these.
I personally prefer to live alone, so the best choice for me is either a studio apartment or apartment. I’d recommend most first time English teachers in Taiwan to either share with someone, get a studio apartment or find a cheap apartment. You’ll be able to live on your monthly wage and get used to Taiwan without having to worry about paying the bills.
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
I will be arrive in Taiwan 9/10 to teach English in Toufen, Miaoli. I am bringing my wife and 3 kids. Any tips for families?
@Jonathon, hard to say mainly because I don’t have any children and personally I would never want them to experience Taiwan. If you have any specific questions let me know. Most people here with families work for foreign companies and as such receive fat paycheques and can afford to live in isolated communities and send their children to schools which don’t reflect what living and going to school in Taiwan is really like.
I would not call this a “low” cost of living. Being from the USA, these are American prices.
Have to disagree with you on this one, William. Rent in Taipei city, the capital of Taiwan, is much cheaper than rent in respective capital cities around the world. If you compare a smaller city in the USA or Australia, then of course the rent will be the same or maybe even cheaper overseas. You need to compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges. Thanks for the post.
Your article does not say “Taipei city”.
I’m also not certain how a capital city is relevant. I’ve found this means nothing in regards to rent. How many capital cities have you lived in in the USA? And when was the last time you lived there?
You have indeed listed standard apartment prices for the USA. Therefore your article is not correct in it’s statement. You should not try to mislead people.
It means nothing in regard to rent? Please, William. Since 90% of jobs are located in Taipei it plays a very important role in comparing rents. However, it actually doesn’t matter because unless you live in the middle of nowhere in most foreign countries, you will always pay more in terms of rent than you do in Taiwan. I know who is misleading others here and it definitely isn’t me. To help you I have even found prices for 1 bedroom apartments and here they are below for Seattle. The cheapest for a 1 bedroom works out to be over 12,000NT a month and this wasn’t even in the capital of the USA.
Seattle Rent Prices Compared for 1 Bedroom Apartments
$695 / 1br – SPACIOUS ONE BEDROOM AVAILABLE NOV. 2010
$1028 / 1br – Great One Bedroom with Small Loft
$1330 / 1br – Belltown Ct Renovated Condo for Rent 4th Floor with Parking
$650 / 1br – $650 Spacious U-District
$1041 / 1br – One Month FREE at Radford Court!
$1100 / 1br – Gorgeous Views From Your Patio..You Will Never Want to Leave !!
$625 / 1br – Nice little 1 bed room, 1 bath house, available now!
$875 / 1br – Top Floor One Bedroom with Great View!!
$625 / 1br – STUDIO PLUS XTRA ROOM incl WSG, Parking
$1200 / 1br – Luxury Condo in great location
$970 / 1br – A brand new one bedroom under $1000?!
$970 / 1br – One bedroom with all the trimmings
$700 / 1br – Great Location in South Lake Washington
$1541 / 1br – Fantastic High Rise – amazing amenities!
$750 / 1br – Seward Park Mother In Law Apt.
$670 / 1br – Painfully Cheap Rent at $670 for 1 BR 1 Bath in Mountlake Terrace
$395 / 1br – Great room close to UW
The majority of single room apartments listed above in Seattle are 10k+ NT per month easy and the bulk of them are anywhere from 15k+ and up. I am not providing misinformation at all. Good luck with the Philippines.
I have a degree from an accredited school. It is an online degree. It didn’t cost less than normal tuition and it doesn’t have anything on the degree that denotes it as something inferior to a degree obtained by taking classes on campus. Do you know when or how then determine that the degree has been obtained by taking online courses? Thanks
Kim
@Kim, I am not sure how they check degrees vs online degrees, but in all honesty I do not like your chances. All I can suggest is that you apply and see if the school that wants to hire you can get the MOE to accept your degree. The cost of your degree plays no part in whether the MOE accepts it or not. Good luck.
I don’t think her chances are that bad. It’s an accredited degree. It wouldn’t hurt for her to try to get a TEFL certificate but I can’t see them being super picky about where someone got their degree as long as they have one, especially if it’s accredited.
Looking for a 4 bedroom in Tien Mu or Yang Min Shan. What can I expect to pay for rent? My wife and I both have taken jobs at TAS, so we can afford a little more than the low end …
Steve
@Steve,
Tien mu will set you back anywhere from 30,000 – 60,000 a month for a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment, so anywhere from 1k to 2k USD a month. Not sure about Yang Min Shan, but it will be approximately within the same ball park. The newer/fancier your apartment is, the more it will cost. 30k – 40k is probably a safe estimate. Good luck!
How do you find apartments for rent?
I’ve been trying to search online, but they seem to be charging $1500-3000 USD per month for Taipei City!
Thanks for your tips!!
@eve,
Unless you can read Chinese you probably own’t be able to do much online. Most of the websites with “low” prices are all in Chinese. Use http://tw.yahoo.com and do a search for “rent house” in Chinese and plenty of sites will popup. Good luck!
Just wondering why you wouldn’t want kids to experience Taiwan. I’m thinking of coming to teach, but have a couple of kids and you seem pretty firm on that one… Can you elaborate please?
@Jay,
It is of course just my own opinion, but I’ll explain why. Firstly, what you get paid teaching English in Taiwan is not enough to send your kids to international schools where classes are all in English etc. Of course you are paid better than most Taiwanese, but it just means your kids would have to go to an all Chinese school. Not something I would ever put my kids through. Secondly, Taiwan is anything but pretty. It is an ugly urban sprawl, and children often end up playing games on roads because there is just no space or no place nearby to play. I’ll leave it there, but obviously it depends on how old your children are, how much you get paid and what you enjoy in life.
Maybe a weird question but Taipei has a much warmer climate than i am used to, so, do most apartments come with decent air conditioning?
@Gabe,
Most apartments in Taiwan have air conditioning. I don’t know what you would call decent, though. Hope that helps.
Thanks. As long as it is not a fan and an ice block I’ll be fine. I had AC once in idaho (with 95-110 heat) that never got the apartment below 85 degrees. As long as it keeps you in the mid-low 70s I would consider it decent, good-great would be 70 and below. I’ve been thinking about teaching in mainland China but Taiwan is looking much better the more I look into it.
Oh, and unless William is living in a tent on somebody’s roof in Detroit, he is retarded.
@Gabe,
Good luck!
Most apartments have air conditioners, so I honestly wouldn’t worry about that. Taiwan uses Celsius and not Fahrenheit, so just keep that in mind
Thanks again for the responses and the site.
I’m looking at jobs posted on EIT classified… a recurring benefit is “insurance partly provided by the school.” Would you mind expanding on this a little? Thanks.
@Ed,
They are talking about health insurance. Taiwan has a compulsory health insurance system, and employers are required by law to pay around 70% of it for their employees.
Hi, thanks for all the great info on your site! I had a question about paying rent, and really paying for everything. If the employer is paying you in taiwanese currency, how do you deposit this money? Can foreigners have some kind of account in Taiwan for paying rent, bills, etc.? Is it practical to use a credit card from the states or is there a better way to go about paying for things? Thanks so much for your help!
@sandra,
If people like the site, I hope they use the Google +1 buttons to give me a boost
Anyway, about your questions. Most cram schools will pay you in cash or directly deposit it into your local bank account. This means foreigners have no problems opening bank accounts here. However, forget applying for a credit card locally in Taiwan. The paper work is immense and it is a very complex and difficult process. I would recommend you simply bring your credit cards from back home to use here. Good luck!
Does one (US citizen) pay taxes (Taiwan taxes) when working in Taiwan?
@Jason,
I thought it was the case that all US citizens had to declare their income to the IRS, regardless of where they earnt it. Good luck.
I’m Taiwanese-born but raised in the Philippines and I was a little offended with your “Good luck with the Philippines” comment, but other than that, I have to commend you for this website. It’s incredibly informative.
I am able to afford a little more for a well-furnished 1-bedroom apartment since I am uncomfortable with roommates, but I was really wondering about utility costs in Taiwan, because I’ve heard they’re kind of cheaper? I have been there a couple of times but have never rented a place of my own, and from having lived in a tropical country, deem air conditioning very important. If I have it on for more than 10 hours a day, would you have any estimates as to how that would translate in NT?
@Liane,
Why would you be offended with something saying Good luck with the Philippines? I end almost EVERY post with a “good luck” comment.
Anyway, running an air conditioner for at least 10 hours a day will probably add 1,000 – 2,000NT per month to your power bill. Utilities in Taiwan aren’t considerably cheaper than where I am from originally, but I doubt they are as cheap as they are in the Philippines (I honestly don’t know). You shouldn’t have to worry about your power or water bill, unless you leave your air conditioner on 24 hours a day at 16 degrees Celsius, and you leave the water running all day and all night. Don’t fret about the small stuff. Good luck!
Hey,
I’m currently living in China and thinking about moving over to Taiwan. I’m really surprised by how cheap you say the rent is in Taipei (it look like the same cost as renting where I live now and less than half the cost of renting in Shanghai/Beijing). Is it easy to find somewhere for this price? Or do you just have to get lucky? Because finding somewhere that cheap where I live now was a month-long hunt.
Also I wanted to ask how old the students generally are at the cram schools and middle schools? I love teaching teenagers but students under 13-14 drive me insane! Are there many teaching posts available for specialising in 14-18 year olds?
Thanks for your help!
@Sarah,
Please note that Taipei “may” be higher than the prices listed above, but only if you want to live in the CENTRE of the city and must live in a new or very new building. I would say Taipei is around 10k to 15k for a studio apartment. Anyway, you are correct about the comparison between Taipei and other major cities in China. I’ve looked myself and was shocked at how high prices in China were, at least for medium sized cities (and I didn’t even look at Beijing or Shanghai). You can find cheap places to rent in Taipei if you aren’t set on living where the action is.
Anyway, onto your other questions. Most cram schools have class with kids aged anywhere from 6 to 12 years old. You will very rarely have any chance to teach kids any older than this. I can’t go into the specifics as to why, but basically kids start to prepare for lots of tests when they hit 12 and just don’t have time for English classes. I hope this helps. Feel free to like or share this site with others
Thanks.
Hello,
I am about to finish my major at a university in Canada. I went to Taida Taipei on an exchange for my second year. While I was there, I found a job in Taoyuan tutoring English (under the table) for around a 1000 NTD. I really liked this life-style of school and work and would like to do so this coming year. Do you know if it is possible to do so legally, or does the Taiwanese bureaucracy simple demand one or the other. Also, what parts of Taipei are the cheapest to live in? I am in my low 20′s and I don’t mind poor conditions of living, just as long as I’m getting the bang for my buck.
If I was to only work in TW, would I be able to tutor on my own (time and wage) while also working at a school? What are the taxes like on the incomes of foreigners working in TW? What is the closest cheapest city to Taipei where I could earn while also saving the most cash?
P.S. Really like the website, keep up the good work.
@Anthony,
I believe there is a rule that says people on student visas in Taiwan cannot work in the first year of their stay. What this means is that you need to come here, study for one year and then in your 2nd year you can start working. There is also a limit of 16 hours per week that you can work. You will also need to apply for a work permit, so you can’t just wait one year and then start working without going through the necessary hoops and getting the required paperwork done to work legally. Naturally, not everyone cares about this and they work illegally. I obviously can’t recommend anyone to do this, but it is not unheard of. Regarding accommodation in Taipei, I think the best thing to do would be to share with someone else or live on campus. University housing is VERY cheap (think less than 10,000NT for a whole semester), or if you prefer to live alone then I’d recommend finding somewhere in Taipei County, now known as New Taipei City. However, if you are studying here and single, then I strongly recommend you check out what housing your university will offer you. It’s super cheap and really is the best way to save money while you are young.
Heya. I love this site! This may be off topic but I was looking at apartments in Taipei and was wandering if there are any particular districts which you recommend or advise to stay clear of, in relation to rent prices or any other aspects.
Many thanks!
@Claudia,
Thanks. I really do appreciate it when people express their thanks and gratitude. People can also show their thanks by simply using the FB or G+1 buttons on any page they like. OK, to answer your question.
For Taipei, you basically want to avoid the CBD area. The middle of Taipei is outrageously expensive, much like most large cities around the world. If you must live near the center of the city, then I strongly recommend you rent a room and share with others. Just pick a very old building that is run down and you’ll be able to save immensely on your rent. Don’t expect much, because these buildings are old and the rooms are small, but it will help you to save big time on your monthly rent. The other option is to just live in Taipei County, what is now known as New Taipei City. The rent there is much cheaper, but it does mean you will have to travel a little further. It really depends on where you will be working and how much you are willing to pay for rent. The good thing about Taipei is that is has Taiwan’s best subway system, so making sure you live within walking distance or not too far from a subway station can make it MUCH easier living in Taipei. I hope that helps. Good luck!
First i want to say your website is extremely helpful. I have a BA and am currently deciding whether or not to pursue a TEFLA/TESOL certification since some schools/organizations don’t require it. What are your thoughts on getting these certifications in regards to getting a job and practical use in the class room? Also regarding the ones that can be taken completely online versus in class programs? Thanks again for all the info and look forward to hearing back from you
@Alex,
Do you have the money spare to pay for such a course? If you do then I would suggest you get a CELTA. A CELTA is a heck lot more useful than most TESOL certificates and definitely more valuable than any online TESOL certificate. However, a CELTA will set you back around $1.5k to $2k USD, so you need to be sure you have the money to burn OR are convinced that it will help you and is worth every penny.
Otherwise I would just suggest you grab any bog standard online TESOL certificate that costs $100 to $200 USD. You’ll definitely learn something about teaching and it will make adjusting to your first teaching job much easier, but it is highly unlikely that it will give you any major edge of others in terms of finding a job. “Most” schools don’t care if you have a certificate or not, but if a boss had to pick between two candidates, I think he or she would pick the one who had a TESOL certificate, regardless of the kind of certificate it was, over the other candidate who didn’t have a certificate of any kind.
I hope that helps answer your question or at least gives you something to think about. Best of luck!