If you came to Taiwan as an English teacher, how much money did you arrive with or would you suggest to survive the first month?
Thanks!
350 000NT.
100 000? Depends whether you want to live in a dump or need to leave for a visa run.
The more the better obviously. But anything less then 2000 USD probably is making things hard. Unless you have a job lined up and a place to stay I would think?
You have to keep yourself fed and housed because they pay you at the end of the first month (month by month) usually and many places you rent want a month or two months as deposit?
Ran across this blog by a young lady teaching in Taiwan for a year. Seems she pays only 1200nt for a room in an apt provided by her school . Now thats a deal. But also seems she teaches some kindy (which is illegal?).
Otherwise seems like a nice enough gig? With that kind of gig you could to to Taiwan with less then 2k and probably be ok.
I arrived as a student with a reasonable wad, but thinking about it, years later I left as an editor in debt!!!
HG
haha that can easily happen. YOu certainly can overspend in Taiwan quite easily. And BEER is a four letter word.
I came with 2000 USD. Needed every penny because that first paycheck was not going to last a month. Therefore I’d suggest 3000 to be comfortable, but it’s definitely doable with 2000, maybe even 1500.
I arrived with 1500 US. I’d recommend bringing more as it makes it easier to leave a job if you’re unhappy with it
Came with 40 000 Euro, now I have 1000 but house and SUV and gray hair.
Wait, I am no Engrish teachur. Solly 
It’s been a long time, but I think I had about a thousand US when I first arrived, but I also had a place to stay when I arrived that was free for a month, and then I paid 4000 NT per month for it.
I also had a job when I arrived, but as I recall, it was six weeks before I began to get paid. A bit unusual, but I began in the middle of the month and got a month and a half worth of pay the first pay day.
For me, that thousand was fine, but I didn’t have rent, didn’t have to pay a deposit, and really only paid for food. Well, also personal items and such that I hadn’t brought with me, or not enough of.
But I spent way too much on food, eating almost exclusively western food. I’m a very adventurous person in a lot of ways, but I’m a picky eater, so took me some time to venture into the local fare. Anyway, at the end of the month and a half I was broke and very happy to see that pay day!
It’s been 14.5 years so I’m not sure, but I do know that after unexpectedly having to fly to Hong Kong twice due to delays getting a work visa, and an extended delay there due to idiotic red tape, I was running very short on money. SO if you can, bring twice as much as you think you’ll need – at least US$3000, anyway.
Not enough - maybe 20 000NT? Had to get a job quick-smart and my first pay in advance (for a visa run).
2kUS. i wish i had brought more.
400 quid. I don’t remember having a problem with that.
About NT$10,000 IIRC; wasn’t much wiggle room with that! 
And lo and behold, the week after was CNY. This was back when everything was closed over CNY…boy was I ever glad to eat something other than 7-eleven after that! 
Of course, this was in the days when £35 would buy you a country estate in Lincolnshire.
I arrived with about £200 in 2002. Don’t recommend it. But then, I had the job, house etc. already set up, so it wasn’t too bad.
Bring as much as you can. If you have any left over you can always spend it on indoor fishing and gaoliang.
Arrived in 2000 with $8,000 USD. Good decision. Didn’t need to hurry to find a job or a house, etc. The more the better.
I’d say no less than 3,000 U.S. Sure you can do it for less but you don’t know your way around and will spend more than if you had been here awhile. Like has been posted, your going to pay the first months rent and 2 months deposit so plan on that. Getting by for the first 30 days plus will cut into your budget. Don’t underestimate your needs.
About the same for me. Deposit for a flat is two months, plus the first month rent (that is 3 months rent, upfront).
Washing machine $7500, small western mattress $4000-$6000 (IKEA has mattress pads on sale for $2000 right now),
hotplate, pot, spoon, bowl, $3500,
fridge $7000-$15000
Air conditioner, hot water machine (some flats don’t even have them for the bathroom hot water, although they usually are included), bedding… etc…it adds up fast.
But then, you might wind up with a furnished room.
$400 USD -no job, no Chinese, no friends or contacts.
[quote=“Skyfae”]If you came to Taiwan as an English teacher, how much money did you arrive with or would you suggest to survive the first month?
Thanks![/quote]
And it was Oscar Wilde who you quote at the bottom of your page. “But some of us are face down in the gutter so we can’t see those stars.” Bubba 2 Guns