Coming to Taiwan

How many BR?

Even a 1 bedroom.

https://rent.591.com.tw/rent-detail-10412687.html

Found one. Brand New. Zhongshan Elementary School Station. Two bedrooms.

$25000

New building.

Isn’t that social housing? Most foreigner don’t qualify.

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Maybe this one. But similar places pop up nearby for similar prices. Even the $15000 ones can be talked down to $14000 or $13000. I don’t know what they are saving. Maybe it seems that this price is the unsubsidised price because you’re really not saving anything at $13000.

If $1000/m is life changing… you have bigger problems and are probably going to go for a $6000 flat.

So almost $900 USD for 2 bedrooms stuffed into a 14 ping shoebox. I’m not even sure a person above 5’4" would be able to stand up in the upstairs “bedroom”. The layout is super awkward, the decorations are horrid, it doesn’t even have a full fridge, etc.

Again, different strokes for different folks, but I would not consider this a decent apartment. At all.

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Two bedrooms.
$25000
New building.
In Taipei

Definitely available.
Often from someone who knows the owner

Except for lacking of yard and differences of environment, I don’t think there are much differences

Ok, what is decent for you? Genuine question. I don’t think your opinions are invalid.

What do you like?

Normal layout with reasonable use of space (i.e. isn’t something Franz Kafka designed). Reasonably well-maintained (no mold or bad smells, was cleaned between tenants, etc.) in a building that isn’t 30+ years old and that could reasonably pass a safety inspection in most developed countries. A real kitchen. If furnished, furnishings newer than the Qing Dynasty and no drapes from a horror flick.

Here’s something that looks decent in Nangang.

$40,000. And this is in the Nangang boonies. Something similar in a more central part of Taipei would easily run you double or more.

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Nangang is much closer to Xinyi, so no surprise it is much more expensive even if it otherwise were identical

But for a truly new apartment of a reasonable size with a reasonable layout, real kitchen, etc. $40,000 isn’t expensive in Taipei. It’s on the lower side of the normal range for this type of accommodation. An apartment similar to this one that’s closer to Nangang Station, or in Xinyi, Da’an, etc. will be more expensive.

Reminder: this conversation a few months ago Am I being lowballed on the salary? ☹️ - #91 by junoreactor

120k a month doesn’t guarantee you a normal appartment in Taiwan:slight_smile: that’s who you are arguing with.

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It looks great. Still surprised about the 120k quote above, unless it was trolling :slight_smile:

But you can’t apply. Period. You must be a citizen. In some US states this is also the case, but in most western countries if you are a permanent resident and pass a thorough background check (and have other relevant qualifications), you will be considered for the position. In most civil servant jobs in other countries (police included), “foreigners” are actually preferred, with their knowledge of other languages, etc…

And just because you don’t know any people who fall into these categories, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. I do know these types of people, and they just can’t apply.

On an aside, many people who stay long term in Taiwan get out of English teaching and go into careers that are different, and get paid more in line with local salaries.

From your posts, it appears that you think that every foreigner in Taiwan is an English teacher, and imo (especially with long term residents) that is not necessarily true. Yes, teaching English is a good short term job that pays well compared to locals, but in relation to long term careers, it tops out very quickly, and in a few years at a well paying professional job in one’s home country, you would be easily making double what English teachers take home every month, if not more.

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What I meant by that was that even at $120,000, you have no guarantee that you won’t encounter shit apartments that have Kafkaesque layouts, are in old, decrepit buildings, smell like mold or worse, haven’t been cleaned between tenants, are adorned with furnishings from the owner’s great great great great uncle, etc.

Even in price ranges well above what (apparently) most expats rent in, there’s tons of crap inventory. I know. I had to wade through it when looking for a place. I had posted examples of crappy apartments that were in this price range before.

If i reply do i get choked out again?

That’s up to Bernie my friend. There’s no telling what the mitts are going to do.

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You have expensive (and exclusive) tastes - it is reflected in your posts in relation to what you consider acceptable accommodations - but each to their own, I suppose.

I live in a cheap place in Canada that I am sure you would consider run down. Mind you, I never really outgrew my student level tastes, and thank the gods my wife is similar. It also allows us to live anywhere in the world without worrying too much about the place we are living in - but everyone is different. :wink:

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I agree. It’s not a good place to be if you’re ambitious or want to get ahead. But it’s a good place to go if you want to make a decent salary, not work that much, and coast.

But that’s also partially from the vibe of the foreigners that go there. Most go there and live a relatively comfortable life, not have to work a bunch of hours; If they didn’t go there with that intention they end up that way after x amount of years there. There’s a very strong intertia to get lethargic there (maybe this is different up North but definitely down south), and an even stronger inertia that makes it very hard to leave.

90% of immigrants being SE Asian females makes sense when you consider the proximity of SE Asia and the labor market most of them occupy plus the large # of marriages. I believe market based arguments were made for English teacher salaries being above average, but don’t those same forces apply in this case?

A certain degree of protectionism is also to be expected when it comes to their job market.

There are no second-tier American or European cities. It’s a Chinese term only used in China.

Where are you from, and when are you going to go home?