So I am really considering making the move to taiwan, possibly to teach english or pursue another career.
Teaching english averages about 60k NT a month so I’ll use that as a base and start deducting.
After looking around at rent its appears to be anywhere from 10k NT a month and up.
I figure I would be fine with a place in Taipei for about 15k a month.
I was wondering how much utilities usually run for in Taiwan as I have no concept of this.
Also would about 500 NT a day suffice for food and transportation?
So after 20% tax, and 15000 rent, that’s about 1200 a day.
Bills; with aircon, 1500 a month, water 400, internet, 1000.
You’ll manage with that, but you won’t be rich.
500? You’d have to take the bus and eat crap a lot of the time. Western meal about 300+. Craphole hole in wall 100-150, nice Taiwanese food, 200+. Bus 15 NT. Taxi ride 100+.
Is there any other expenses I am not thinking of? [/quote]Hmmm… Is booze included in your ‘transportation and food’ budget? If so, your budget is DEFINITELY too low.
1500/month with air con? What? Our latest power bill was 6k. We only run one air con, and only in the bedroom at night.
1500/month with air con? What? Our latest power bill was 6k. We only run one air con, and only in the bedroom at night.
marboulette[/quote][/quote]
get a new unit or seal off the unit in the window and all other windows/doors better. NO way your air con should be so much. Largest bill I EVER had was 3000.
Our air con is a small 110 volts unit, and our fridge door doesn’t seal well anymore. Maybe that’s the problem. But I remember even before when we lived in a smaller apartment (with a different fridge and 3 air cons), our bill was never that low in the summer. In fact, it’s never that low even in the winter when we do not run an air con. We’ve had bills than ran in excess of 8k in that apartment!
I was told before that a 110volts unit costs more to run than a 220volts unit. Maybe it’s because it has to run longer to cool the bedroom. Makes me think, though, if the air con is the problem, I can save enough on one power bill alone to buy a second hand 220 volts air con! Your highest bill ever is 3k, and that is probably our smallest bill ever. Something isn’t adding up somehow.
I can’t see any reason why someone couldn’t get by on 500 on a week day. I do that comfortably while drinking and eating practically whatever I want. It would probably help by living out of Taipei City though as there’d be no temptation to shoot off to the ever growing Western eateries and blowing all your hard earned coin. Even by downing a grande from starbucks, having noodles, veges and a couple of sides for lunch and grabbing a some chicken curry for dinner, you’re still got 200 left on that budget. Good luck on your weekends though especially if your a fan of a few frothies.
Uhm, we just got two brand new AC units and the electricity cost compared to two similar units in our previous place (still fairly new units) dropped by about NT$1k a month. So our electricity bill is no more than about NT$2,500 a month now and considering that I work at home and have my computer on pretty much 24/7 and we’re not being stingy with using the electricity…
Anyhow, NT$500 a day, well, that depends, how far away from your place of work will you be living? I guess it would be easier in one of the big cities as public transport is better there, but only Taipei and Kaoshiung has MRT so far. Rental prices seems to have dropped slightly recently so NT$15k should get you a decent place, even a brand new place if you’re lucky. The water is never going to cost you more than NT$100 a month if you’re on your own and the Internet, well, it depends how fast you want it to go, the NT$1k price is for an 8-10Mbit connection depending on what service is available where you’re going to live.
If you stick to mostly local food, you’ll be fine, breakfast NT$50, lunch NT$50-100, dinner NT$50-whatever you want to spend…
If you cook then you might be able to get away cheaper if you want to eat western style food, although anything but sweet taiwanese toast is quite expensive here when it come to bread and cereals aren’t cheap at all. Oatmeal would be an affordable-ish bet and so would eating a lot of local fruit.
Don’t expect anything being like home and sometimes you end up paying stupid prices for things that you pay nothing for back home.
Things that are in general cheaper here imho is most fruit and vegetables, seafood, pork and chicken. Most other things are more expensive.
[quote=“TheLostSwede”]
Things that are in general cheaper here imho is most fruit and vegetables[/quote]
I guess that would be the case for someone coming from Sweden, but I’ve found that most fruits and vegetables are more expensive here than back in the US.
It just came back to me that our power bill comes in every second month, here, in Kaohsiung. My mistake, but still higher than what all of you seem to be paying. :s
i personally like the local food so keeping food costs down SHOULDN’T be a problem hopefully.
As for booze and going out? I’m pretty sure I can limit that to weekends.
Are you guys running the AC daily? Arent there some days/nights where its not needed? I’ve been to Taiwan before and it wasn’t necessary all the time.
As for transportation…I don’t mind public…I would like to be in Taipei so the MRT should be handy. And I would eventually want to get a scooter but we’ll see how much I can make and save!
That’s what I thought until I actually moved here
Some of it is great, but some of it is, well, unedible.
Going out can be cheap if you stick to the all you can drink places or mostly drink local beer, but it’s still fairly affordable.
As of right now, no you don’t need the AC to be on, but you might also want to invest in a heater for the winter, as it can get really cold here, as the houses here doesn’t seem to be built for the “winter” here and heating doesn’t come with your place.
The MRT is great, but the buses not so much. Taxi’s are affordable, as long as you’re not traveling too far by taxi.
Same question for Tainan, considering the following:
I don’t drink, so no going to clubs or bars.
My wife is a great cook, so dinner in most nights.
Buying a scooter as soon as possible. I hate buses, but lived in Taiwan before so I know what to expect.
What’s rent looking like for a 3-4 bedroom place in Tainan or the surrounding villages?
My girlfriend cooks nearly every night, and it usually ends up costing around NT$300 or so – that’s eating a lot of fish, vegetables, tofu and a little chicken/pork. Eating in is actually more expensive than some of the cheaper options outside, but it’s much healthier and certainly much tastier.
[quote=“barfomcgee”][quote=“kjmillig”]
My wife is a great cook, so dinner in most nights.
[/quote]
My girlfriend cooks nearly every night, and it usually ends up costing around NT$300 or so – that’s eating a lot of fish, vegetables, tofu and a little chicken/pork. Eating in is actually more expensive than some of the cheaper options outside, but it’s much healthier and certainly much tastier.[/quote]My thoughts exactly.
If “TheLostCostaRican” had posted this I would understand.
If “TheLostSudanese” had posted this I would let it go.
But you say you’re from Sweden?!!!
Have some pride, buddy!
When it’s 13 degrees in December in Uppsala, I bet the locals are outside in T-shirts tossing Lefse (or the Swedish equivalent of Frisbee-shaped food).
[quote=“barfomcgee”][quote=“kjmillig”]
My wife is a great cook, so dinner in most nights.
[/quote]
My girlfriend cooks nearly every night, and it usually ends up costing around NT$300 or so – that’s eating a lot of fish, vegetables, tofu and a little chicken/pork. Eating in is actually more expensive than some of the cheaper options outside, but it’s much healthier and certainly much tastier.[/quote]
Seems to me, that you are buying products in those expensive stores like Citysuper, Costco etc. I go to the traditional markets in the morning to buy vegetables and fruit that are fresher than in stores and much cheaper. Fish, meat and eggs are also cheaper and prices are lower. Tofu costs only 10 NTD, and pork or chicken max. 230/kg… I spend on average 30-50 per meal, and it is tasty, healthy and my favourite dishes.
[quote=“WeiLina”][quote=“barfomcgee”][quote=“kjmillig”]
My wife is a great cook, so dinner in most nights.
[/quote]
My girlfriend cooks nearly every night, and it usually ends up costing around NT$300 or so – that’s eating a lot of fish, vegetables, tofu and a little chicken/pork. Eating in is actually more expensive than some of the cheaper options outside, but it’s much healthier and certainly much tastier.[/quote]
Seems to me, that you are buying products in those expensive stores like Citysuper, Costco etc. I go to the traditional markets in the morning to buy vegetables and fruit that are fresher than in stores and much cheaper. Fish, meat and eggs are also cheaper and prices are lower. Tofu costs only 10 NTD, and pork or chicken max. 230/kg… I spend on average 30-50 per meal, and it is tasty, healthy and my favourite dishes.[/quote]
When we cook at home I usually spend around NT$300 for two also. So does my wife. And she’s been shopping in traditional markets since WAY before you were even BORN, WeiLina.
