I’m currently planning a move to Taiwan and am trying to get a sense of how to find affordable housing — especially as a foreigner — in Taipei or Taichung.
I’ve heard a mix of things: some people say it’s easy with the right agent, others say landlords prefer locals, and there seems to be a wide range of prices depending on where and how you look.
So I wanted to ask the community:
How do you go about finding reasonably priced and foreigner-friendly housing in Taipei or Taichung?
Some specific questions:
Do you use websites like 591, or do you work with real estate agents?
Are there areas you’d recommend for balancing cost and convenience?
How do you avoid scams or bad landlords?
What’s the typical cost for a studio or 1-bedroom near the MRT?
Is it better to find a place before arriving or after landing in Taiwan?
I’d really appreciate any tips, resources, or personal experiences — good or bad.
For scams, you want to see paperwork that they own the place. For bad landlords, if they seem at all unreasonable before signing I’d bail (also, condition of the place)
After, so you can see it and meet the landlord
I’ve only had 2 good experiences. Figure out where you will be living first (will you be working at a location here?), then spend a few months checking 591 every day. You can start checking before you move
Taipei and Taichung are pretty far apart… Not sure if op is aware but it is something that surprised me was that somewhere that looks 30 minutes on the map is actually nearly 90 with public transit.
That being said; 591 ftw. You’ll still have to learn to use it but oncce you know what to look for, it’s easy.
As for affordable, depends on ones definition. You can get 3rd world for cheap like 8k nt in places but nothing I would personally live in. I recommend Tamsui and specifically Danhai. High standard of living, brand new buildings, modern standards for street width, etc. The largest McDonalds in Taiwan😂 One can rent a 2 bed 1 bath with laundry and natural gas for <20,000nt. In Taipei for comparison, it would be 4x that. Travel time to ~Taipei is about 70 minutes on the train.
This is all based on personal experience of living here for about 2 years and renting 3 different apartments.
Lastly, a clarification on agents being trash. Depends on who you get. I’ve never had one not try to negotiate and make a deal though if that’s your thing.
A pedestrian and cyclist-first design with wide sidewalks and narrow car lanes with an abundance of traffic calming?
Something tells me you consider the 6-lane stroad you have to dodge speeding cars on while you’re on your 20-minute journey to the nearest 7-Eleven to be “modern”
Ok, first of all, you have to decide between Taipei or Taichung. They are completely different animals.
In Taipei/New Taipei in most cases a private car is a nuisance, public transport rules. Reliable, cost effective, safe. In Taichung you need to factor car and related expenses, like a place with parking.
What are you looking for? Where are you going to work? Where do you have friends/family/support?
The areas that balance cost and convenience depend on proximity to public transportation, especially metro. As I have previously stated, if you have to commute over an hour to work daily, if the nearest convenience store is half an hour away, if you have access only by community bus that goes by every hour until 9 pm…no matter how cheap, it ain’t convenient.
Please also consider safety. If you are surrounded by gánsters and places that rent by the hour, that ain’t safe.
That said, we do not really have red districts a la Western world. There are a couple of icky blocks in questionable areas, but you are in more danger of traffic and non reliable building structures. Think fire or earthquake situations. And mold. And noise and smog.
To find your own place you need luck. And contacts. Some people get lucky in 519. Some people find a clever agent. Others find something introduced by a friend of a friend.
Most importantly, check my previous post. It covers the basics. And know we’ve all been there, do not hesitate to ask questions here or elsewhere.
