Kaohsiung - where to live?

Hi everyone. I’m moving to Kaohsiung soon and I’m very excited. My employer is asking where I’d like to rent an apartment, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice?

I’ll be working in the Xiaogang/Siaogang district (right next to the MRT), and don’t fancy commuting more than 30 minutes one-way to get to work. At the same time, I’d like to live in an interesting area close to the heart of the city. A modern apartment near a decent number of restaurants/shops/bars would be ideal. I understand that I might need to compromise. My budget can stretch to about 16,000NTD per month.

Any advice about which district to live in would be appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

I can’t help you, but @DrewC might.

Isn’t Siaogang the terminal (end) station after the airport? I don’t live near there. I live in Zuoying, which is the modern part of Kaohsiung and is pretty far away. It’s a nice area with Hanshin Arena, which is a huge, multi-story, department store. Plus, it has all the foreign restaurants and good pubs and parks around there. I’m kind of a homebody these days, so I can’t really speak to night life or anything. But it’s a nice area. I really don’t know anything about the Siaogang area. It’d probably take about 40 mins to an hour from Zuoying on the MRT, where I am. So you indicated that’s too far from you. Formosa Blvd is the nexus of Kaohsiung, where a lot of shops, restaurants and sights are, and it’s the connecting station between our two MRT lines. It’s a bit closer. Probably be a 20 min MRT ride for you. So maybe you can find a place around that area. Don’t know anything about real estate prices though.

Don’t think I was much help, but if you have follow up questions I’ll do my best.

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There are a variety of foreigner communities of different types of foreigners you might want to wait a week or 10 days after arrival before you select a location. You can stay in one of the many cheap hostels and think it out and about and meet some people and then get better idea.

Kaohsiung has a fairly active Facebook group everyone’s always helping. Also lots of helpful information already on the page files.

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I have just moved to the Xiaogang area and work near Pier2 it takes me around 30mins to get to work/ combined MRT and Walk. All the thing I need to live can be found locally, and a little less hectic than city centre. But Like @DrewC im a bit of a homeboy and like to chill out at home in the evenings.

I found my apartment on
https://rent.591.com.tw/?kind=0&region=17
but haggle a bit for the rent, there is a thread on here about that.

16K is a good middle ground but it depends how big a place you want and if you want access to a gym, swimming pool cooking facilities (I was surprised to find some places here don’t have a kitchen).

one of the annoying things I did find and its not specific to Taiwan, some of the photos they show on the website may be old and don’t represent the current condition of the property. so my wife and I ended up doing a lot of legwork to find one that suited us.

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Yes, I’m working a bit far away from the action it seems. I hear around Labor Park is a nice middle-ground area. Have you been there much?

Much? I don’t think I’ve been there even once (unless I’m remembering it by a different name).

Pier 2 is a nice, artsy, and youth-oriented area. If that’s close by as @Shaun008 says, and you can find a decent place there, then I’d advise checking it out.

Reading Shaun’s post again, I see he lives in your future area. He’ll probably be better for info here on out, as I’m really not familiar with your area. Good luck!

we looked at a few places near the labor park and near Kaisyaun (Kaisyaun as the advantage of the tram as well as the MRT) the most expat bars ect are close to the centre of town, but you will get less for your money. it really depends on what lifestyle you want. Kaohsiung is quite a pleasant city (even better if you didn’t have to breath).
commuting on the MRT isn’t that bad and it crosses in the middle of the city.

i would do as @tango42 says come and staying some sort term accommodations and get a feel of the place, work out where you feel is right for you.

the last thing you want is to be living somewhere you don’t want to be, and stuck in a 1 year contract.

Is ok area, the area I now like is Pier 2, Bay front area. Lots nice new shops but with lots of tourists on weekends. I like my area also, near the Culture Park as I live in single house close walk to shops and MRT. The area where you future work is the airport area, its a working class area, not the area most expats would choose as not many shops/services of interest to them compared to other areas.

I recently moved to the Sanduo Shopping Center area. I’m minutes from the MRT station, 5 minute walk from the impressive library, one stop from a great swimming pool, a street car to Pier 2 (which this NY’er isn’t impressed with) and not far from a Costco. It’s bustling and not swanky in any sense but there’s plenty to explore. Happy hunting.