Here is not Canada. Taiwan food cost is really low if you don’t eat in standard Western restaurants here. In the US and Canada it is many many times higher than here even for a child meal at McDlds.
The plane ticket will eat most of your budget. You have no control over that. For food unless you want to sit and be served with napkin and a smiling pampering waiter the cost is not even in the same world level as CAN and USA
Just for you to have an idea: the average poor Taiwanese people eat mostly out, they don’t even cook with their busy working schedules. It is cheaper to eat out than cook at home here. On the contrary a poor American family will eat out only to celebrate something as eating out is expensive for them.
2 Likes
That’s 392 NT…which could get you a very nice multi-course dinner in Taiwan. For a reference, a Big Mac meal at McDonalds with fries and a soda costs about 110 NT (I don’t have the exact prices in front of me right now). A 3-pancakes, sausage and hashbrown breakfast with a coffee or orange juice costs 99 NT. It’s honestly not that hard to make 17 cad last you an entire day much less just one meal. But to be safe, I would budget about 200 NT (9 cad) per meal.
This morning I had to run for an early appointment and got a breakfast (big sandwich with meat and vegetables + drink) for 50nt at the a 美而美 shop (typical breakfast store all over Taiwan). I am still full.
300 NT per day is doable…but you’d have to REALLY watch what your budget. You’d have to avoid all fast food and stick to cheap local food. Also, you’d have to completely avoid any daytime snacks. I think Dave’s brother shouldn’t have to worry that much about watching the budget and trying to find cheap food options. He’s not coming here to explore Taiwan’s local foods. He’ll probably end up wanting to eat Western fast food options for convenience… That means he’ll need to plan an average of 150 NT or so per meal.
6 Likes
Yes, I think 25 CAD per day per person is a safe estimate. But, if the budget is really tight, it can be 15 cad to make money for other necessity.
1 Like
One could also rummage through the bins for free too, or go out to temples for handouts.
Come on people, be real here. 50NT a meal, every meal, is not realistic.
He doesn’t have time to be scouting around for cheap meals. I am sure he will be working up an appetite too. Not everyone has a liking for local food either. I wouldn’t skimp on a food budget. You need good food to keep you going. You don’t have to dine at expensive restaurants, but you don’t have to eat cheap rubbish either. Besides, he cant read or speak Chinese so ordering local food will be a challenge. Which means he is stuck eating at places that have English menus, picture menus or those awful open air buffet places.
5 Likes
Now hang on a goddamn second. I lived off of them my first 20 years in Taiwan, never did me no harm. 
5 Likes
I work in downtown Taipei, which can be pricey for meals. Let me give you a typical day:
Breakfast sandwich at MRT station bakery: 45 NTD Get combo with coffee: 75 NTD
Lunch: Japanese bento 180 NTD or
Western meal 300 NTD. Average
Dinner: 200 NTD
All this is considering eating out 3 meals.
1 Like
Geez Icon, you’re living large! Can I borrow some money?
Living in the sticks is waaaaaaaay cheaper! Lunch box 75NTD!
Just as a point of illustration, this meal for 2 people was NTD240…so $10.40 Canadian. Who doesn’t love pork chops?
4 Likes
9 Likes
Now just because he is going to supplement his own money with some money from the fund (and that is still nowhere near 7 USD at the moment) doesnt mean we need to see him persecuted and eating basically 50nt bientangs by the roadside. Come on people give the man a break.
A big mac meal in the USa is 8 bucks so of course hes thinking 10 USD per meal per person. That would be minimum in the USA.
But luckily in Taiwan he can get by with less. Doesn’t mean we should begrudge the man if he eats a decent meal. Good Lord.
I would say you can get by with budgetting 120nt per meal per person. Or say 360nt per day per person. Which is about 12 bucks per person per day (USD).
You can eat alright at that level. NOT posh by any means. Just alright.
Let’s not go on a witch hunt with the dude just because you gave him a few bucks for his expedition OK?? And of course I will pitch in at least 20 bucks soon.
the fund raising doesnt have to end when he begins his journey. We can see how things are going and contribute more.
Im thinking im gonna be good for 50 bucks at least fore his journey ends. Unless he hits that 7500 USD right quick.
I gotta pay for my 8 dollar big macs ya know.
Shoot i would throw in some decent dolla if i wasn’t treading water just keeping nose above the flood waters myself.
I just bought from Popeyes (best fried chicken roun these parts) . 3 piece meal with a side of mash and 3 pcs of chicken , one leg, one breats and one wing with a what u call that bread thingy and a drink.
12 bucks before tax !!! Thats like 360 nt !!! Can eat three meals on the rock for that.
5 Likes
I think we are not saying his budget should be 300NTD/day/person. It is just an info for the case his budget would be really tight and he would need to find some costs that can be cut down.
I hear you bro. WE are all trying to help here.
Let’s give a few bucks each .
I for one will not require an accounting. Let’s let Dave’s bro spend his time on the mission at hand and not about having to account for anything.
Hopefully he can get enough from the gofundme to be of assistance and can make it with what hes got available himself to bring some light onto this terrible happening.
2 Likes
Yeah, so even the most expensive meal that McDonald’s offers is under 200NT ($6.50 USD). And remember that McDonald’s is an EXPENSIVE lunch in Taiwan. Anything local (dumplings, noodles, fried rice, etc.) is going to be significantly cheaper.
1 Like
One big advantage of a “buffet” place is that, as a foreigner with zero language skills, I can just make my own meal, pay and eat without the stress of not knowing how to order. I have always had good luck with people that are willing to help me order, but it is hard to deal with when your blood sugar is in the toilet…so to speak.
I find also that Taiwanese people are very honest in terms of paying. I would just hold out a handful of cash and the teller would take the required amount.
3 Likes
50nt bientangs i can handle but for some reason a lot of those buffet things give me the trots . So beware … He may need to build up some resistance first.
but luckily taiwna food safety in general is pretty good. Not like china .
A lot of cafes have decent lunches for bout 120 to 150nt. 200nt can get you a pretty decent lunch/dinner in a lot of places.
Summer is the worst time to go to Taiwan! Money will stretch further if traveling off season… During July and August, plane tickets, hotels, and car rentals cost a lot more, and can sell out months in advance… It can be incredibly hot and humid, and the chances of being impeded by a typhoon are higher… Also, the people Dave’s brother want to talk to are more likely to take time off…
1 Like