Hello all,
I am seriously considering relocating to Taiwan for several reasons, however I’m curious what some on the ground and experienced people may have in terms of input.
Here are my current important details; Family of 4, 5 year old daughter, 7 year old son, Chinese mainland born wife (Canadian citizen), and I’m a local Canadian born guy with a science degree and currently working in Pharmaceutical sales ($80,000 Canadian dollars per year).
Here is why we want to move;
The housing prices here in Toronto make it so that we can never afford to buy a reasonable house in a reasonable neighborhood. We had a 3br condo but sold it, since the major advantage of living in Canada is the wide open spaces and prospects of having an actual house. We have enough cash to buy a nice place in Taiwan. Our rent in Toronto right now is $2500 CAD/mnth.
We are concerned that our kids will never get a fair shake here, due to their mixed heritage (asian/ caucasian), and we have experiences already to back this up. Projecting their future from now, we don’t foresee a very bright future for them here.
My wife really misses living in Asia, and feels socially isolated and cut off here in Toronto. She is basically living in the Chinese community bubble here, and the local Caucasian community in Toronto is not willing to really let her in. I also had a very positive experience with my limited time in Asia (9 months together over the years). We couldn’t live in Mainland China, as it’s too dangerous for our Children’s health and development.
The WEATHER!!! The weather here is inhumane! Life is too short.
Now, with that our of the way, I’m wondering if somebody has realistic expectations in terms of living costs for a family of this size, and if my potential income could make a comfortable life in Taiwan. We would need a 3br apartment, private bilingual school for 2 kids, and other regular costs life healthcare enrollment, utilities, food etc. How much do we need to take in to make things comfortable?
I would ideally like to find a position with a local Pharmaceutical company doing business development of North American markets. I also have experience as a university instructor and a trainer for pharmaceutical sales. My wife would also like to work, she is fluent in English and Mandarin.
Thank you for your comments.