Also, in terms of rent, don’t forget that you’ll probably end up paying two or three months’ rent right at the start (part of which will be a deposit). So factor that in. If your rent does indeed turn out to be 4,000NTD/month, you’ll most likely be hit with 8,000NTD or 12,000NTD up front.
I’d say other than rent, it would be fairly easy to live on 15,000NTD/month. That wouldn’t allow you to splurge (alcohol is expensive, as mentioned), but I used to live pretty comfortably on that when I lived in Taoyuan (though it’s important to note that I cooked at home most of the time).
Guys, it’ Tainan. You can get a house for that kind of money. He already covered housing in his budget, so 6 to 10K would be food/entertainment/etc. which is waaaay cheaper in Tainan.
My landlady has a house close to the school, lemme know if interested.
Friend of mine has a big 3-bedroom apartment in a nice community off 西門路 in Tainan, 15k a month. Even here in Taipei I pay only 12k for a 1-bed apartment that I use as an office/lab. I’m sure you could get something student-sized in Tainan for sub-10K, or room only for $3-4K. Cost of living, in general, seems to be 50-60% cheaper in Tainan compared to Taipei. As other posters have mentioned, you could eat reasonably well there for NT$200 a day. Don’t forget transport costs ($10 for bus fares) and your electricity/water bill (probably <$500/month unless you go crazy with the aircon).
The upshot of that is that you could survive on $10K a month, but if you can afford $15K-17K you’ll have a much nicer life - your own apartment and a bit of boozing at weekends. So if you can supplement your income (or borrow, if your circumstances allow it) to the tune of US$2000 a year, life in Tainan will be a lot more fun.
EDIT : I just noticed GiT said essentially the same thing … sorry!
I would say that 25000 is barely enough, specially if you like to party. I have a friend that lives in kaohsiung with the same scholarship and she never had to work or borrow money. She can party and do some light travel. You just have to know how to manage, and you’ll be fine. You can share a 3 person apartment in tainan for 6 to 7000 NT, you just need to find someone that will help you get started. In food on a regular day you shouldn’t have to spend more than 300, but if you are looking for a good restaurant then that just won’t do.
Ok, it seems I’m the only one who actually lives in Tainan that’s going to respond, so here goes…
The area around NCKU is one of the most expensive areas within probably the most expensive area (East District) in Tainan. That said, there are a plethora of student type accommodation available in the area, i.e. one bedroom (one bunk Hiltons) with bathroom rooms for 4 to 6000 per month. But you would have to go walk about and ask around. You could also check the Tainan Bulletin (Search Yahoo groups for it). If you need to pay for your Chinese studies out of your allowance, that amounts to about NT10 000 a month.
So:
Study fees = 10 000 per month
Rent = approx 5000 (that’s an el cheapo or a shared apartment, otherwise more like 8 to 12 000), also being a foreigner you would need to put down a three month security deposit which they will try and gyp you out of at least a sizable chunk at the end of your lease agreement. Unless, of course, you have a Taiwanese girlfriend by then that speaks jailhouse Taiwanese and will make him/her squirm in terror.
Electricity = approx 600 to 1000 depending on area and a/c use etc…
Water = approx 200
Food = 200 to 300 per day, and that’s if you’re happy eating on the cheap and lunch boxes etc, so 6000 to 9000
Scooter = You will need that in Tainan. You could use a bicycle, but good luck with that. Cheap one would run you around 10 to 20 000 for an old shitty used one bought from some waiguoren doing a runner with no papers. Which happen more often than you’d believe.
Other expenses like books, cable TV, booze and women is totally up to you. I’m just imagining you don’t want to spend a year living like a cloistered monk. Drinking is way cheaper here than up north, but going out, eating and ending up shit faced in the Armory at 7am fighting with the aunties setting up shop outside will usually set you back a 1000 or more depending on your habits and company. South Taiwan women can booze it up with the best of us.
Fairly easy if you’re willing to walk around and ask at places if they have rooms to rent and check the Tainan Bulletin. You could also ask your classmates and check the boards at the language center. I answered the rent question above already. Btw, I don’t recommend roommates. They will live like pigs, eat your shit and screw their girlfriends loudly at odd hours. So, good luck with that.
No way, Hosea. Again, cheap assed apartment = 15 000 deposit and 5000 for first months rent. That’s already 20 000 for an el cheapo. Then eating on the cheap at 200 a day (not being used to local fare I can’t honestly see you doing that for too long, apart from the fact that you wouldn’t immediately know where to get the good cheap stuff) = 8400 for six weeks (That’s with bugger all tea or booze, mate, and trust me, you’re going to need the booze.). That leaves you with around 10 000 for fun, books and other incidentals that will come up. I’d say aim for about 50 000 to be on the safe side. Also, if you live in a high rise you’ll have to pay guan li fei (management fees?) for the old bugger downstairs and garbage etc. That depends on the place, but 1200 a month is about the standard.
Anything is possible, mostly it’s illegal on a student visa. You may never be caught, but if you do you’ll be fined 150 000 and deported. Average wage in Tainan is between 500 to 600 if you’re lucky. Less if you’re not. And getting hours will be a huge hassle. You may only find 10 to 16 hours a week, which may be ok for a guy like you looking to make a few extra dollars. Then again, you could get lucky and get good hours and pay. It’s a crap shoot, but mostly, in Tainan you’ll find it tough going. Also, if you’re non-white you’ll really be up against it. And forget about privates. With no connections and contacts they’re extremely hard to impossible to find in Tainan these days.
[quote=“Hirdy”]Thank you in advance for any assistance with the above questions.
Regards,
Daniel[/quote]
Btw, I’m not trying to be negative. I’m trying to be as realistic as possible with my girlfriend (American) sitting next to me vetting my responses to make them as realistic as possible. Oh, and stay far away from Kindergarten in Tainan.
Feel free to send me a pm when you get here and I’ll do my best to help you with the apartment stuff and anything else I can help with.
bismarck has it down pat. You can live in the area around NCKU with a bicycle, and most of Tainan is fairly flat so you technically don’t need a scooter unless you’re going to be running around a LOT, but the NCKU area is the most expensive. It’s also the place with the most ‘studio rooms’ (bedroom + bathroom … no kitchen!). NCKU has Prince Dormitory nckh.ezdn.cc/ . There are also a few people in the area looking for roommates and a LOT more places like the two I mentioned that are cheaper (but possibly nastier, also possibly nicer. Check out 591.com.tw - look for 套房 in 東區 台南市 and see what you find!).
You need to pay your tuition when you first get here now, otherwise you don’t get your arc (which means you don’t get your bank account so no scholarship remittance…). Bring first semester’s tuition, ~$16,000 for first month’s rent/deposit (usually 2 months’ deposit + first month’s rent), and around $20,000 to live off (because in your first month in a new country, you always make some bizarre purchases due to not being used to the currency). You’ve still got a couple of months in the UK before you get here, so grab a second job (hit the local bars?) and try and save some extra cash before you come!
It DOES get cold here, so bring jumpers. They’re expensive. And a good raincoat from back home will do wonders - I can never find decent raincoats anywhere tropical.
Alcohol is expensive and the beer’s not all that awesome. You can get some decent lager at Willy’s, but again, it’s expensive (at least 100NT a glass in a country where you can eat a meal for 70NT). Get your fill over there!
And if you bring me some monster munch and french fries, I’ll give you a tour when you get here
You are a bit overqualified to be an English teacher in Taiwan. The only requirement is that you be white.
But, PLEASE, do not take any job that pays less than 600 an hour. PLEASE!! More and more exchange students are doing this because they don’t know any better and it’s setting a bad precedent for everyone else here that teaches English. Buxiban owners are realizing it’s cheaper to hire short term exchange students for part time jobs, thereby making the real job market for people that want to teach English here worse and worse (for cram schools, anyway). I’ve heard friends of mine here in Taipei getting offered 450 now. As a group we’ve decided to not accept them. There are enough under the table jobs around, don’t accept anything under 600, and if you can speak Chinese, shoot higher.
I should expect that finding work in Tainan should be easier than Taipei, though…less big noses around.
Think again. Foreigners per vacant position far exceeds the demand for teachers down here. I spoke to a bloke from the US on the weekend who’s been struggling to find anything for three weeks now. And he’s a good looking, clean cut, young bloke.
Hey Hirdy and others,
I’m also coming to Tainan for study, but I’ll be under Taiwan Scholarship for Master which will get me 30 000 NTD per month.
I’m also calculating my expenses because I’m wondering whether trying to survive with the Scholarship solely, or take a loan to top up my budget each month. I’m not very keen on the fact that I’ll tie my neck with the loan, so any advice regarding student life would be appreciated.
This is so far what I have calculated per month, feel free to add more:
10 000 NTD -tuition fees and monthly insurance
8 000 NTD -apartment rent (I’m looking for one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and A/C)
7 000 NTD -food (I’m not big eater, besides I adore Asian food, so will probably be ending up in some old cramped local eatery…)
1 000 NTD -utilities
Other expenses questions:
How much are cigarettes? I recall Macau was heaven compared to Europe when it comes to smoking, but I smoke one pack per day usually and I’m not willing to give it up in near future. (This is my home-maker treat when it comes to cultural shock, ha ha…)
How much is hair coloring in local salons and beauty products such as cosmetics and make up?
Does the ADSL come usually with apartments, or should I install my own with local company when I rent the apartment?
About the cycling/scootering and transportation in Tainan, is it really impossible to get by without one of those two? I’m not very keen on having either of them due to accident I had before, besides my fear from them is even tripled knowing the Asian traffic. Could I solve that one with renting near University? (I’ll be attending Southern Taiwan University.)
I know it’s a lot of questions, but I’ll be more then happy to get insight into any of them.
Seems to be ~NT$60-100 (US$2-3) per pack, depending on whether you buy the ones with DEHP …
Salons: more-or-less the same as you’ll pay in Europe or the US. Cosmetics: more expensive if you buy imports, cheaper if you buy local brands (which apparently are not bad).
Unlikely to be included. You can get CHT’s basic service for about NT$350/month, plus NT$80/month for a phone line.
Please do not drive if you can avoid it. I go to Tainan regularly and, if it’s even physically possible, their driving is even worse than in Taipei. During just those short visits, I have seen people do things so phenomenally stupid I want to grab them and howl “WTF were you thinking?” at them. A colleague living there witnesses an accident about once a month, of which a few are clearly fatal. Yes, if you can get a place within walking distance, pay the extra. It’ll be worth it. Also, there are taxis, and you could, in theory, take a taxi to/from school every day (say, NT200-250/day). They drive just as badly as everyone else, but at least you’re more likely to stay alive. I bet you could come to some monthly arrangement if you find a driver you like.
Less big noses, but fewer jobs as well. I have two unemployed friends right now looking everywhere in the Tainan area. One was offered a job 20 minutes south of Tainan for only NT$54000/month full time.
As already said above, working on a student visa is illegal, and as already said you’ll be offered $400-$600, and kindergarten jobs.
As a certified teacher, I will suggest you not to break the law and not add to the glut of non-certified and illegal “teachers” in the market here.
That may sound like good advice, but the poster will be at Southern Taiwan University which isn’t near anything. NCKU would be doable, but not STUT, unless you’re willing to pay a shyte load of money on taxis every month, and you won’t necessarily always find one when you need one. I’d advise at least a bicycle…
Why is a bicycle safer than a scooter? Remember, we’re talking about students here - students driving scooters. And not just any old students, but students who have spent the last twenty years being alternately thrashed for not doing their homework and having their bottoms wiped by mummy and daddy. University is nature’s chance to thin the herd: those who are too thick to understand that driving through a red light on a major junction at 90kph is a Bad Idea, get culled. Sadly, they tend to take others with them while removing themselves from the gene pool, and those others often include cyclists.
On the other hand … at least you can ride a cycle on the pavement without causing too much disruption.
Sure, taxis are expensive … but it depends how much value you place on your own life or limbs. And a scooter may be cheap, but it isn’t free … in my experience, it costs about NT$15000/year in fuel, insurance and maintenance, plus depreciation, which is about the same amount again.
Does your uni not have dorm rooms? I’ve heard the more expensive (single-occupant) rooms are not bad.
I said, at least a bicycle, i.e. if you (the poster asking) feel it’s safer. I’d just go with a cheap second hand scooter (50cc in Tainan can be got for 4 or 5k), but that’s just me.
Whatever. He/she can walk, cycle, scooter or taxi, but the poster does seem to have a stiff budget and working on the side is far more likely to end in tears (HUGE fine and deportation with no option to return anytime soon, and with zero chance of getting another scholarship). And unless the poster is willing to sit at home 24/7 to save money, STUT is too far from anywhere worth a damn in Tainan.
People too scared to ride a scooter should just stick to Taipei or maybe Kaohsiung IMVHO.
Now…is STUT really out of civilisation? Aren’t there any buildings around in the walking distance? Say, I would be willing to walk around half an hour each day to reach my school, would be possible to find a building in that distance? (I’m trying to get the idea how it looks like.)
I agree with you, I’m not afraid for my own driving, but I’m afraid of what I’ve seen in the traffic throughout South-Eastern Asia…and clearly I don’t want to die with the seat of my bike stuck in my limb…
So, in any case, no matter of pain in the ass to walk everyday, I’d still prefer transport with my feet safely on the ground.
Dorms are available, but I would like to stay in my own place for my comodity. (I’ve spent some time in Hong Kong and I know how much I valued my own little place to hide in it after long bustling day…)
Oh, there are lots of buildings around STUT - there are only buildings, lots of them. I’m sure you’d be able to find a place to rent. However, there are no sidewalks in the area, so being a pedestrian is awful. (I’m remembering from five years back, so take what I recall with a grain of salt.)
The problem with the area is it’s very far away from anything, um, appealing. No non-Taiwanese restaurants (plenty of cheap student crap, some cheap but OK local food), no parks, nowhere to walk except the campus itself. If I remember right there’s a train station near STUT - that may be your best way to get to central Tainan.
I always found cycling safer than scootering in Tainan. You’ve got more control, and I wasn’t usually going to go fast enough to get myself in serious trouble. But I was also a sweaty mess.
Besides a private dorm room that is $300usd what else would I expect my day-to-day expenditures around NTU to be.
How much is eating out breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasionally at a nice place. I will mainly be sticking to the buddhist vegetarian restaurants for lunch and breakfast. Can anyone recommend places around NTU?
[/quote]
You should be able to eat for NT200-300 per day. c. US$8-10 in the NTU area. I think the best food in the NTU area is a couple of guabao at Lanjia and a tall boy of Taiwan beer.
Right now my level of Chinese is non-exisntent. I do intend to self-study over the summer. What is the best way to learn? I will be taking 10 hours a week of formal instruction, but would also like to study on my own. I know the whole idea about iscolating myself from foreigns and interacting with locals, but does anyone have any great experiences that can be shared?[/quote]
Don’t isolate yourself from other foreigners. Hang out with ones who speak some Chinese or are interested in learning. They will have Taiwanese friends who are used to speaking Mandarin with foreigners. Go to class every day. Hang out in your favorite bar or cafe every day. There are a bazillion in the NTU area. I recommend that you try Bobwundaye and Cat on the Road.
[quote]Fun
I’m going with an academic purpose, but also want to have fun. How much would a night out at top nightclubs cost me? How much are tables etc.? Where do foreign teenagers hangout?[/quote]
Try Luxy, Pasoul, and Primo in East Taipei. You could probably get away with NT$1,500 for a night out. Tables at ‘top’ nightclubs are often NT$10,000. Underworld, Revolver, Roxy99, Wax, Roxy Rocker are far less expensive options closer to NTU (and a lot more fun).
[quote]
Internships/Jobs
I know that working is illegal under the visa I’ll be obtaining, but does anyone have any experience getting an internship at a multi-national? I do see myself coming back to Taiwan and would like to use my experience to better myself in a career choice.
Thanks a lot![/quote]
Taiwan doesn’t really have the concept of interns. The only place I know of that hires foreign interns is the American Chamber of Commerce.[/quote]
I’ve been invited to Emei Sichuan by a friend but I cannot seem to find the address. I’ve followed the link and scanned the web site but I don’t see any address. (I can probably find it by going to GongGuan MRT and using the map, but I’d really like to have the address.
Try looking at this image. album.blog.yam.com/show.php?a=ca … &i=3422174
It looks like it’s Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 3, Lane 316, Alley 8, Number 3.
Although it could have moved to a different location for all that I know.
[quote=“scomargo”]Try looking at this image. album.blog.yam.com/show.php?a=ca … &i=3422174
It looks like it’s Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 3, Lane 316, Alley 8, Number 3.
Although it could have moved to a different location for all that I know.[/quote]
Thank (though it turns out to be #10, close enough to get me there.)
They don’t seem to have a web site but this search key will get it on google maps:峨嵋餐廳
