So I want to be a foreign exchange student in Taiwan for at least half an academic school year if not the whole year… Right now I’m pretty much debating whether to go to Taichung or Taipei… I know that Taichung is in the center of Taiwan so it’s convenient to get to Taipei and Kaohsiung and I’ve heard the weather is substantially better than Taipei’s (Pleasant temperature year round and isn’t affected as much by typhoons). But I heard there is a lot of crime compared to other cities…Gangsters hanging around and such? I know that Taipei would probably be the most common decision for foreign students seeing as how it is the capital of Taiwan and I hear that it has better public transportation and quite a bit more resources, but the cost of living is a bit higher. Any suggestions?
Flip a coin. Don’t think so much.
Flip a coin. Don’t think so much.[/quote]
Heh, It will probably just come down to a coin toss. Or I might just pick the more atypical option and go with Taichung, as long as there isn’t a high probability of me getting raped by a scooter gang.
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
I’m a Taipei woman, m’self. Loathe the south. But if you’re here for a short trip, you might as well seize the day/six months and go for the full on Taiwan experience. Do searches (top right, ‘Search’) and you be able to find loads of info about both.
Have fun and good luck!
Taipei, don’t even think.
Don’t worry about crime in Taichung. It’s really a non-issue, unless your into crime yourself. Then the competition might be a little tough.
What’s your budget?
If you are rich, go to Taipei.
If you don’t have that much gold to spend, go to Taichung.
BTW, Taipei is a lot more fun than Taichung and there is many more things to do. The food in Taichung though is much more delicious and cheaper than Taipei.
Hmm depends if my parents supply me with any cash haha (They are greedy)… Working over the summer at my crappy job I can make about 3,000 USD which is about 101130 NTD? I am not exactly sure how far this can get me in Taiwan heh… I live in Maine so the average houses where I live cost over 300,000 dollars so I mean I guess my family does fairly well, but we aren’t rich by my standards.
How bad is the crime anyways? I know Redmenace said it’s a “non-issue” meaning it’s only a problem if you are a gangster yourself?
[quote=“Mephitic”]Hmm depends if my parents supply me with any cash haha (They are greedy)… Working over the summer at my crappy job I can make about 3,000 USD which is about 101130 NTD? I am not exactly sure how far this can get me in Taiwan heh… I live in Maine so the average houses where I live cost over 300,000 dollars so I mean I guess my family does fairly well, but we aren’t rich by my standards.
How bad is the crime anyways? I know Redmenace said it’s a “non-issue” meaning it’s only a problem if you are a gangster yourself?[/quote]
If you can only get about 3,000 USD, then I strongly recommend that you go to Taichung instead of Taipei. Taipei is definitely out of your budget. Hopefully you can get more money that 3,000 dollars, I’d shoot for at the very least 5,000 dollars if you plan on staying half an academic year.
Crime rate in Taichung? Nothing really to worry about. There is crime, but I wouldn’t be concerned about the crime in Taichung.
I live in Taipei and i have spent a total of two days in Taichung in 20 years. Nonetheless, I would choose Taichung (or anywhere else in Taiwan) to study rather than Taipei. Taipei is too expensive and the people here are generally too busy for it to be a good place to be an exchange student. And the weather sucks. Personally, I would probably choose Hualien or Tainan over Taichung.
[quote]If you can only get about 3,000 USD, then I strongly recommend that you go to Taichung instead of Taipei. Taipei is definitely out of your budget. Hopefully you can get more money that 3,000 dollars, I’d shoot for at the very least 5,000 dollars if you plan on staying half an academic year.
Crime rate in Taichung? Nothing really to worry about. There is crime, but I wouldn’t be concerned about the crime in Taichung.[/quote]
Hmm okay very informative thank you!
Yeah Hualien looks beautiful but I hear it really takes a beating from typhoons.
Taipei gives a more cosmopolitan feeling, like New York but the expenses of living there are higher. Ideal place for young people, Taichung is more laid back, has sunny weather most of the time, less chaos, crime? (I never hear that), libraries, malls but you better have your own transportation because there is no subway here, only buses and taxis, but people seem to have a more relaxed lifestyle, more like New Jersey (I lived in New Jersey for 12 years).
Right now I am in Hsinchu, ugly city, polluted, bad weather and trying to finish school and move to Taichung in the future. Taichung is nice for middle age peoples, a very relaxing environment and rental, food, products cost less.
[quote=“lotzuni”]Taipei gives a more cosmopolitan feeling, like New York but the expenses of living there are higher. Ideal place for young people, Taichung is more laid back, has sunny weather most of the time, less chaos, crime? (I never hear that), libraries, malls but you better have your own transportation because there is no subway here, only buses and taxis, but people seem to have a more relaxed lifestyle, more like New Jersey (I lived in New Jersey for 12 years).
Right now I am in Hsinchu (Xinzhu), ugly city, polluted, bad weather and trying to finish school and move to Taichung in the future. Taichung is nice for middle age peoples, a very relaxing environment and rental, food, products cost less.[/quote]
Ah okay, I live in a sort of quiet-ish city… Substantially quieter than New York so Taichung would be probably be closer to the feeling of my home… Taipei would be a lot different and I probably would be hit by a car heh
Taipei–Western food, clubs, and books
Taichung–Get laid, often I hear.
The choice is yours. 
The typhoons are a bit more serious in Hualien, but are really not that big of a deal. Most of them are just a big rain storm with a lot of wind. They are nothing like hurricanes, at least in Taiwan.
Compared to US urban areas, Taiwan, including Taichung, is incredibly safe. Taichung has a bit of a reputation for crime in Taiwan, but since crime is so low in Taiwan anyway, you really shouldn’t be worrying about this at all. Of course you still need to exercise some common sense. If you are woman, don’t go to see an apartment by yourself, don’t sell drugs in clubs etc.
If you live somewhere substantially quieter than New York, you are likely to find Taichung, let alone Taipei big, loud, and chaotic. You may get used to it, but I’d think seriously about Hualien.
[quote=“Mephitic”][quote]If you can only get about 3,000 USD, then I strongly recommend that you go to Taichung instead of Taipei. Taipei is definitely out of your budget. Hopefully you can get more money that 3,000 dollars, I’d shoot for at the very least 5,000 dollars if you plan on staying half an academic year.
Crime rate in Taichung? Nothing really to worry about. There is crime, but I wouldn’t be concerned about the crime in Taichung.[/quote]
Hmm okay very informative thank you!
Yeah Hualian looks beautiful but I hear it really takes a beating from typhoons.[/quote]
I lived in Taichung for many years and moved to Taipei in February of this year. I am a fast food consumer, and if you like fast food, you will find more variety in Taipei. In Taichung we have only McDonald’s, KFC, Mos burger (japanese chainstore) but there are lots of international cuisine and local cuisine, also there is Dunkin’Donuts, Mr. Donut, Domino Pizza, Pizza Hut, Skylark.
In Taipei we have all the above plus Burger King, but I am missing like crazy the burgers from Carl Jr. In Taiwan you won’t find Carl Jr., Wendy, Dennis, Sonic. But I developed already some taste for the local food and even though they are greasy, I have been shedding pounds easily and feel heathier eating the local fare but still am missing my burgers at Carl Jr.
What I hope to see in the future is more drive-thru variety, not only McDonald’s, maybe also a drive-thru bank in Taiwan.
I guess if you’re coming here to experience the country you will be glad to actually see LESS American fast food chains, not more…
The weather is far better in Taichung, especially in the winter. Taichung has many cultural attractions like museums and theatres, etc, so that’s not a problem. It has the same goods available in the same department stores, just less stores at the top end… And it is substantially cheaper and quieter, and closer to other places you might want to get to, like the beaches in the southern tip, or the tallest mountains in the centre of the island. And less traffic: well, more chaotic traffic, but less of it. It IS a bit more grimy than Taipei, but coming from America you may not be able to tell there’s a difference.
Having lived in Taipei for 8 years and Changhua for 7 months, I’d say the following:
Weather: Taichung-hands down way better than Taipei
Food: Taipei-but just slightly
Public transport: Taipei-it has the MRT
Cost of Living: Taichung
If I was just studying I would head to Taichung or Hualian. If you plan on working then go to Taipei.
Huh? Typhoons and hurricanes are the same thing – just different names in different places.
But, yeah, they’re part of life – and Taipei and Taizhong get them, too, just not usually to the same degree as places on the east coast. Not a big worry, regardless of where you are in Taiwan, as long as you don’t live on a steep hill covered with betel nut palms or choose the day off from a category 5 to go fishing or work on your roof.
I second the recommendation to also think about Tainan (closer to Gaoxiong than Taizhong is to Taipei) and Hualian.
The east coast does get some huge typhoons, but they normally weaken further north as they’ve been broken up by the very steep mountains just inland. Another serious bonus or serious drawback to the east coast is the wee matter of earthquakes.
Hualien gets a magnitude 4 about once a week, maybe only felt as a 3 in town… Taitung not so many, but enough. On the west coast, you’ll get far fewer noticeable earthquakes, until the next big one hits, of course.