Other important thing to add about work balance:
If thatâs the only reason for moving, then it doesnât make sense. The $40k extra youâre earning in the US can pay for your wife to visit Taiwan 2x time a year, especially as sheâs not working. Hell, you could fly her whole family over to visit for a fraction of that.
If you want to move because your life is boring, marriage isnât going so great, or youâre having a mid-life crisis - then Taiwan might feel like a compelling choice. However, in these cases please think really hard about what you want out of this move, especially long term.
Remote working culture could differ significantly too, if this is something the OP takes advantage of in the US. As in, there may be no remote working option for your role in Taiwan.
Does that take into account that you have a one-hour lunch break? If so, then 9-6 is still 8 hours.
The only people who work 9-5 in the US are those who eat lunch at their desk while still working, or perhaps just take a quick 20-minute lunch.
If you consider the lower cost of living in Taiwan, he wouldnât be making $40k less if he moved to Taiwan. He would be saving more (or at least save the same amount).
If you donât expect detached housing and arenât double taxed its a no brainer. 70k is way more than 100k in the states. At 70k you will pay less than 10% tax here, that alone will account for most of the difference.
Iâm not convinced living in Taiwan is really $40k cheaper per year than living in the US. Thatâs a whole additional personâs yearly salary! Then again I havenât crunched the numbers: is US income tax really that high?
I have a hunch this move isnât about money anyway.
Thatâs another benefit of being here without kids, the health insurance for a whole family actually can add up to more than tax.
Depending on location and lifestyle it can be way more or way less than 40k. Taxes depend on the states, some states extract double digits by themselves. Federal tax is about 50% more than Taiwan rates in these ranges too.
No. Whenever taxes come up, the taxes in the US is almost always drastically overstated. like here:
Lol. Which part am I wrong about? At 100-100k (not sure which one the OP makes from his comments) his federal tax rate would be close to 15%, while in Taiwan it will be around 8%. Maybe Iâm forgetting something or miscalculating somewhere.
Add insurance, pension and local taxes on top of that and I think most of the 40k difference will be accounted for right there.
There is this perception of Asia = low taxes = free money around the place. You end up paying out more in other areas. Every country seems to balance out to some degree, sometimes I think these cost comparisons between countries are pointless. Do it for the life experience I suppose? Will depend on how annoying/awesome the in-laws are.
Consider it for shortterm, keep the American job and salary in the back pocket to go back to.
Nothing to lose no kids to complicate the situation, try something new and exciting, travel in Asia, get to know the inlaws.
If its remote that would be awesome. Office based not so great but maybe can negotiate some work from home?? Then could travel around a lot more.
Marriage is good, but maybe I am in a bit of a midlife crisis. Right now my work hours are 7:30am-3:30pm M-F, with either 1 or 2 late nights, working till sometime between 5-8pm a week (no comp time, though I complain about that). This is probably why I am overpaid. Hate my current job and schedule.
Taxes are what might make or break this in terms of the pay. According to Turbotax my rate is 22%, state is right around 4%.
My contract in Taiwan specifies âflexible hours,â so I work when I have to. This can mean I can roll into work whenever most days, work from home sometimes, but I will also have some times when I work late into the evening or even the middle of the night. Depends on what is happening and what sort of foreign collaboration needs to be done. I have two days off a week, 2 weeks of paid time off in addition to local holidays. I also wonât have to work extra Saturdays to make up for holidays. I donât get a CNY bonus however 
I will be working for a different company than my current one. It is a locally owned company, but one owned and run by American expats who have been there forever.
My wife is hoping to land us an apartment for around 30k NTD/mo, and believes Taoyuan near the MRT offers the best options for somewhere nice and new for that price. Would be a half hour commute, which is what I have currently.
I am familiar with the ineptitude of the government offices and the medieval-like banking system in Taiwan. At least the DMV isnât so bad 
In-laws are greatâŚfor me. They drive my wife crazy. They donât mean to, but that is just how family is.
I recommend you to live in New Taipei city area, Taoyuan is too far out. You can find small decent rentals in Xindian, Panchiao, Tucheng, Zhonghe , Yonghe,Tamshui etc.
.Some places in Taoyuan on the mrt are fine, Linkou, hsr areas etc are fine but a bit boring. Too far out of town.
Ask them for a little more paid time off, say you need it for potential annual overseas visit. Which is true.
Not working the make up Saturdays is good BUT will they deduct those days from your paid leave days. You need to check that!!
No CNY bonus is okay as long as your total salary is fixed. and you are happy with that.
It most certainly is. If the OPâs current gross income is $110k, then I estimate his net income is somewhere around $75k-90k. His new job in Taiwan is offering $70k. Itâs a no-brainer if you take into account the much lower tax rate and COL in Taiwan.
Here is a rough breakdown of the other major costs, besides taxes, compared to Taiwan:
Transportation
US: Monthly car payments (usually around US$500/mo. for most people, but depends), gas, car insurance, regular maintenance, regular registration fees and excise (if applicable).
Taiwan: MRT (a few cents per ride)
Rent
US: $1,500-2,000 for most homes
Taiwan: Probably half of that
Health Insurance
US: Most people pay US$500/month if not provided by their employer (OPâs is provided, so not as applicable)
Taiwan: An insignificant monthly fee
Dining out (no alcohol)
US: Most nice dinners cost $50-80/person (including tax), plus 20% tip (may have additional 10% service charge). Average restaurants cost $30-40/person plus 20% tip. Fast-casual costs $12-20/person. Cheapest meal costs $6-8/person.
Taiwan: Most nice dinners cost $30-40/person, no tip (may have 10% service charge). Average restaurants cost $20-$25/person, no tip. Fast-casual costs $6-9/person. Cheapest meal costs $3/person.
Haircuts for men
US: $20-$60
Taiwan: $3-$25
Movies
US: $18-$25
Taiwan: $7-9
Of course, consumer fashion and electronics cost roughly 10% more in Taiwan compared to the US, because of import duties. That is what I hate most about Taiwan.
More advanced personal beauty services (eg. laser hair removal) also costs more in Taiwan.
It is crazy high compared to Taiwan!
You can reduce your income tax a lot by claiming all elderly dependents on your tax form in Taiwan and your wife, even those dependents in the USA.
No kids so less claimants for OP but still good. My rate of tax has only been 10% or so for years even though I have a good income. One reason I am still here actually cos compared to Europe that is INSANELY low. I would be approx 40% overall income tax rate in Europe after deductions. Not exaggerating.
I found this TED talk helpful when trying to make a hard decision:
Quick summary: Choices like this are hard because the options are not equivalent. Choice A will be better in some ways, while Choice B is better in others. Ultimately, the choice is down to what kind of life you want in the future.
The fact that youâre struggling probably means youâve already decided you want to try living in Asia. The struggle is that itâs âsaferâ to stay in your current life.
Personally, I whole heartedly recommend moving to Taiwan, itâs great here, I love it. But thereâs selection bias at work; everyone on this forum is here because they like Taiwan. Thereâs plenty of people who hated living in Taiwan, but they left already.
Also personally, the main thing Iâd consider is what would happen if the job doesnât work out: could you easily get a new job in Taiwan or another Asian country? Or even go back to your US company? If you have a fallback option, then giving Taiwan a try is a no-brainer.
If you want a new condo try Tamsui/Danshui. It has great bang for buck, lots of new buildings, good view, close to nature and access to MRT.
Some are here because they are stuck lol. But generally speaking yes. Taiwan is great but itâs not for everyone.