Hi everybody, I’ve got a small request for some numbers re: living expenses in Taiwan.
Currently I’m living in Taipei but am considering a move to Kaohsiung. One of the big factors is cost of living expenses. So, I’m hoping some people with experience could help me fill in the blanks here.
For instance, how much is rent (on average) in KS - for an apartment downtown, for a house on the fringe, etc? Any info you can provide is helpful but please clarify what kind of dwelling you’re talking about. Other figures would be useful too, like food and bar prices, transit, taxis… anything, really.
Thanks a million!
Kaohsiung is light years cheaper in terms of rent. You’ll pay around 8k - 10k for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment, and it may or may not be furnished depending on where in KHH you are living. Can’t comment on the price of a house. I don’t take taxis and haven’t gone to any bars in years, so maybe someone else can chime in with that information.
Rent is certainly where you’ll find the big difference. Taxis start at 85NT. If you live somewhere near the center of town you should rarely spend upwards of 200NT on a cab. Most people get a scooter. Most foreign hang-outs have beer in the 100-120NT range. The price of food can take a broad range depending on what you prefer. I rarely go to western style restaurants so I spend very little on food. I usually eat at home. You can eat at the local places for as little as 50 to 70 a meal. The few times I’ve been up to Taipei I didn’t really notice drastic differences on the price of most things other than what my friends were paying for rent.