Moving to Taiwan from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Taiwan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Taiwan, you would find that Taiwan is 60.7% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly NT$942,000 in Taiwan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Taiwan.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → NT$942,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Taiwan
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 73.0% less
Groceries
pay 21.7% less
Transportation
pay 32.6% less
Housing
pay 80.9% less
Childcare
pay 57.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 52.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Taiwan cost about 50% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Taiwan.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than Taiwan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
share of people below the poverty line
Taiwan performs significantly better than California across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Taiwan performs significantly better than California across all family life metrics.
Sources: The World Factbook (2012–2022), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Taiwan. To live, work, or study long-term in Taiwan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Taiwan's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Taiwan
Visa Free
Taiwan passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Taiwan than California?
Yes — Taiwan is on average about 61% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Taiwan?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NT$235,500 in Taiwan on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Taiwan?
Usually fine from major cities in Taiwan. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
What language do they speak in Taiwan?
The official language in Taiwan is Chinese. In California, the official language is English.
