Moving to Taiwan from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Taiwan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Taiwan, you would find that Taiwan is 57.8% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥508,312 salary in China would need to be roughly NT$3,711,004 in Taiwan to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from China to Taiwan.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥508,312 → NT$3,711,004
To maintain the same standard of living in Taiwan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 79.4% more
Groceries
pay 2.2 times more
Transportation
pay 68.5% more
Housing
pay 53.6% more
Childcare
pay 20.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 37.9% more
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 49% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How China and Taiwan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Taiwan performs significantly better than China across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Taiwan leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Taiwan performs significantly better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: State Administration of Taxation, The World Factbook
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Taiwan
Visa Required
Taiwan passport holder visiting China
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 China?
Day-to-day costs in Taiwan run about 54% higher than China on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Taiwan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CN¥508,312 comparable salary, that's around NT$927,751 in Taiwan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Taiwan?
Working remotely from Taiwan's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in China and Taiwan.
What language do they speak in Taiwan?
Both China and Taiwan share the same official language: Chinese.
