Moving to China from Taiwan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Taiwan to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Taiwan to China, you would find that China is 29.7% cheaper than Taiwan overall. A NT$2,408,512 salary in Taiwan would need to be roughly CN¥329,908 in China to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Taiwan to China.
What does your salary buy?
NT$2,408,512 → CN¥329,908
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 38.2% less
Groceries
pay 49.4% less
Transportation
pay 32.3% less
Housing
pay 33.8% less
Childcare
pay 15.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.9% 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 China cost about 33% less than cities in Taiwan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Taiwan and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Taiwan performs 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
Taiwan generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in poverty 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 better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: Taxation Administration, Ministry of Finance, R.O.C., The World Factbook
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Taiwan and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Taiwan passport holder visiting China
Visa on Arrival
China passport holder visiting Taiwan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Taiwan?
Generally yes: China runs about 35% cheaper than Taiwan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to China?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NT$2,408,512 comparable salary, that's around CN¥82,477 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
Working remotely from China's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Taiwan and China.
What language do they speak in China?
Both Taiwan and China share the same official language: Chinese.
