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 29.8% cheaper than Taiwan overall. A NT$2,400,000 salary in Taiwan would need to be roughly CN¥347,000 in China to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is China cheaper than Taiwan?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 25.0% less
Groceries
pay 49.9% less
Transportation
pay 25.2% less
Housing
pay 29.0% less
Childcare
pay 0.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.8% 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.
What salary do you need in China?
What does your salary buy?
NT$2,400,000 → CN¥347,000
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →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 32% 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
China performs significantly better than Taiwan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
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.
Sources: The World Factbook (2012–2022), World Bank (2020–2025), Taxation Administration, Ministry of Finance, R.O.C. (2016), State Administration of Taxation (2016). How we calculate this
Can you move from Taiwan to China?
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 30% 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$2,400,000 comparable salary, that's around CN¥86,750 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.
