Moving to Iowa from Taiwan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Taiwan to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Taiwan to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 72.4% more expensive than Taiwan overall. A NT$2,427,000 salary in Taiwan would need to be roughly $86,573 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Taiwan to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
NT$2,427,000 → $86,573
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Groceries
pay 4.8% more
Transportation
pay 9.6% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 67.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 80.0% 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 Iowa cost about 25% more than cities in Taiwan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Taiwan to Iowa, based on official data.
people moved from Taiwan to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Taiwan to Iowa.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Taiwan performs better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Taiwan leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Taiwan performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Taiwan and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Taiwan passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Taiwan
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Taiwan?
No — Iowa is on average about 15% more expensive than Taiwan. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,643 in Iowa on a NT$2,427,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Usually fine from major cities in Iowa. 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 Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Taiwan, the official language is Chinese.
