Moving to United States from Taiwan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Taiwan to United States? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Taiwan to United States, you would find that United States is 2.1 times more expensive than Taiwan overall. A NT$2,400,000 salary in Taiwan would need to be roughly $156,000 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is United States cheaper than Taiwan?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.3 times more
Groceries
pay 13.1% more
Transportation
pay 30.1% more
Housing
pay 3.8 times more
Childcare
pay 93.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 85.1% 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.
What salary do you need in United States?
What does your salary buy?
NT$2,400,000 → $156,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
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 United States cost about 102% more than cities in Taiwan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Taiwan to United States.
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
The numbers behind daily life in United States compared to Taiwan.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States 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 United States leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
Taiwan performs better than United States across all family life metrics.
Sources: The World Factbook (2010–2022), World Bank (2024–2025), Taxation Administration, Ministry of Finance, R.O.C. (2016), Internal Revenue Service (2016). How we calculate this
Can you move from Taiwan to United States?
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 United States than Taiwan?
On average United States is around 111% pricier than Taiwan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Budget about $39,000 for 3 months in United States (based on a NT$2,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
From major United States cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Taiwan and United States are what actually decide it long-term.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Taiwan, the official language is Chinese.
