Moving to Washington from Taiwan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Taiwan to Washington — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Taiwan to Washington, you would find that Washington is 2.2 times more expensive than Taiwan overall. A NT$2,389,485 salary in Taiwan would need to be roughly $110,008 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Taiwan to Washington.
What does your salary buy?
NT$2,389,485 → $110,008
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.1 times more
Groceries
pay 26.5% more
Transportation
pay 49.9% more
Housing
pay 3.8 times more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 times 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 Washington cost about 71% 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 Washington, 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 Washington.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington performs significantly better than Taiwan 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
Taiwan generally does better on employment & economy, though Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Taiwan performs better than Washington 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 Washington than Taiwan?
No — Washington is on average about 47% more expensive than Taiwan. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $27,502 in Washington on a NT$2,389,485 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Washington?
Usually fine from major cities in Washington. 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 Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Taiwan, the official language is Chinese.
