Moving to Taiwan from Washington
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Washington to Taiwan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Washington to Taiwan, you would find that Taiwan is 55.6% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly NT$1,060,000 in Taiwan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Washington to Taiwan.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → NT$1,060,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Taiwan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 72.3% less
Groceries
pay 13.0% less
Transportation
pay 29.7% less
Housing
pay 75.9% less
Childcare
pay 58.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.5% 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 Taiwan cost about 35% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Washington and Taiwan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington performs better than Taiwan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
share of people below the poverty line
Taiwan performs significantly better than Washington across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Taiwan performs significantly better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: The World Factbook (2012–2022), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Taiwan. To live, work, or study long-term in Taiwan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Taiwan's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Taiwan
Visa Free
Taiwan passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Taiwan than Washington?
Generally yes: Taiwan runs about 56% cheaper than Washington on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Taiwan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around NT$265,000 in Taiwan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Taiwan?
Working remotely from Taiwan's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Washington and Taiwan.
What language do they speak in Taiwan?
The official language in Taiwan is Chinese. In Washington, the official language is English.
