The Beautiful Island City of Taipei
A small, green haven that blends the modern world with nature, Taiwan is called the “beautiful island” for good reason. There is a wealth of amazing scenic views, cultural heritage sights, and bustling modern life. Taipei is its largest city with close to 10M in the metro area, with all the amenities you would expect from a global city.
Basics
See Taiwan Basics for more on Taiwan.
Compared to the mainland tier1 cities, Taipei is relatively more laid back with an “island mindset”. For those seeking to climb the ladder in your industry, Taipei is not for you. Many of the most ambitious people will travel to the epicenters of tech and financial innovation on the mainland. Expect a fairly substantial pay cut if you are working for a Taiwanese company, upwards of 50-70% versus Western standards.
On the flip side, Taipei is an affordable and accessible metropolis with all the amenities of a international global city. If you seek more of a comfortable, laid back style with a hint of West, then Taipei is up your alley.
For cost of living, normal housing for a single bedroom is around $500-1k monthly, while other living expenses are roughly $200-300 monthly. For food, groceries (such as PXMart) are very affordable. There are many many street food stalls, convenient stores (711s) that are on every street corner.
Housing and Neighborhoods
To look for housing, most people in Taipei will post availability on online platforms. The most notable one will be: www.591.com.tw. You won’t need a bank account to start, but it helps.
Taipei is relatively accessible by public transit no matter where you live. That being said, the east side is considered a bit more fancier with more recent development and more internationalized. The west side is a bit more akin to hipster-y spots you can find in most cities.
Some of the more popular destinations are:
中山 (Zhong Shan) - vibrant neighborhood known for its historical sites, trendy restaurants, nightlife, and delicious food; hub for Asian American diaspora.
大安 (Da’an) - bustling district famous for its lush greenery, upscale shopping streets, and vibrant nightlife
信義 (Xinyi) - home to the famous Taipei 101; commercial and entertainment hub filled with skyscrapers, luxury shopping malls; a common destination for Western expats.
萬華 (Wanhua) - home to XiMengDing entertinament district popular with tourists and locals; filled with rich cultural heritage, bustling markets, historic temples
內湖 (Neihu) - modern residential area surrounded by mountains and a beautiful lake; a tranquil escape from the city
天母 (Tianmu) - leafy suburb popular among expats, offering a mix of international schools, upscale residences, and trendy cafes.
Things to Do
Taipei is an advanced, metropolitan, international city - there are countless bars, clubs, shopping, restaurants, and cafes sprinkled throughout. For something a bit more of a distinct Taiwan flair, there are the numerous night markets where you can get a taste of the interesting local flavors.
In addition, many people go on the hiking trails near Taipei 101 or take a stroll alongside the water in Tamshui 淡水. For those interested in humanities and culture, there is the world-famous National Palace Museum 故宫 as well as artsy districts and beautiful bookstores. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can take a short day trip into the mountains or some of the fishing or cultural villages nearby.
Language and Culture
Mandarin Chinese and traditional Chinese is the standard on the island. If you want to fully immerse yourself, it’s a requirement. However, as Taipei is a very global city, most people can get by with English. If you want to improve your Chinese ability, there are university programs at NTU (台大) and (師大) NTNU to practice and improve.
For working culture, it is often said it is better to be an entrepreneur than an employee. The general sentiment is to aim for “good enough”, rather than trying to achieve perfection. In addition, given the manufacturing history and significant brain drain over the decades, there is less of a drive and spirit for the zero-to-one innovation and hustle culture you see in Tier 1 mainland cities such as Shenzhen.
Needless to say, Semiconductors are a big economic engine in Taiwan. Renewables is also a sector that is driving a lot of interest financially.
Transportation
For the average person, there is almost no need to own a vehicle. Almost everything is accessible by public transport. Within the city centre, the MRT (mass rapid Transit) is very convenient. If the MRT doesn’t get you all the way there, there are lots of shareable bikes (such as Ubikes) for short-term rental. For longer commutes across the island, you can take the high speed rail.
Acknowledgements
The information on this page was sourced from a May 2021 Clubhouse audio meetup. Many thanks to Eddie Xue, Jane Wang, Candace Chen, JD Chang, Sammy Chen for serving on our expert panel.
If you are interested in helping our team source knowledge about life in Asia, please contact our team.