Moving to
Taiwan
Moving to Taiwan: one person needs about $1,400/month in Taipei (a family about $3,400), the top personal income-tax rate is 40% — roughly $51,920 take-home on a $60,000 salary — and it offers a digital-nomad visa. Permanent residency takes about 5 years, and citizenship about 5.
Taiwan is one of Asia's most underrated bases: extremely safe, cheap, superb food, world-class transit, and warm people, with night markets and mountains close by. There's no nomad visa, but the Employment Gold Card is a genuinely excellent self-sponsored work-and-residence permit for professionals. Summers are hot and typhoon-prone, and cross-strait tension is the constant background hum.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Taiwan by the numbers
Relative scores across cost, safety, healthcare, quality of life and connectivity (higher is better).
Why move to Taiwan
- Very safe, cheap healthcare
- Amazing food and transit
- Gold Card, easy self-sponsored residency
The catch
- Hot, humid, typhoon season
- Mandarin needed off beaten path
- Geopolitical tension with China
Take-home pay
Net salary in Taiwan on a $60k gross, after income tax and social security:
Progressive resident rates; non-residents in their first 183 days are taxed at a flat 18%.
Cost of living · Taipei
Average all-in monthly cost in USD — estimates for guidance.
Compare cities →Visa & residency
Dedicated digital-nomad visa (launched 2025, extended to a 2-year stay in 2026) requires ~US$40,000/year income for over-30s; the Employment Gold Card remains an alternative for skilled professionals.
Typical income requirement: $3,333/month.
No nomad visa; the Employment Gold Card (one to three years, self-sponsored, for qualified professionals) is the standard route, alongside employer work permits. Five years' residence — or three for Gold Card holders averaging 183 days a year — earns permanent residency (APRC).
How can I move here? → Do I qualify? →Economy & everyday life
GDP-per-capita PPP of ~$79,000 signals genuine high-income living, and with moderate 2.2% inflation your money buys a lot: rents and street food stay cheap relative to salaries, so daily life feels affordable and stable. Life expectancy is 80.9 on Taiwan's acclaimed universal single-payer NHI, which residents join for a low premium — cheap and comprehensive enough that most expats skip extra private cover.
Safety
US State Department advisory level, country-wide — general guidance, not neighbourhood-specific. Full advisory →
Getting a passport
Compare all countries →5 yrs (183+ days/yr) for APRC and for naturalisation; must renounce original nationality within 1 yr (waived only for high-level professional talent).
By residence — confirm with the official authority.
Best time to go
Full climate →Average daily temperature by month · 2023 (Open-Meteo).
Where expats live in Taiwan
Cost of living by city
All cities →All-in monthly cost for one person — tap a city for the full breakdown. Figures are averages, for guidance.
Living in Taiwan
Healthcare
Outstanding and cheap: National Health Insurance costs residents roughly NT$800-1,000/month once enrolled, and walk-in visits run just a few dollars.
Money & banking
Bank accounts are easy with an ARC (Gold Card holders included) and Wise/Revolut work fine, though daily life still leans on cash and local mobile pay more than cards.
Internet
Fast, cheap, reliable fiber and mobile, with a strong Taipei coworking scene — one of Asia's best setups for remote work.
Etiquette & culture
Greetings, tipping and the taboos to dodge — fit in fast. Open the guide →
On arrival
Full essentials →Getting there
Flight distances →Fly via TPE (Taipei), a major North Asian hub, with KHH (Kaohsiung) covering the south — dense links across Asia, though fewer nonstops to Europe or the Americas.
Very safe with low crime and helpful locals; petty crime is rare.
Dial 110 for police, ambulance or fire.
Best for skilled professionals wanting safe, affordable Asia with a self-sponsored visa and top-tier healthcare.
Your move to Taiwan — roadmap
Key terms
- Effective tax rate
- The share of your gross income actually lost to income tax and social contributions combined — almost always lower than the headline top tax bracket.
- Take-home pay
- What actually reaches your account after income tax and employee social contributions are taken off your gross salary.
- Tax residency
- The country entitled to tax your worldwide income — usually where you spend 183 days or more in a year, though the exact test varies by country.
- Permanent residency
- The right to live and work in a country indefinitely — the stage before citizenship, and those years usually count toward naturalization.
- Cost of living
- The all-in monthly spend for one person — rent, food, transport and bills — in the country's main relocation city.
Moving to Taiwan — FAQ
Is there income tax in Taiwan?
Yes. Taiwan taxes income on progressive brackets. On a $60,000 salary the effective rate is about 13.5%, leaving roughly $51,920.
Can digital nomads get a visa for Taiwan?
Yes — Dedicated digital-nomad visa (launched 2025, extended to a 2-year stay in 2026) requires ~US$40,000/year income for over-30s; the Employment Gold Card remains an alternative for skilled professionals.
How do you get residency in Taiwan?
No nomad visa; the Employment Gold Card (one to three years, self-sponsored, for qualified professionals) is the standard route, alongside employer work permits. Five years' residence — or three for Gold Card holders averaging 183 days a year — earns permanent residency (APRC).
How much does it cost to live in Taipei?
A single person needs roughly $1,400/month in Taipei, and a family around $3,400/month, all-in.
Is tap water safe to drink in Taiwan?
Locals often drink it, but newcomers may prefer filtered or bottled water.