Living in Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei is a major coastal city in Taiwan (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 23°C over the year with about 2,734 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,362 a month to live centrally, and Taiwan sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Taiwan is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $5,100 a month in income.

See how Taipei ranks for you

12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).

Est. cost
€3,362
a month for a couple
Tax tier
Low to medium
personal income tax
Climate
23°C
2,734 mm rain a year
Size
Major
over 5 million people
Safety
82/100
country-level
Internet
~170 Mbps
median fixed broadband
Residency
Possible, with conditions
for most foreigners

What stands out about Taipei

  • Stronger healthcare than 100% of the cities we compare
  • Safer than 98% of the cities we compare
  • Wet: about 2,734 mm of rain a year
  • On or near the sea

Healthcare

Taiwan scores 86 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 100% of the cities we compare.

Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Taiwan.

Safety and stability

Taiwan scores 82 out of 100 on safety, safer than 98% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.9 out of 10.

Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Taiwan. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.

Climate

Taipei averages 23°C across the year with about 2,734 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 63% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term routes are the Employment Gold Card for skilled professionals or high earners (open work, no sponsor needed) and the investment resident visa; Taiwan has no passive-income or retirement visa, and permanent residency (APRC) generally requires five years of residence.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Taiwan:

  • Income: about $5,100 a month (Taiwan Employment Gold Card salary criterion, NT$160,000/mo before tax (USD/TWD ~31.35); as of June 2026)
  • Investment: about $200k (Taiwan Resident Visa for Investment, USD 200,000 minimum capital (approx NT$6 million); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 67 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 24 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 107 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €3,362 a month to live centrally in Taipei, 23% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 28% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.

Language and culture

Main languages: Mandarin. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 78 out of 100.

Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.

Taxes

Taiwan sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.

Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Taipei in their results.

Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.

Internet and remote work

Median fixed broadband in Taiwan runs at about 170 Mbps, faster than 58% of the cities we compare.

Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.

Questions couples ask about Taipei

Is Taipei a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Taipei scores well on safety, healthcare, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a warm, very wet climate (23°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Taipei and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Taipei?

We estimate about €3,362 a month for a couple living centrally, 23% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

What are taxes like in Taipei?

Taiwan is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Taipei in their results.

Can foreigners live in Taiwan long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term routes are the Employment Gold Card for skilled professionals or high earners (open work, no sponsor needed) and the investment resident visa; Taiwan has no passive-income or retirement visa, and permanent residency (APRC) generally requires five years of residence. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $5,100 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $200k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Taipei?

Taipei averages 23°C across the year with about 2,734 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 63% of the cities we track.

Compare Taipei with

See every city comparison

Featured in

Cities like Taipei

Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.

Near Taipei

Moving to Taiwan as a couple

Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.