Is Taiwan Expensive? Taiwan Budget Travel Guide

After a fantastic three week trip to Taiwan, I’m here to tell you what I spent and how much things cost. I found it an affordable country overall so I’m going to share my Taiwan budget, break down the costs of essentials such as food and accommodation and offer some general Taiwan budget travel tips.

As someone who is freelance and travels full-time, funds are always an issue. I’m keen to use my budgeting knowledge to shed some light on the cost of Taiwan travel. I’ll also share my Taiwan budget itinerary lower down so you can follow my route and explore free activities in the cheapest places.

Is Taiwan expensive?

Short answer: Taiwan is not overly expensive. A Taiwan budget trip is easily doable and you won’t miss out. Of course, it depends where you’re coming from and what you’re buying. But if you’re coming from the UK, US or Australia, you will probably think Taiwan is very affordable!

Taiwan budget travel compared to other Asian countries

I don’t mean to generalise a continent: your average budget for Japan will be nothing like the same standard of living in Vietnam. I would say Taiwan is somewhere in between the two.
If you’re familiar with budget travel in India or Southeast Asia, you will need to increase your budget. Taiwan is a place where you’ll pay a lot for some things but not for others. In fact, I would say the pricing system is a bit confusing.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, how much did I spend during 3 weeks in Taiwan?

I spent a grand total of…. drumroll, please…$400 USD // £500 not including accommodation.
Taiwan budget travel is possible at $30 / £23 per day!

I was pleasantly surprised at the low the cost of travelling Taiwan when I totalled things up at the end of my trip. Even though prices in Taiwan are a little higher than Southeast Asia, my total spending figure didn’t seem to be much more.
It’s worth noting that mine was definitely a Taiwan budget trip: I stayed in dorms, ate Taiwanese street food and travelled by public transport. I can only tell you about my trip so make sure to increase your Taiwan budget if you like hotels and restaurants. Don’t worry, I’ll break down these costs as we go.

budget travel, taiwan, is taiwan expensive? taiwan budget travel guide

Taiwan street food

Things that make Taiwan affordable

The plentiful night markets – Taiwan is one of the most affordable countries I’ve travelled to for eating and drinking. You never need to pay sit-down restaurant prices if you don’t want to. So many times in other countries I’ve been wandering the streets at dinnertime trying to find restaurants with affordable menus (can I just order a main and tap water?). There’s none of this in Taiwan.
If you’re travelling on a budget and just want a quick bite, or you’re travelling solo and don’t want the faff of restaurants, it’s perfect. There are night markets in every Taiwanese city; I don’t think I went to a single place without.

The public transport is excellent – every city I visited had either a metro or an expansive bus network meaning I rarely had to pay for taxis. Getting around cost me a couple of dollars maximum per day. You can even get to and from the airport cheaply, even at night.
The cross-country public transport around Taiwan is also efficient and affordable. You can reach suburbs and countryside attractions by local bus. I even spent a day hiking in a lush national park and caught the bus between hikes. It was amazing to get around so affordably and easily even in rural areas.

Jiufen, Taiwan

No need for tours – I took very few tours because my budget for Taiwan was low and it was easy to reach places by public transport and do things by myself. Saying that, there are lots of tour companies who run awesome tours in Taiwan, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take tours in Taiwan, but that you don’t need to.

There isn’t a huge drinking culture or nightlife scene. There are some bars and clubs to be found in the bigger cities but I saved my money for partying a few weeks later in Seoul as I knew the nightlife was better there. If you have a low Taiwan budget, it’s good news because temptation is equally low when it comes to endless bars and rounds.

Next, let’s breakdown your Taiwan budget by category.

Taiwan budget travel – accommodation

So I mentioned earlier that prices in Taiwan are a little random and not quite in line with each other. Basically, accommodation is expensive compared to food and transport. One night’s accommodation in Taiwan seems to equal 8 dinners!The average price of a hostel bed per night: $16 / £13.The average price of a private room in a hostel per night: $38 / £30.
Hotels start at $43 / £35 per night.

This may not seem expensive compared to the cost of accommodation in Western countries but it’s high for Asia. Accommodation costs in Taiwan rivalled what I spent in South Korea which struck me as strange since everything else in Taiwan is so much cheaper. The cost of accommodation in Taiwan was almost three times that of Vietnam or India.
So when answering the question, is Taiwan expensive? I would say for accommodation, yes it is.

Dreamwell Hostel in Kaohsiung

Best hostels in Taiwan

Sleepy Dragon Hotel (Taipei) – this was one of my favourite hostels in Taiwan with a comfy lounge area and seating area which was great for meeting other travellers. The friendly staff even included me in their bubble tea round by the time I left! All the bunks have privacy curtains, fold-down tray tables and lockers. Check availability here from $17 USD per night.D’well Hostel (Kaohsiung) – this comfy hostel near Shihjia Station and Singjhong Night Market is a great base with some excellent and affordable food options nearby. The staff are really helpful and there’s a large shared area holding a weekly language exchange night. The dorms are basic with everything you need but the double rooms are very swish and comfy if you fancy an upgrade. Check availability from $11 USD per night.On My Way Hostel (Hualien) – if you’re planning to hike in Taroko National Park, the best place to base is this hostel in Hualien which has comfy beds, regular movie nights and included daily breakfasts. It’s a two-minute walk from the train station and bus stop that takes you to Taroko Gorge. Check availability from $11 USD per night.
Getcha Hostel & Bistro (Taichung) – this cosy pod-style hostel has private bunks with their own curtains and chargers as well as a bistro area to relax in downstairs which serves amazing food, speciality coffee and cocktails. It’s close to Yizhong Street which is a cool part of town with a lively night market. Check availability here from $13 USD per night.

Cost of getting to Taiwan

This largely depends where you’re coming from, however it’s affordable to visit Taiwan if you’re already in Asia. I flew from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to Taipei direct for only $70 USD. I was pleasantly surprised by this price as I’d assumed I would need to fly from Bangkok to get an affordable price. Then, I flew from Taipei to Busan, South Korea for only $70 USD.For booking budget flights, I would always recommend using Skyscanner and selecting the ‘whole month’ option to see the cheapest dates.From the UK: Flights start from £260 ($330 USD) each way. The flight takes to Taipei takes 13 hours direct.From the US: Flights from New York start at $330 USD into Taipei, taking 16 hours direct.
From Australia: Direct flight to Taipei start at $280 AUD taking around 9 hours.

Cost of getting from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei city centre

There are two main ways to get from Taiwan international airport to your hostel or hotel in the city centre. These are the Taoyuan Airport MRT and the bus.The Metro: This mode of transport runs from 6am to 11pm and takes 40 minutes to Taipei Main Station, departing every 10 minutes. The purple Jichang Line will take you the whole way from either Terminal 1 or 2. This costs NT$160.
Bus: There are several buses including the 1968 and 1962 that travel into Taipei. Purchase your ticket from the airport bus counter and wait at the appropriate bay for your bus. Some of these buses take 1 hour 20 minutes which is longer than the metro but cheaper at NT$120. If you arrive at night, you can take the number 1819 night bus into Taipei.

Taiwan budget – food and drink

$1 dumplings? Go on then!

Food in Taiwan can be super cheap and still amazing. In fact, the food was one of my favourite things about travelling Taiwan on a budget. I loved Taiwanese cuisine from tasty dumplings to noodle dishes, peanut ice cream rolls, pineapple cake, pork pepper buns, scallion pancakes, glazed chicken wings, battered seafood and more. I barely ever paid more than $5 for dinner.

Taiwan budget travel – public transport

If you’re travelling on a budget in Taiwan, you’re in luck with public transport. The only time I called Uber was when it was late at night and I wanted to get home quickly and couldn’t be bothered with the faff or waiting for a bus. Side note – Uber in Taiwan is also way cheaper than in the UK.
The public transport in Taiwan is efficient, cheap, clean and easy to navigate with signs in English as well as Mandarin. If you’re in a city like Taipei or Kaoshiung, the MRT (underground train) is a great way to get around. For smaller cities, you can catch the bus instead of the metro.

Metro prices: Journies range from 20 to 80 NTW depending on how far you’re travelling. I found most trips cost on average 30 NTW ($1).Bus prices: These are frequently even cheaper than the metro. Most journies will cost you just 15 won (50 cents). You can pay with cash or an Easycard but if you pay with cash, you won’t get change. Just drop the right money in the box beside the driver.
Intercountry train journies: These depend whether you take the fast or slow train. My cheapest was 262 TWD ($8.50 / £7) from Taipei to Hualien and my most expensive was 650 TWD ($20 / £17) from Hualien to Kaohsuing. The price of Taiwan travel is vastly reduced if you have the time to catch the slow train like I did. Even if you catch the fast train, the prices aren’t high compared to other countries.
Taiwan budget trip tip – for intercity transport, pick up an Easycard so you don’t have to buy individual tickets. These don’t save you money per journey but are worth it for the convenience.

Travelling in Taroko National Park by bus

Taiwan budget travel – tours and activities

You don’t really need to pay for these if you want to keep your Taiwan budget down. There are plenty of activities and day tours if they benefit you but personally, I did everything myself to keep costs down.In Hualien, I hiked Taroko National Park by taking the public bus for NTD$250 per day ($8 / £6.50) rather than taking an organised day tour.
In Taipei, I also visited countryside villages Shifen and Jiufen via public transport. This was really easy and gave me more time and flexibility when compared to taking an organised day tour on a tight schedule. A full-day pass for the Pinxi Line (a train that travels from Taipei to Shifen) was just NTD$56 ($2).

If you’re looking for tours in Taiwan, I would recommend GetYourGuide:

Taiwan budget – data and SIM cards

Like accommodation, I found data to be one of the most expensive things in Taiwan. In Vietnam and Thailand, I have often been able to pick up a monthly SIM with unlimited data for $5 but there seemed to be fewer on-the-street vendors in Taiwan as things were more official.
I picked up a SIM from a phone store on my first day in Taipei (remember your passport in you plan to do this) but I’ve since seen that it’s actually cheaper to buy one online with Klook.

Click here to purchase your 4G Taiwan SIM card from $8 USD. Pick it up when you arrive at the airport. There are options for 3, 5, 8, 10 or 15 days.

Another option for data while in Taiwan is a 4G WiFi pocket device. These generate their own Wi-Fi which you connect to your phone. They’re a good option when you’re travelling around as you can avoid the bad Wi-Fi you sometimes get with a SIM card.

Click here to get your 4G Wi-Fi device from Klook for $1. Collect at the airport and return it when you leave.

Best places for a Taiwan budget trip

While there are lots of ways to keep costs down on the road, you can start as you mean to go on by visiting more affordable destinations with free activities and things to do. For a Taiwan budget itinerary, I’d suggest including:

Taroko Gorge National Park (Hualien) – a whole day hiking in this incredible national park with mountains, forest and hanging canopy bridges will cost you next to nothing. You’ll only pay for the NTD$250 ($8) day bus pass which allows you unlimited access around the park. Since there aren’t many places to buy food and drink in the park, you won’t have anything to buy. Remember to bring water and sandwiches if you plan to spend a full day there.

Read next: The perfect Taroko Gorge day trip

Stunning Taroko Gorge

Rainbow Village (Taichung) – one of Taiwan’s most photographed and Instagrammable destinations with an entry fee of $0? Yep. If you’re focussing on Taiwan budget travel, you should certainly spend a half-day visiting this attractive rainbow village where you won’t spend a penny/cent. You can visit from Taichung which is one of the more affordable Taiwanese cities with lots of cheap food markets.

Read next: Rainbow Village guide & its story

Rainbow Village, Taichung

Free things to do in Taipei

To help with your Taiwan budget trip, I wanted to share the cheap and free attractions in the major cities. This way you can enjoy these urban hubs without spending too much money. Free activities in Taipei include:

Climb Elephant Mountain – you’ll get gorgeous views of Taipei and the iconic Taipei 101 building for free. Visit in time for sunset for the best views or any other time of day to avoid the crowds. The nearest metro station is Xiangshan MTR Station.
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall – this impressive and enormous building in Zhongzheng District can be visited for free. Wander through the temples and landscaped gardens.
Longshan Temple – this is a place to see the elder generation at worship and snap some photos of the impressive temple and waterfall outside.

View from Elephant Mountain

Free things to do in Kaohsiung

Taiwan’s second-largest city was one of my favourites with its many colourful temples and street art. Some of the best free things to do in Kaohsiung to keep your Taiwan budget low include:

Fo Guang Shan Monastery – with one of the largest seated Buddha statues in Asia and many pagodas and temples scattered around, this gorgeous location a 45-minute bus ride from Kaohsiung is free to visit.
Kaohsiung Museum of History – here you can learn about Taiwan’s history as well as the tragic February 28 Massacre, all for free.
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas – my favourite attraction in Kaohsiung was visiting these colourful twin pagodas where you enter via the dragon’s mouth and come out of the tiger’s. Entry is free and afterwards you can wander the Lotus Pond Scenic Area.
Linya Street Art Village – there’s so much incredible street art set in this neighbourhood and it doesn’t cost anything to stroll around and photograph it.

Tipping in Taiwan – what’s the deal?

Taiwan is not a country like the US where you are expected to tip excessively. But it’s also not like South Korea or Japan where tipping can be deemed culturally offensive. In Taiwan, you can leave a tip of around 10% with tour guides or after a restaurant meal or more if you see fit. It’s a small addition to Taiwan travel budget that goes a long way in supporting local livelihoods.

Best time to visit Taiwan

As someone who went to Taiwan in rainy season, I’d advise you to check the seasons before you visit. September to November is generally the best time to visit because the rainy season is over and the weather is relatively cool. After Christmas, things start to get hotter before the rain starts in May. I visited in late May and some days were very rainy and I heard that in June it gets even worse.Saying that, tourists do visit Taiwan around the year. Remember your raincoat from May to July.
I noticed that backpack hostels were quiet in May so I would advise solo travellers to visit in peak months if they want to meet people. Taiwan isn’t the most social place to go as a solo traveller anyway so you’ll meet more people during peak season. In terms of prices, I don’t believe costs change hugely in Taiwan depending on the season.

Quick Taiwan budget itinerary

This depends how long you have in Taiwan but I would recommend the following as a sample Taiwan budget itinerary.Days 1-3: Taipei. If you are a city lover like me, add any extra days here. As well as exploring the free Taipei attractions mentioned above, you can eat affordable street food at Raohe Street Night Market and Huaxi Street Night Market. You can take several budget day trips by public transport, my favourite to Shifen and Jiufen.Days 4-5: Visit Hualien and spend a day or two hiking in Taroko National Park which won’t cost any money apart from the bus fare. In the evening, eat budget street food at Dongdamen Night Market.Days 6-7: Visit Kaohsiung and follow my free activities guide above. The best night market for cheap street food is Rueifong Night Market.
Days 8-10: Explore Taichung and take a free trip to the Rainbow Village Taichung which has no entrance fee, perfect for keeping your Taiwan travel budget low!