HOW TO SEE TAIWAN ON A budget plan

Posted: 6/8/20 | June 8th, 2020

With a million things to do, a significant range of tasty food, warm-hearted people, great deals of hiking opportunities, as well as lovely buildings as well as temples, Taiwan has it all.

Yet, in spite of that, it stays one of the most underrated — as well as undervisted — countries in Asia.

On the one hand, I like that it’s still off the radar since it implies fewer crowds. You’ll never see as well numerous people traveling around Taiwan. It’s, to utilize the cliche, a hidden gem you have (mostly) to yourself. There are no hordes of people trying to take their IG selfies.

On the other hand, it’s a pity people don’t make Taiwan a bigger travel concern since it’s so fantastic as well as has so much going for it. This is a country that is worthy of method much more interest than it is given.

And, what’s excellent for budget plan travelers like us, is that Taiwan is likewise very affordable.

It’s on a level of cheapness similar to parts of Southeast Asia, with numerous meals costing only a few dollars. even when I “splurged” on a meal like a high-end sushi omakase, I spent less than 1,200 NT$ ($40 USD). A meal (and as well numerous beers) at an English style pub aimed at expats? less than 360 NT$ ($12 USD).

Taiwan is a dream destination for those wanting to get a great deal of value for their money.

Today, I’m going to break down some common costs in Taiwan, my suggested budgets, as well as methods to save.
 

Typical Costs

Taiwan is quite affordable so, as long as you don’t eat at high-end restaurants or stay at upscale hotels, you won’t be hard-pressed to spend a great deal of money. Here’s a listing of common costs in new Taiwan dollars (NT$):

Noodle soup – 30-45 ($1-1.50 USD)

Noodles – 40 ($1.35 USD)

Rice – 85-100 ($2.85-3.35 USD)

Lunch boxes – 100 ($3.35 USD)

Sushi lunch – 300 – 450 ($10 – 15 USD)

MosBurger (best quick food burger joint) – 165 ($5.50 USD)

Museum entry – 30-100 ($1-3.35 USD)

Metro trip – 30-65 ($1-2.15 USD)

Taxi – 70 (plus 25 per kilometer) ($2.35 USD plus 0.84 per km)

Intercity train trip – 375-850 ($12.55-$28.40 USD)

High-speed rail (HSR) – 155-1,500 ($5.20-50.15 USD)

Hostel dorm – 240-600 per night ($8-20 USD)

Hostel personal space – 1,050-1,350 per night ($35-45 USD)

How much Did I Spend?

Over 13 days, I spent a overall of 29,273 NT$ (2,252 NT$ per day). In USD, that’s $981 ($75 USD per day). Now, my notes were a bit less than completely comprehensive towards the end of my trip as well as I can’t discover some receipts so I’m going to round this as much as an even 2,375 NT$ ($80 USD) per day.

That’s really a great deal much more than I believed I spent. I had to do the numbers twice however much more on that in a second.Here’s exactly how those costs broke down:

Food – 8,597 NT$ ($289.20 USD)

Accommodation – 13,351 NT$ ($449.12 USD)

Tours/Museums – 1,410 NT$ ($47.43 USD)

Transportation – 5,915 NT$ ($198.95 USD)

So why did I spend so much money in a country that I stated just was “super cheap”? I imply $80 is method much more than Southeast Asia levels. Well, it has much more to finish with me than travel in Taiwan:

First, I stayed in personal rooms. At three to four times the expense of a dorm, that is going to add up truly quickly. I don’t like dorms because I’m a light sleeper and, because I was traveling alone, I didn’t have anybody to split the expense of the space with.

Second, I took a great deal of high-speed trains. Those tickets are 600-1,200 NT$ ($20-40 USD) a trip versus 150-300 NT$ ($5-10 USD) for the routine train. because I had bit time as well as a great deal of ground to cover, that drove up my costs.

Third, I took a few personal trips as I desired a regional guide for myself so I might ask a battery of concerns about life in Taiwan. I delight in doing that over group tours, particularly when I am researching destinations for guides like I was during this visit.

And, finally, in an effort to eat as much as possible, I most likely had 3-4 meals a day, including numerous high-end restaurants as well as Western food. That amount of food truly shrank my purse (but unfortunately not my waistline). I’m speaking a Hobbit level of eating here:

Those four things drove up my everyday typical to levels your typical traveler/backpacker wouldn’t hit in such a short time.

How much Do YOU need?

So, keeping that said, exactly how much do you requirement to travel around Taiwan? If you duplicated my trip, I believe 1,930-2,230 NT$ ($65-75 USD) would be enough. You wouldn’t want for anything on that budget plan as well as it would cover affordable personal accommodation, high-speed trains, some tours, as well as a healthy amount of food as well as drinks. If you took a few slower trains or stuck to eating at food markets (avoiding high-end sushi restaurants like me), you might get by better to 1,785 NT$ ($60 USD) per day.

If you’re on a backpacker budget, yourequirement around 890-1,040 NT$ ($30-35 USD) a day. A dorm space will expense you around 300 NT$ ($10 USD), meals are only 90-150 NT$ ($3-5 USD) each, as well as beer is quite cheap. Taking routine (slower) trains would save a few much more dollars a day.

In short, whether you’re a backpacker or just a routine budget plan traveler, you’re never going to spend a significant amount here. outside lodging as well as high-end food, whatever in the country is very cheap.
 

How to save money in Taiwan

If you’re wanting to spend even less money as well as get some great deals, right here are things that can lower your costs even more:

1. avoid the High-Speed Rails (HSR)
The high-speed trains in Taiwan are very practical (though they only go down the west side of the island): they depart every 15 minutes as well as the journey between Taipei as well as Kaohsiung (the many southern point) only takes 1 hour as well as 50 minutes.

However, they are likewise extremely expensive: a ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung costs around 1,500 NT$ ($51 USD). On the other hand, the “local” trains are half the cost at just 845 NT$ ($28 USD) (likewise, it’s just 539-739 NT$ ($18-25 USD) from Taipei to Tainan as well as around 375 NT$ ($12.50 USD) from Taipei to Taichung).

Plus, the HSR line doesn’t pass with city centers, so you’ll either requirement to take a bus or train from the HSR station, costing much more time as well as money.

So, if you want to save money as well as aren’t in a rush, avoid the HSR trains.

2. stay in Hostels
In Taipei, hostel dorms can be discovered for 550-700 NT$ ($18.50-23.50 USD) per night for 6-10-bed rooms. personal spaces in hostels can be had for 1,600-2,200 NT$ ($54-74 USD) per night.

Also, avoid hostel personal rooms. A fundamental two-star hotel will expense 1,200-1,500 NT$ ($40-50 USD), making it a much better budget plan option if you want privacy.

3. eat at the Food Markets
The food in Taiwan is world-class. I didn’t appreciate it much when I lived there back in 2010, however now I recognize just exactly how diverse, tasty, as well as healthy the food is. Every town is littered with day as well as night markets. If you want to save money on food (and it’s extremely simple to do that here), eating the regional food at these markets is the very best method to eat on a budget. You’ll discover many meals expense around 30-80 NT$ ($1-2.75 USD).

And, even if you choose a sit-down restaurant, you’re taking a look at 120-150 NT$ ($4-5 USD) for a meal at a location serving Taiwanese cuisine.

You never requirement to spend much more than 400 NT$ ($15 USD) each day here.

Eat regional = save big!

4. prevent Western Food
I imply you didn’t come all this method to eat a poor version of the food you can get back home, right? You can discover every Western meal your heart wishes in Taiwan as well as many of these meals will expense about 300 NT$ ($10 USD). But, frankly, avoid Western food. I never discovered anything that excellent as well as Taiwanese cuisine is method much more tasty as well as full of such range that you’re not going to get exhausted of “eating the exact same thing” over as well as over again.

5. Take totally free walking Tours
One of the very first things I do when I show up in a new destination is take a totally free walking tour. They provide you the lay of the land, show you the primary highlights of the city, as well as offer you with a regional guide who can response your questions.

Like It Formosa is the very best walking-tour business in Taiwan, providing trips in Taipei, Jiufen, Tainan, as well as Kaohsiung. Its trips have a cultural as well as historical focus, making them a excellent foundation for your visit.

And, if you’re in Taipei as well as want something much more lively, trip Me Away provides totally free trips in addition to pub crawls as well as food trips starting at 600 NT$ ($20 USD) per person. They’re a great option for backpackers wanting to satisfy other travelers.

6. Take the Bus
Intercity trainer buses are offered to all major cities around Taiwan, including Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, as well as Kaohsiung. They are comfortable, modern, safe, as well as have air conditioning (too much, usually, so bring a sweater).

A bus from Taipei to Kaohsiung takes around five hours as well as costs 300-500 NT$ ($10-17 USD) depending upon what day as well as time you depart.

The two primary intercity bus business are Ubus as well as Kuo-Kuang Bus. For fares as well as timetable information, see taiwanbus.tw.

7. take in the totally free Attractions
There are lots of totally free temples, shrines, museums, as well as parks around the country. There’s much more than sufficient to fill your days. I never had a issue wandering around the cities as well as discovering things to do that didn’t expense a penny. Your regional lodging or guide book or Google can tell you what to do.

8. Go Hiking
Spend your days hiking Taiwan’s numerous mountains as well as trails. Taiwan is full of national parks. The country is so little that you are never far from any type of park, they are well linked to public transportation, as well as they are all free.

***
Taiwan is an extremely budget-friendly destination . To me, it’s on par with some destinations in Southeast Asia because the food was affordable as well as so numerous activities were free. You get a great deal of value here. So, if you’re searching for an uncrowded as well as budget-friendly location to visit, Taiwan is it.

Book Your trip to Taiwan: Logistical suggestions as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a affordable flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the most significant reach!

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most significant stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses as well as affordable hotels. My preferred locations to stay are:

Formosa 101

Meander Taipei

Don’t fail to remember travel Insurance
Travel insurance coverage will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s extensive security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it numerous times in the past. My preferred business that offer the very best service as well as value are:

Safety Wing (for everybody below 70)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for extra repatriation coverage)

Looking for the very best business to save money With?
Check out my resource page for the very best business to utilize when you travel. I listing all the ones I utilize to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want much more info on Taiwan?
Be sure to see our robust destination guide on Taiwan for even much more planning tips!