🇹🇼 Taichung,
Taiwan
#2237
Nomad Score
7.3
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24.1631620, 120.6478282
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ESSENTIALS
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏙️ City | Taichung City, Taiwan (R.O.C.) |
| 👥 Population | Approximately 2.85 million |
| 💻 Internet Speed | High speed, average 120-150 Mbps; widespread 5G coverage |
| 💸 Currency & Banking | New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). 1 USD ≈ 31.5 TWD, 1 EUR ≈ 34.2 TWD |
| 🚰 Tap Water | Not recommended to drink directly; use provided water dispensers (common in all buildings) or boil first. |
| 🔌 Power | 110V, 60Hz, 🔌 Type A and Type B sockets (same as USA/Canada) |
| 📶 SIM Card | Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, or FarEasTone. Unlimited data plans for 30 days cost ~NT$1,000 ($31 USD). |
| 💳 Banking for Expats | CTBC Bank, Mega Bank, and E.SUN Bank are expat-friendly. Revolut is not fully supported locally; use Wise. |
| 🛌 Accommodation | Luxury condos in Xitun Dist or traditional apartments in West Dist. Prices NT$15,000–NT$35,000/month. |
| 💳 Cashless Friendly | Increasingly common. LINE Pay, EasyCard, and Apple Pay are widely accepted at convenience stores and malls. |
| 🏠 Short Term Rentals | Airbnb (NT$1,200+/night) and 591.com.tw for local serviced apartments. |
| 🛏️ Budget Accommodation | Star Hostel Taichung Parklane (approx. NT$700/night for a dorm bed). |
| 🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Tourists | West District near Park Lane by CMD or Xitun District near Fengjia Night Market. |
| 🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads | West District (Caowu Dao/Calligraphy Greenway) for its abundance of cafes, parks, and coworking spaces. |
WORKING AND NETWORKING
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Best Coworking Space | Monospace (West Dist). NT$300/day or NT$3,000/month. Known for its tech community and ergonomic chairs. |
| ☕ Best Cafe for Work | Coffee Stopover (West Dist). Excellent specialty coffee, quiet atmosphere, and power outlets available. |
| 💼 Networking Events | Taichung Entrepreneurs Meetup and 'Digital Nomads Taiwan' Facebook group events often hold mixers in West Dist. |
| 🥂 Social Events for Expats | Uptown Taichung or The 1895 (pub) host trivia nights and expat gatherings. |
TRANSPORTATION
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚕 Best Taxi/Ride App | Uber is reliable. '55688' is the leading local taxi app for traditional cabs. |
| 🚲 Bike/Scooter Rental | YouBike 2.0 (docked public bikes) – first 30 mins NT$10. iRent for electric scooters (requires local/international ID). |
| 🏖️ Best Beach Nearby | Daan Beach (approx. 45-60 mins drive from city center). |
| ✈️ Top Regional Airline | UNI Air or Mandarin Airlines operating from Taichung International Airport (RMQ). |
| ✈️ Top International Airline | Starlux Airlines and EVA Air (mainly operating from Taoyuan TPE, reachable by HSR in 40 mins). |
| 🛣️ Highway Access | National Highway No. 1 and No. 3 bisect the city north-to-south. |
| 🚉 Main Train/Transit Hub | Taichung HSR Station (Wuri) for high-speed rail; Taichung Train Station (Central Dist) for local lines. |
| 🚍 Public Transport Passes | EasyCard or iPass. Bus rides under 10km are free for residents/special card holders; otherwise NT$15. |
| ✈️ Regional Travel | HSR to Taipei (47 mins, NT$700) or Kaohsiung (45 mins, NT$790). |
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏥 Best Hospital | China Medical University Hospital (North Dist) or Taichung Veterans General Hospital. Both have English-speaking staff. |
| 🧘 Yoga & Wellness Centers | Core Yoga (West Dist). Offers hot yoga and aerial yoga. NT$500-700 per drop-in class. |
| 🏋️ Gyms & Fitness Centers | World Gym (Multiple locations) or local 'Sports Centers' like Xitun Civil Sports Center (NT$50/hour). |
| 🧺 Laundry Services | Adore Laundry or numerous 24hr self-service coin laundries found on almost every street (NT$50-100 per load). |
FOOD AND DRINK
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 📱 Best Food Delivery App | Foodpanda and UberEats are ubiquitous in Taichung. |
| 🍽️ Best Local Dish to Try | Chun Shui Tang Original Pearl Milk Tea (NT$95). This is the birthplace of Boba tea. |
| 🍱 Vegan/Vegetarian Options | Easy House Vegetarian Cuisine (Xitun) and various 'Biandang' (buffet) style vegetarian shops like Jie He. |
| 🍫 Best Dessert Spots | Miyahara (Central Dist). Famous ice cream in a Harry Potter-esque converted eye hospital. NT$200/scoop. |
| 🛒 Affordable Shopping Spots | Jianguo Market for traditional groceries; PX Mart or Carrefour for modern supermarkets. |
| 🛒 E-commerce/Online Store | Momo Shopping and PChome offer 24-hour delivery to your door or 7-Eleven. |
| 🛒 Grocery Delivery | UberEats Groceries or Coupang (provides fast delivery of international items). |
| 🍸 Bar/Nightlife Area | The area around Canal (Huamei St) in West District for pubs; Xitun for upscale cocktail bars like 'Vender'. |
| 🍻 Local Brewery | Taihu Brewing (Fluent Taichung). NT$200-300 per craft beer. |
| 🍷 Wine Bars | Terroir Wine Bar (West Dist). Offers a curated selection of European and local wines. |
| 🍲 Street Food Stalls | Fengjia Night Market (Xitun) or Yizhong St Night Market (North Dist). |
| 🍕 Popular International Cuisine | KikuRezko (Japanese) and many high-end Italian eateries in the 7th Precinct. |
CULTURE AND ATTRACTIONS
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🎟️ Must-See Landmarks | National Taichung Theater (architectural marvel by Toyo Ito) and Rainbow Village. |
| 🏛️ Museums & Art Venues | National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (West Dist). Entry is generally free. |
| 🏰 Historical Sites | Wufeng Lin Family Garden (traditional Chinese mansion and garden settlement). |
| 🕍 Religious Sites | PaoChueh Temple (famous for the giant golden laughing Buddha). |
| 🎉 Annual Events | Taichung Jazz Festival (October) held at Civic Square/Calligraphy Greenway. |
| 🎨 Cultural Districts | Shenji New Village (former dorms turned into artisan shops and studios). |
| 🎭 Theater Venues | National Taichung Theater's Grand Theater and Playhouse. |
| 🛍️ Local Markets | The Second Market (Central Dist) for traditional breakfast and historical architecture. |
| 🎼 Music Scene | Legacy Taichung (Xitun) for live bands and international touring acts. |
| 🎨 Street Art | Painted Animation Lane (West Dist) featuring murals of famous anime characters. |
| 🧑🍳 Cooking Classes | Be-Two DIY and community kitchen studios near Park Lane. |
| 👩🎨 Art Galleries | Angelika Art Gallery or the various boutique galleries in the West District backstreets. |
| 🕰️ Historic Buildings | Taichung Prefecture Hall (Japanese colonial era architecture). |
| 🏴 Local Heritage | Sun Cakes (Suncake Museum) – a flaky pastry that is the city’s official snack heritage. |
NATURE AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🌅 Nearby Nature Escapes | Dakeng Scenic Area – offers 12 hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult (log-stairs). |
| 🏞️ National Parks Nearby | Shei-Pa National Park (approx 2.5 hours drive to the entrance). |
| 🚲 Cycling/Walking Paths | HouFeng Biking Trail (Houlong-Fengyuan). A scenic 12km path through an old railway tunnel. |
| 🌄 Scenic Viewpoints | Wanggaoliao Night View Park for a panoramic view of the city skyline. |
| 🦉 Birdwatching Locations | Gaomei Wetlands at sunset (Qingshui Dist). Famous for its wooden boardwalk and biodiversity. |
| 🔥 Bonfire-Friendly Spots | Generally restricted; designated camping areas like the Wuling Farm (further out). |
OTHER SERVICES AND AMENITIES
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 📦 Parcel Delivery Service | 7-Eleven 'Black Cat' (Takkyubin) service or FamilyMart shipping are standard. |
| 🛠️ Tech Repair Services | Nova Computer Mall (West Dist) for all hardware repairs and parts. |
| 🏓 Table Tennis Spots | Taichung City Table Tennis Hall or various neighborhood community centers. |
| 🧑🏫 Language Classes | Feng Chia University Language Center or Tunghai University CLC. NT$25,000-35,000 per semester. |
| 📚 Libraries & Study Spots | National Library of Public Information (South Dist) - world-class facility with great Wi-Fi. |
| 🏘️ Community Centers | Dadun Cultural Center (West Dist) for workshops and community classes. |
| 🕹️ Gaming Lounges | Plenty of high-end 'Net Cafes' (E-sports centers) for ~NT$40-60/hour. |
| 🎰 Casino & Gaming Halls | Gambling is illegal in Taiwan; however, 'Arcade' halls with claw machines are everywhere. |
BUSINESS
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Studio Purchase Price (City Center) | Approx. NT$450,000 per ping (~€4,000 per m²). Example: 33 m² = NT$4.5M ($140,000). |
| 🏢 Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) | Approx. NT$300,000 per ping (~€2,700 per m²). Example: 33 m² = NT$3.0M ($95,000). |
| 🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) | Approx. NT$480,000 per ping (~€4,300 per m²). Example: 50 m² = NT$7.2M ($228,000). |
| 🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) | Approx. NT$320,000 per ping (~€2,900 per m²). Example: 50 m² = NT$4.8M ($152,000). |
| 🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) | Approx. NT$550,000 per ping (~€5,000 per m²). Example: 80 m² = NT$13.3M ($422,000). |
| 🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) | Approx. NT$350,000 per ping (~€3,100 per m²). Example: 80 m² = NT$8.5M ($270,000). |
| 💼 Corporate Tax | 20% (for taxable income over NT$120,000). |
| 💵 Dividend Withholding Tax | 21% for non-residents. |
| 🏦 Tax System | Territorial/Resident basis. Residents taxed on Taiwan-sourced income; AMT for foreign income. |
| 📈 Highest Income Tax Bracket | 40% (for income over NT$4.72 million). |
| 🧾 VAT | 5% (included in almost all prices displayed). |
| 🌐 Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules | Effective as of 2023. Strict rules to prevent tax avoidance via offshore havens. |
| 🏠 Property Tax | 1.2% to 3.6% based on assessed value and usage (residential vs. commercial). |
| 🏠 Property Transaction Tax | Land Value Increment Tax and House/Land Transactions Income Tax 2.0 (ranges from 15-45% based on holding period). |
| 💻 Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads | Gold Card holders get a 50% tax deduction on income over NT$3 million for first 3-5 years. |
🧭 CONTINUE EXPLORING TAICHUNG