| 💰 Trip Cost | Affordable |
|---|---|
| 💵 Typical Budget | $50-$110/day |
| 🍀 My Budget | $102/day |
| ✈️ Trip Total | $716 |
| 🗓️ Trip Length | 1 week |
Lists By Lukiih is readers-supported. When you buy with my affiliate link, I may earn a small commission. Thanks!
Is Taiwan Affordable To Travel To?
Taiwan is an affordable destination worldwide, but it’s considered moderately priced for Asia (e.g., it’s not as expensive as Japan but significantly more expensive than Thailand).
- Their metro, bus, and train systems are efficient and affordable.
- Taiwan offers many high-quality cheap dining options through local restaurants and night markets.
- Many attractions, like parks, temples, and hiking trails, have a low cost or are free.
- Visitors can find reasonable accommodation options in both local and tourist areas.
For comparison, here’s my daily budget for destinations in Asia:
| Destination | My Budget |
|---|---|
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $145 |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | $123* |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $122 |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $102 |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $89 |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $77 |
*My Cambodia daily budget is high because I splurged on accommodation.
See all my daily budgets.
About My Trip
To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip:
- I spent a week in Taiwan, visiting Taipei, Jiufen, and Taroko Gorge.
- My trip was in October, during the low season, when things are less expensive.
- I traveled with another person, which allowed us to split costs like housing.
- I’m a mid-range budget traveler. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m intentional about my spending.
- I finance my trips and don’t receive sponsorship.
- All expenses are per person and in US dollars, converted from the New Taiwan Dollar.
The exchange rate was $1 USD = 32 NT at the time of writing.
Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Taiwan.
Total Cost
- $1,956
- $716
- $102
A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about $110 per day in Taiwan. This budget generally means:
- Staying at accommodations that cost about $60 per night
- Eating at a mix of hawker stalls and high-end establishments that average $30 per day
- Getting around by taking advantage of the excellent public transportation
- Paying entrance fees for popular attractions
Budget Breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of my expenses by travel category:
| Category | Cost | % of Total | Daily Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Flights | $1,240 | 63% | – |
| 🏠 Accommodation | $243 | 12% | $35 |
| 🍜 Food | $165 | 8% | $24 |
| 🚇 Transportation | $84 | 4% | $12 |
| ⛰️ Entertainment | $224 | 12% | $32 |
| Total | $1,956 | 100% | $102 |
Flight Cost
- $1,240 (round-trip flights from the US to Taipei)
A round-trip flight between the US and Taiwan costing under $700 is considered cheap, as international flights typically cost between $800 and $1,300.
Accommodation Cost
- $243
- $35
The accommodations I stayed at:
| Accommodation | Total Cost | Cost per Night |
|---|---|---|
| Taipei hotel (Dongmen Station) | $144 | $29 |
| Taipei hotel (Ximending District) | $80 | $40 |
| Hualien City Airbnb | $19 | $19 |
My accommodation budgeting tips:
- The cheapest options start at $15 a night – For the cheapest option in big cities like Taipei, stay at a dorm-style hostel for as low as $15 a night. In popular cities outside of Taipei, including Kaohsiung, Hualien, and Tainan, you can find hostels for as low as $10 per night.
- Stay in non-touristy areas – Popular neighborhoods in Taipei, such as Ximending, will generally cost more than local areas like Da’an.
Food Cost
- $165
- $24
My most affordable meals:
| Meal | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and veggie rice bowl | Food stall (Jiufen) | $2 |
| Soy milk breakfast | Fu Hang Soy Milk (Taipei) | $3 |
| Beef noodle soup | Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles (Taipei) | $5 |
My most expensive meals:
| Meal | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Upscale shabu shabu | Orange Shabu (Taipei) | $40 |
| Peking duck | Xiang Duck (Taipei) | $23 |
| Soup dumplings and appetizers | Din Tai Fung (Taipei) | $20 |
My food budgeting tips:
- Eat at night markets – You can get $5-$8 meals at Taiwan’s night markets.
- Try convenience store meals – Like Japan, Taiwan has high-quality meals at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart. A meal there can be less than $5.
Transportation Cost
- $84
- $12
The transportation I used:
| Transportation | Total Cost |
|---|---|
| Taxis and Ubers | $31 |
| Train to Hualien for Taroko Gorge | $28 |
| Public transportation (MRT or bus) | $25 |
My transportation budgeting tips:
- Ride the public transit – Taipei’s public transportation is excellent. If you plan to ride the MRT frequently, like I did, I recommend getting an EasyCard despite the 100 NT (roughly $3) non-refundable fee. At the end of your trip, you can refund any remaining balance.
Entertainment Cost
- $224
- $32
The activities/attractions I did:
| Experience | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 🏞️ Taroko Gorge | Hualien | $93 |
| 🌅 Taipei 101 | Taipei | $18 |
| 🌳 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall | Taipei | Free |
| 🏮 Lungshan Temple | Taipei | Free |
| ♨️ Beitou Hot Springs | Taipei | $25 |
| 🐘 Elephant Mountain | Taipei | Free |
| 🍵 Teapot Mountain | New Taipei City | Free |
| 💧 Golden Waterfall | New Taipei City | Free |
| 💆♀️ Misc (massage, shopping, haircut) | Taipei | $88 |
My entertainment budgeting tips:
- Visit the many free attractions – Taiwan has many free things to do: hike up Elephant Mountain for a great view of Taipei, visit the 300-year-old Lungshan Temple, and admire the buildings and park around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
- Enjoy the hot springs for cheap – Taiwan offers several budget hot springs where entrance fees are as cheap as $2 per person.
See my ratings for Taiwan experiences.
Do You Need Cash?
- Taiwan’s economy heavily relies on cash transactions, so make sure to bring cash.
My tips on using cash:
- The New Taiwan dollar is the primary currency used in Taiwan, and USD is not widely accepted.
- Carry $20-$30 worth of cash per day. You’ll need cash for night markets, smaller businesses, entrance fees, and even transportation (not all MRT kiosks take credit cards).
- Tipping is not customary in Taiwan. However, several nicer restaurants will add a 10% service charge for dine-in.
Taiwan Trip Planner 2025
Download my trip planner to make your travel preparation effortless. It features up-to-date travel information and a well-researched itinerary informed by firsthand experience. Each section is customizable so it can be as lightweight or as hyper-organized as you like.
My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.
🧋 Support Lukiih
Lists by Lukiih is a humble website that I fund with my own savings. If you find my tips helpful, I appreciate you saying thanks with a bubble tea!