💰 My 2024 Taiwan Trip Cost: A Budget Breakdown

Taiwan, an island country known for night markets and metro-accessible hiking trails, can be visited with a budget of $45 to $90 a day.

My one-week trip to Taiwan cost a total of $1,956. In this post, I share:

• 💰 Expected travel costs
• 💡 Budgeting tips
• 💵 How much cash to bring
• ✈️ My trip’s costs by category

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Taiwan.

Is Taiwan Expensive To Travel To?

Taiwan is a semi-affordable destination in Asia. It has affordable public transportation and a cheap street food scene, but it also has moderate accommodation prices, and guided tours there can add up.

Taiwan is less budget-friendly than nearby countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. However, it’s more affordable than popular places like Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

💰 Trip Daily Budget for Destinations in Asia

For comparison, I visited these countries in Asia within a year of visiting Taiwan, and here’s how much I spent per day at each one:

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.

How Much Is a Trip to Taiwan?

This section covers estimated trip costs depending on your travel style. I share my actual travel expenses further below.

🎒 Budget Traveler – Taiwan Trip Cost

A budget traveler can expect to spend approximately $45 per day or $225 for five days of travel in Taiwan, excluding flights.

Here’s a quick overview of my expenses by travel category:

Category	Cost per Day
🏠 Accommodation	$15
🍜 Food	$15
🚇 Transportation	$5
⛰️ Entertainment	$10
Total	$45

Traveling Taiwan on a Budget

To travel to Taiwan on a budget, here are some things you’ll need to do:

• 🏠 Accommodation – 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.
• 🚇 Transportation – Save money by riding the country’s excellent public transportation. In Taipei, metro rides can cost less than $1 per ride. Train tickets between cities can be as low as $15 one-way (e.g., a train ticket from Taipei to Hualien or a bus ticket from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake).
• 🍜 Food – You can save significantly on food in Taiwan by eating at the numerous night markets. Plenty of cheap eats cost less than $5 per meal.
• ⛰️ Entertainment – Skip the guided tours and prioritize Taiwan’s many indoor and outdoor attractions that are completely free.
• ☀️ Travel Season – For the best deals on accommodations, travel to Taiwan during the low season, which runs from January to February. These are the coldest months of the year, with temperatures dipping into the mid-50s °F.

💰 Mid-Range Budget Traveler – Taiwan Trip Cost

A mid-range budget traveler like myself can expect to spend approximately $90 per day or $450 for five days of travel in Taiwan, excluding flights. I break down my trip expenses by travel category below.

About My Taiwan Trip

To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip:

• 🗓️ One week – I spent seven days in Taiwan, visiting three places:
  • Taipei: 4 days
  • Jiufen: 1 day
  • Hualien: 2 days
• ✌️ Group traveler – I traveled with one other person, so we were able to split some costs, such as housing.
• ☀️ Low season – I visited in October and November, which is considered the low season.

Taiwan tends to be popular year-round, but the peak season is from May to September.

• 💰 Mid-range budget – I consider myself a mid-range budget traveler, and these expenses reflect that. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m thoughtful about how and where I spend.
• 🍀 Self-funded – My trips are self-funded, so I paid for everything listed below. None of my excursions or experiences are sponsored.
• 💵 US dollars – All costs listed in this post are per person and in US dollars, converted from Taiwan’s local currency, the New Taiwan Dollar.

The exchange rate was $1 USD = 32 NT at the time of writing.

Total Cost for a Taiwan Trip: $1,956

My one-week trip to Taiwan cost a total of $1,956, including flights.

See the highlights of my trip in this Taiwan itinerary.

💰 Cost Breakdown for Taiwan

Here’s a quick overview 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

🗓️ Daily Budget in Taiwan: $102

My Taiwan trip cost $102 per day, excluding my round-trip flights from and to the United States.

	Daily Budget
Excluding flights	$102
Including flights	$279

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about $90 per day in Taiwan. This generally means not staying in a hostel or luxury hotel, eating at some $$$ restaurants and many $ night markets, and being willing to pay for an Uber, but mostly taking Taiwan’s public transportation.

✈️ Flight Cost to Taiwan: $1,240

My round-trip flight from the East Coast of the United States to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was $1,240.

A round-trip flight between the US and Taiwan that costs under $750 is considered cheap; international flights typically cost over $850. 

🏠 Accommodation Cost in Taiwan: $243

My average cost of accommodation in Taiwan was $35 per night. I was able to split accommodations with one other person at all times.

Here are the accommodations I stayed at and how much I paid for each:

Accommodation	Total Cost	Cost per Night
Taipei hotel (Dongmen Station)	$144	$29
Taipei hotel (Ximending District)	$80	$40
Hualien City Airbnb	$19	$19

Accommodations in Taiwan are relatively affordable. It’s worth researching where to stay as I found that for less than $50 a night, you can get vastly different experiences (e.g., room service vs. not, tourist vs. residential area).

🍜 Food Cost in Taiwan: $165

My average cost of food in Taiwan was $24 per day.

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about $20 per day on food in Taiwan.

Cheapest Meals in Taiwan

Here are the most affordable meals I ate during my trip:

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

Taiwan is known for its delicious, affordable food. You can easily spend less than $10 per meal at a night market or local restaurant. When visiting a night market, remember to bring cash. I share some of my favorite restaurants and night markets here.

Most Expensive Meals in Taiwan

Here are the most expensive meals I ate during my trip:

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

If you are unfamiliar with Taiwan’s local eats, you can take a highly-rated private street food tour to discover delicious spots.

🚇 Transportation Cost in Taiwan: $84

My average cost of transportation in Taiwan was $12 per day.

Here are the transportation methods I took and how much I paid for each:

Transportation	Total Cost
Taxis and Ubers	$31
Train to Hualien for Taroko Gorge	$28
Public transportation (MRT or bus)	$25

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.

Despite the busy streets, Taipei’s infrastructure is very cyclist-friendly. I saw visitors taking a Taipei biking tour that looked like a great experience, and I wished I had done it.

⛰️ Entertainment Cost in Taiwan: $224

My average cost of entertainment in Taiwan was $32 per day. This total includes a 5% to 15% tip at certain places.

A typical mid-range traveler in Taiwan can expect to spend about $25 a day on entertainment.

Costs of Activities and Attractions in Taiwan

Here are all the activities and attractions I paid for and how much each cost:

Activity or Shopping	Cost
Taipei 101’s observatory entrance fee	$18
Taroko Gorge day tour	$93
Spring City Resort hot spring access	$25
Two 60-min massages	$46
Haircut	$30
Shopping	$12

You can take a guided tour of some of Taipei’s top attractions to learn more about the country’s history and culture.

Free Things To Do in Taiwan

Taiwan is known for its natural beauty, so there are many free outdoor activities and attractions available.

Here are the attractions and activities I did in Taiwan that were free:

• Hike up Elephant Mountain for amazing views of Taipei.
• Visit Lungshan Temple, a beautiful, 300-year-old temple.
• Check out Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the beautiful surrounding park.
• Explore Yehliu Geopark, which is known for its unique rock formations.

See other great free things to do in Taiwan.

Do You Need Cash in Taiwan?

Taiwan’s economy is largely based on cash transactions, especially in non-tourist areas, so bring some cash. I frequently needed to use cash when I visited.

Below are tips on bringing and using cash in Taiwan.

💵 1. Withdraw cash in New Taiwan Dollars.

Taiwan’s currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT or NT$), and the US dollar is not widely accepted.

ATMs are readily available in many tourist places in Taiwan, but if your debit card doesn’t reimburse your ATM fees, you’ll want to withdraw a higher amount less frequently to save on fees.

🏧 2. Carry about $20 to $30 worth of cash per day in Taiwan.

On a typical day, a mid-range budget traveler in Taiwan will need at least $20 in cash to cover food, transportation, and attractions. A daily cash expense breakdown can look like this:

• $10 at night markets, cafes and restaurants
• $5 for tipping and entrance fees
• $5 for transportation

On my Taiwan trip, I spent a total of $115 (about $16 per day) in cash. Here’s a breakdown of how I used my cash:

Category	Total Cash
🍜 Food	$35
🚇 Public transportation	$25
💇‍♀️ Massages and haircut	$50
⛰️ Tour guide tip	$5

I keep my cash in my crossbody bag, but if you want extra protection against pickpocketing, carry it in a hidden money belt instead.

💵 3. Several places in Taiwan are cash-only.

Based on my experience, the following places in Taiwan tend to be cash-only:

• Public transportation – Surprisingly, none of the MRT kiosks take credit cards.
• Dining – All night markets and most restaurants were cash-only. Only bigger and more established places took credit cards (e.g., Din Tai Fung, Chia Te).
• Tours – All tour guides had to be tipped with cash.
• Spas and other service providers – All three haircut and spa places I visited were cash-only.

💰 4. Tipping is not customary in Taiwan.

Tipping is not widely customary in Taiwan. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:

• Dining – Several nicer restaurants will add a 10% service charge for dine-in.
• Tours – Tour guides and some service workers (e.g., haircutters, masseuses) will accept and appreciate tips, so bring cash for them.

See other essential travel tips for Taiwan before visiting.

Taiwan Trip Planner 2024

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.