Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Southeast Asia isn’t the continent’s only place to travel like a king on the cheap. Driven away by a reputation for sky-high prices thanks to cities like Tokyo, many would-be travelers skip over East Asia for fear of dipping too far into their travel budgets. Fear no more. There’s an alternative.
Enter Taipei, one of Asia’s least sung city destinations and a place where you can stretch your dollar—and your belt buckle—further than you ever imagined. Even if you’re on a tight travel budget, all the pleasures of Taipei are within grasp. Get your trip to Taiwan started right with these tips for enjoying Taipei for less than $25 per day (excluding accommodation):
Save money with a transportation pass
Taipei is an urban explorer’s dream, but walking between every single site is impossible. Not only are the distances grand, but the heat and humidity, especially in the summer months, will sap every ounce of energy from you. Luckily, navigating Taipei on the MRT doesn’t have to wreck your budget—there are a few cost-friendly options:
One-Day Metro Pass
If you’re planning to use the MRT more than a couple times, grab a one-day pass, valid for a single day offering unlimited rides.
Cost: NT$150 ($5).
EasyCard
This rechargeable payment card offers a 20% discount on individual rides. It’s a great choice if you only plan to use the MRT for a couple short-haul trips each day and are staying in Taipei for a couple days. EasyCards can also be used in certain stores like 7-11 and on many buses and trains headed out of Taipei.
Cost: NT$500 ($16.65) including NT$400 of disposable funds and a NT$100 deposit (both refundable). Expect to pay anywhere between NT$16 ($0.53) for short MRT rides and $NT44 ($1.47) for longer rides in Taipei.
Enjoy the free sites
Few cities have more compelling free activities than Taipei. And even with as much as 48 hours in Taipei, you can fill your days with sightseeing without so much as spending a cent.Here are a few of my favorite free activities in Taipei:
Confucius Temple
The intricate carvings in this Confucian temple are well worth the trek out to Datong, one of Taipei’s oldest historical districts.
Cost: Free.
Bao’an Temple
Even more impressive than its Confucian neighbour, this Taiwanese folk religion temple in Datong deserves a second (and even third) look to marvel at its ornate traditional design.
Cost: Free.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Love him or hate him, Taiwan’s most infamous politician is immortalized on the fringes of Liberty Square in central Zhongzheng. Spectacular views onto Liberty Square from the building and witnessing the hourly changing of the guard make the trip to CKS Memorial Hall worthwhile.
Cost: Free.
Elephant Mountain
Hiking up Elephant Mountain is no easy feat in Taipei’s eternal heat, but travelers who tough it out will throw themselves in front of one of the city’s finest skyline panoramas.
Cost: Free.
Eat at the markets, day and night
Like in many cities in Asia, saving money in Taipei involves a conscious effort to avoid expat- and tourist-focused restaurants and search out local food choices. Fortunately in Taipei it couldn’t be easier—wherever you wander a great local market or restaurant is never far away.
During the day you’ll find street vendors and markets scattered around the city, offering anything from oyster vermicelli and omelettes to dumplings and pork buns. If you choose well, you’ll pop your belt out with your newfound “Buddha belly” after enjoying a handful of tasty treats for NT$150 ($5) or less. For the best variety of cheap Taiwanese food though, visiting Taipei’s night markets is a must. With night markets springing forth at every end of the city, choosing one can be a challenge. Here are a few suggestions:
Raohe Street Night Market
Although it’s a little crowded and more difficult to get to than other night markets, the atmosphere at Raohe Street Night Market is worth a wander. Be sure to try the delicious pepper pies near the entrance gate (look for the long queue).
Cost: NT$45 ($1.50) for pepper buns. More expensive items like seafood, average around NT$100 ($3.33). Most other Taiwanese staples fall between.
Tonghua Night Market
Not far from Taipei 101 and a relatively quiet introduction to Taipei’s night market scene, Tonghua Night Market features all the usual Taiwanese staples including stinky tofu, oyster vermicelli, and pork sausages.
Cost: Dishes range in price but expect to pay between NT$40 ($1.33) and NT$100 ($3.33) for most servings.
Shilin Night Market
If you only visit one night market in Taipei, it should be Shilin. Not that the food is better, but the selection here is unparalleled.
Cost: Similar to any other night market, expect to pay between NT$40 ($1.33) and NT$100 ($3.33) per dish.
About Author
Ryan O’Rourke is a Canadian travel writer, photographer, international food & drink aficionado, part-time wanderer, and founder of Treksplorer. Connect with Ryan on Facebook and Twitter to join him as he unearths the earth’s quirky & sublime two to three weeks at a time.
Have you ever been to or want to go to Taipei? What are some of your favourite money saving tips for Taipei?
25 thoughts on “Taipei For Less Than $25 A Day”
I had a roommate form Taiwan and I told her I was I thinking of moving there and she said it would be manageable for me but they are limited on pizzas (because every week I’d bring home Domino s $5 pizzas)
Hi Ryan,
Great to see you here on Agness’ blog! We did a quick trip through Taipei but it was only a layover. First day of our nearly 4 year long trip. China Airways put us up in Novatel – by the airport – I mean RIGHT in the airport as you could see planes taking off and landing in front of you…..because we had 3 flights going from NYC JFK to Bali. Loved the hotel. Luxury living. But we got no flavor really from the heart of Taipei because we were isolated. In the future I’d love to visit. We’re in Bali now so I think that’s a possibility, only a 6 hour flight to the North – and West – and we’ll get there.
Thanks for the fun read and yep, you dispelled the East Asia is all expensive myth.
Happy to tweet this guys!
Ryan
I only ever hear good things about Taipei, and Taiwan in general! I really liked this article, how it was laid out with the information easy to digest. Ah, another place I have to visit!
I’ve already added it to my bucket list!!
I love Taipei! The people were really nice, even if I could not understand Chinese. most of the people really went out of their way to help out a foreigner like me. I love, love, love the food. I haven’t tried stinky tofu, though. I must really go back, as soon as I have picked up some Mandarin :)
:)
Hi Ryan (and Agness!)
Thanks for sharing these great resources. I spent most of my time in SE Asia like a lot of backpackers, and 6 months there was definitely easy on the wallet. It’s great to see the possibilities to do other parts o Asia on the cheap as well. I’ll probably be coming back when I’m done with Russia to do more exploring – and the food in Taipei looks delicious!
Andrew
So much to do…on such a little amount of money. How much is accommodation usually over there?
I know something about it :-)!
I’ve heard so many good things about Taiwan recently, must add it on the list!
Me too!!! He really made me wanna go there!!
Ryan, hook me up with some oyster vermicelli, dumplings and pork buns. Then tie a carabineer into my belt with a strap and you can drag me anywhere around Taipei. Because with a happy, fully tummy I would not be the least bit intimidated by trying to traverse those streets with you leading the way! Great post, sir :)
I really miss the dim sum these days!! :)
Great travel tips for one of my favorite countries :-)
Good to know you’re a big fan of Taiwan :).
I shared some of my personnel tips here-http://tantaikwee.blogspot.sg/2014/03/taiwan-travel-tips.html . Hope they will be useful when you travel to Taiwan :-)
Will check them out, many thanks!
Seems like Taipei is a lot of fun; off she goes in my bucket list!!
Yes, indeed!!
Those are like an insider’s travel tip, which are practically very useful. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked it!!
I had no idea Taipei had so much to offer that was absolutely free or cheap enough to warrant a longer stay. I had never previously considered Taiwan as an option for travel, but now I can see the error of that thinking, and really appreciate getting the tips on the specific places to go eat, I would have wandered around lost for quite some time!
It does and I hope you can add it to your bucket list :).
Really incredible article to tour around Taipei, however,same rates and prices can also be found for various tours of India.
Thanks a lot!