Initial Expenses
Moving to another place always takes some money. We recommend that you bring at least US$800 and a little more if you can. Most new teachers end up spending a little more money than experienced teachers because they don't know the best cheap restaurants, which bus to take (new teachers usually take taxis a lot more often because of this), etc.

In order to rent an apartment, you will need your first month's rent + a security deposit of either one or two months' rent. You will not need to cover the costs of living in a hostel (inexpensive) or a hotel (very expensive in Taiwan) for your first week or two while you are looking for an apartment if you take advantage of our available short-term housing. Along with these costs, there are things like phone hook-up and the purchase of furnishings as most places are unfurnished. On the bright side, secondhand furniture is cheap and easy to come by.

Can Teachers Save Money?
What it really comes down to is how you want to live while you are here. If you want to duplicate every facet of your life back home (eating Western food all the time, etc.), living can be really expensive. If, on the other hand, you are ready to live like an average Taiwanese and try all the great food Taiwan has to offer, then you can live both inexpensively and well.

However, as a foreign teacher, you will be making considerably more than the average wage earner makes in this country. In your first couple of months, you probably won't save anything because of the costs of settling in and the cost of learning the culture. Once you have adjusted, you should be able to save money every month.

Quick Accommodations
After you clear customs at Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, you should first go to the Tourist Information Desk in the arrival hall and pick up a free tourist map of Taiwan and Taipei and a copy of This Month in Taiwan. The maps are free here but you'd have to buy them once you got into the city. Also ask for information about hostels in Taipei. Then, exchange at least US$200 at a bank in the arrivals hall. (This should be plenty to get you through your first week or so in Taipei if you are careful. After that you can change money at most banks.) Then , there is a shuttle bus (#2) that costs NT$111 (US$4) that will take you directly into the city center at the Taipei Train Station. This is near where most of the hostels are located. It will take you anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours for this trip depending on the time of day you arrive. If you would rather take a taxi, it will cost you about NT$1000 (US$40). Once you arrive at the train station, find a phone and give these hostels a call to check on availability. (Phone calls cost NT$1).

• Amigo Hostel - 2542-0292
• Formosa Hostel - 2563-3341
• Happy Formosa Hostel - 2581-0716
• New Formosa Hostel - 2511-6744
• Taipei Hostel - 2395-2950

Most hostels will charge you from US$6-15 a night for a dormitory bed and US$15-20 for a very small single room per night. For other hostels in Taipei and in other cities, be sure to check through This Month in Taiwan. If you would rather stay in a hotel, be forewarned: the cheapest hotels in Taiwan start at US$45/per night and just go up from there. You will very quickly go through your start-up money if you choose this route.