Breaking the bank
There are plenty of posts around that discuss how to live on a budget in Taiwan, but thought it might be a good idea to demonstrate how easy it is to break the bank in Taiwan. Doesn't take much effort at all. Rent - everyone needs a home, and not everyone is looking to live outside of the action. In Taipei finding a 1 bedroom for $4,000 Canadian and up is really easy. Finding a cheap place is difficult. If you are looking for a place, this is the best site around. If you use the translate function the site tends to crash. I have found it best to run a tab with the English version and another with the Chinese version. Use the English version to choose the options on the Chinese site. Any place that is priced right can be gone within a day, so if you see it and like it, you will need to jump on it. Drinks - who doesn't love going out for drinks? This comes with quite the sticker shock. Cocktail bars in Taipei sell drinks for $350 NT ($16 CDN) and up. Beer that costs $35 NT ($1.