Explore Taipei on a budget without missing a thing
Taiwan is a thrilling East Asian destination deserving of your recognition. The capital city of Taipei is where most travelers start their adventure, and, despite being the nation’s most expensive city, Taipei exploration can still be done on thrift. Here’s how:
Is Taipei budget friendly?
Absolutely! A number of the best Taipei attractions come free or very cheap, including visits to most museums, temples and parks around the city. The secret of exploring Taipei cheaply is to move through the city like a resident; eating Taiwanese food, mastering public transport and quelling the urge to buy Western brands.
How much money do I need per day in Taipei?
The answer of how much money you need per day in Taipei depends on how easy you find it to integrate! If you’d like to tick off the more touristic attractions – by dining at Din Tai Feng and scaling Taipei 101 – you would have to budget around 2000NTD ($70 USD) per day. Add luxury hotel accommodation to the mix and you could be looking at as much as 5000NTD ($170) per day.
To explore Taipei on a budget however, we recommend sticking to small guesthouses or hostels and dining at local restaurants, moving out into nature when looking for things to do. Travelers willing to stay in low-cost accommodation will find it relatively easy to stick to around a more modest 1000NTD ($35) per day, perhaps as little as 600NTD ($20) for the most frugal backpacker lifestyle.
Master the subway system with an EasyCard
One key aspect of Taipei budget travel is to quickly figure out the public transport system. Compared to other metropolitan cities, Taipei’s transport system is very affordable and immaculately clean, with fees of around 20-30NTD ($0.70-1) for a single subway journey (inside an 11-kilometer radius) or 15NT ($0.50) for a single bus fare.
Though there is an option to buy a daily or weekly travel pass, or even an unlimited Fun Pass also cover all the big attractions, the city’s EasyCard metro card is the best way to travel without limits on the subway (MRT), bus, Maokong gondola and YouBike system (at 10-30% less than a single ticket, plus discounts for multiple use). And, if you exceed the cost of a day pass with multiple journeys on your EasyCard, cardholders are reimbursed automatically at the end of the month.
To buy an EasyCard, simply ask at the information booth in any metro station, any 7-11 convenience store or find the automated card machine with the EasyCard logo. The one-off card fee is 100NTD and you can top up any amount.
Hop on a YouBike and cycle the riverside
Taipei City’s YouBike system is free for rides up to 30 minutes and 5NT ($0.17) per half hour thereafter. You’ll often find these bikes left undocked on the street while riders linger over lunch in Daan Forest Park or drinks at Dadaocheng Wharf – they’re that cheap!
In order to use a YouBike, you’ll need to register your EasyCard with a local phone number (easily done on the automated screens beside docking stations) and this is a good reason to pick up a prepaid SIM card at the airport when you arrive.
Nab a data plan on arrival
Contrary to what you might expect, Taiwan’s airports are the cheapest places to buy prepaid SIM cards, making onward connections and Google Search emergencies all the more convenient. Even for a short trip, having data and internet access will allow you to navigate through the city with ease, discovering little-known gems championed on the dustiest corners of the internet.
Of the various companies offering prepaid SIM cards, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and T-Star all offer good rates (around 300NTD for three days or 500NTD for 10 days) but for extra savings, try booking your SIM in advance on Klook before picking up at Taoyuan Airport. For long-term usage, T-Star is the only provider available for tourists.
Travelers squeezing every penny can alternatively make use of the free 4G service offered in certain areas across the city (such as Ximen and Xinyi districts) and inside most Taipei Metro stations. This service is slightly more inconvenient and less reliable than having your own data plan but, for free and fast 4G, you can’t complain. Read More…
