Cost of Studying in Taiwan

The main cost buckets

The cost of studying in Taiwan breaks into a few predictable buckets: tuition and required fees, living costs (accommodation, food, transport), health insurance, and one-off items such as visa and ARC fees, flights, and an initial deposit or setup budget. Taiwan is often described as relatively affordable compared with many Western study destinations, but 'affordable' still means budgeting carefully.

Every figure in this area is set by individual universities and government bodies and changes year to year, so this guide explains what you pay for rather than quoting amounts. For any number, verify the current figure on the official university website and the Study in Taiwan portal. This is general guidance, not financial advice.

Tuition: public vs private, by level

Tuition depends on three things: whether the university is public or private, your level (bachelor's, master's or PhD), and your field. Public universities generally charge lower tuition than private ones, and some programs — for example in engineering, science or medicine — cost more than humanities or social-science courses.

Many universities publish tuition on a per-semester or per-credit basis for international students, so your total also depends on your course load. Rather than trusting a single 'average', look up the exact fee schedule on your target university's official international-admissions page for your specific program and year.

• Public universities: generally lower tuition — verify
• Private universities: generally higher — verify
• STEM and medicine programs: often cost more than humanities — verify
• Charged per semester or per credit in many cases — check your program

Living costs: Taipei vs other cities

Living costs vary most by city. Taipei, the capital, is typically the most expensive place to live, while central and southern cities and towns are usually cheaper. Your biggest living expense is accommodation: a university dormitory is normally the most economical option, while renting privately costs more.

Food, local transport (Taiwan has extensive, low-cost public transport), phone and study materials make up the rest. Build your monthly budget around your actual city and housing choice, and confirm current dormitory and rental costs with your university's housing office.

• Accommodation: dorms are usually cheapest; private rentals cost more — verify
• City matters: Taipei generally highest; other cities lower — verify
• Recurring costs: transport, food, phone, study materials

Health insurance and other required costs

International students enrolled for a qualifying period are generally required to join Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI), which involves a regular premium. Before you are eligible for NHI, universities usually require you to hold private medical or travel insurance, so factor coverage into your first months.

Other costs to plan for include the resident visa and ARC fees, an initial settling-in budget, and any program-specific charges. Premiums and fees are set officially and can change — verify the current NHI premium and visa/ARC fees on the official sources rather than estimating.

• National Health Insurance (NHI) after the qualifying enrolment period — verify premium
• Private insurance for the initial period before NHI — verify
• Visa and ARC fees, plus a settling-in budget

Scholarships that offset cost

Several scholarships can reduce or cover your costs, and they are awarded on academic and program criteria, not on any religious or personal basis. The main government schemes include the MOE Taiwan Scholarship and the Taiwan-ICDF (International Cooperation and Development Fund) scholarships, alongside a wide range of individual university scholarships.

If your goal is to learn Mandarin, the MOE's Huayu Enrichment Scholarship supports language study specifically. Amounts, coverage, quotas and eligibility differ by scheme and year, are competitive, and are never guaranteed — check each program's official page for the current terms and deadlines.

• MOE Taiwan Scholarship — verify eligibility and coverage
• Taiwan-ICDF scholarships — verify
• University-specific scholarships — verify with each university
• Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (for Mandarin study) — verify

Budgeting and proof of funds

When you apply for your resident visa, you are generally asked to show financial proof that you can support your studies and stay — another reason to build a realistic total-cost estimate early. Add tuition, a full year of living costs, insurance, and a buffer for one-off and emergency expenses.

Exchange rates move, so convert costs using a current rate at the time you budget rather than an old figure, and never rely on an invented 'approximate' number. Confirm tuition with your university, living costs with its housing and student office, and the financial-proof requirement with BOCA. This is guidance only, not financial advice.