by Luna Erica
Though it may not be the first country you think of when planning to study abroad in English, Taiwan offers many great English-taught Master’s programmes.
An island in East Asia close to China and Japan, Taiwan is surrounded by different cultures, aside from having a wonderfully defined one itself. But how much should you budget when you’re planning to live and study in Taiwan?
Find Master's degrees in Taiwan
1. Tuition fees in Taiwan
Tuition fees in Taiwan differ per university. Since they can range from 675 EUR to 12,700 EUR per year, it’s always smart to check the individual fees of the university you’d like to attend and the course you would like to do. That said, these are some average prices at public universities:
- 1,100–7,500 EUR/year for Bachelor’s degrees
- 600–15,500 EUR/year for Master’s degrees
- 700–7,000 EUR/year for PhDs
Tuition in Taiwan is less pricey at public universities than it is at private ones, so bear that in mind if money is an issue for you.
Finding an affordable degree
With Studyportals, you can filter degrees based on their fees. With that function, you’ll be able to see which degrees are the cheapest and which ones are a little more expensive. You can get even more defined search results with Studyportals’ BestFit tool, which will find a programme based on your background and wishes.
When browsing programmes, don’t forget that fees may change every year. Always check the official university website for their updated info to be sure what to expect.
Universities we recommend in Taiwan
- Providence University
- National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech)
- Kun Shan University
Check out the best universities in Taiwan according to global rankings.
2. Student living costs in Taiwan
Living in Taiwan on a student budget will cost you about 680–880 EUR per month excluding tuition. Some things that may affect your costs are:
- Your accommodation type (shared room; single room; off-campus vs on-campus)
- Your personal spending on food, books, and other items
- The area where you’ll live
- How much you’ll need to commute or travel
- Student housing costs
Taiwan has many options for living, depending on your budget and preferences. These are some of them:
- Student halls of residence (80–200 EUR/month) – living in halls will often mean you’re very close to your academic buildings and to your friends
- Rented flats (300–600 EUR/month) – living off-campus can be as expensive as you want it to be, but you can definitely decrease your monthly spend by sharing a room with one or several roommates
- Host family (7–25 EUR/night) – living with one or different host families will allow you to experience the local culture easily and in-depth
3. Food costs in Taiwan
On average, people spend about 13 EUR on food per day in Taiwan. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In Taiwanese supermarkets, you can expect costs to average around:
- 2.70 EUR for a litre of milk
- 1.70 EUR for a loaf of bread
- 3.80 EUR for a kilo of apples
- 2.00 EUR for twelve eggs
You can find a detailed description of average costs of living online.
4. Transportation costs
Taiwan has a whole range of trains, buses, metros, taxis and bikes you can use for transportation. Or if you have the money, you could buy a car!
Travel costs depend entirely on which of these options you use and how often you use them. For about 5 EUR, you can get a one-day pass to travel on the metro and bus, but with subscriptions or passes for several days, the daily price already goes down.
People who travel between Taiwanese cities generally spend between 2–17 EUR per day on transportation — a wide range because of the wide range of travel options.
Find Master's degrees in Taiwan
5. Extra costs in Taiwan
These costs, too, depend entirely on your usage. If you don’t go to the cinema, you’ll save some money. But if you join an expensive gym, you might lose some on that. This part is all about personal choices, but here are some examples of things that might cost you extra every month:
- 9 EUR for a new SIM card, with about 3 EUR worth of call time and 1.2GB of data (where one call costs 1 to 30 cents per minute)
- 9 EUR for a cinema ticket
- 37 EUR/month for a fitness membership
- 67 EUR for a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans or similar
Healthcare, too, comes at different costs, depending on your provider and package. Always take care to inform yourself on all the different options and insure yourself to your preference.
Check out more info about Taiwan.
6. Scholarships and grants
If you do want to study in Taiwan, despite the relatively lower costs compared to most Western European countries, you may want to apply for a scholarship or grant to cover your tuition fees. These are usually offered by universities, larger organizations, or even individual sponsors.
Be on time in applying for these: the deadlines sometimes close months before you even have to apply for your study. And if you miss a scholarship deadline, you often have to wait until next year to still apply for one.
Luckily, you can start the process right now with the Studyportals Scholarship. Apply now for a chance to let us finance your studies!