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Student housing in Taiwan: flatshare, studio or university residence?

University residence, flatshare or studio: housing options while studying in Taiwan, published prices in Taipei and the steps to plan for.

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The Remoters editorial team
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To study in Taiwan, you have three ways to find housing: a room in a university residence, a room in a flatshare or shared house (share house), or a studio of your own. The residence is the cheapest, but places are limited and rarely guaranteed to international students. Flatsharing is the most common solution when the residence doesn't work out. A studio costs significantly more in the capital.

Most foreign students settle in Taipei, and that is where the benchmarks are most precise. National Taiwan University (NTU), the city's largest, estimates off-campus housing at between 48,000 and 72,000 Taiwan dollars (TWD) per four-month semester, or 12,000 to 18,000 TWD per month. A studio or one-bedroom apartment rents for 20,000 to 45,000 TWD per month in central Taipei neighbourhoods.

This guide follows the order of your steps: the paperwork to sort out before searching, the choice between residence, flatshare and studio, the neighbourhoods, then the lease and the pitfalls to avoid.

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Before searching: visa, resident card and insurance

Your status determines your housing. A landlord will sign more readily if you can show a resident card.

  • The visa: apply for it at Taiwan's representative office in your country. For a stay of one academic year or more, NTU recommends a resident visa.
  • The resident card (ARC): with a resident visa, you must apply for it within 30 days of your arrival, online with the National Immigration Agency. It serves as ID and makes it easier to get a lease, a mobile plan and health insurance.
  • Insurance: international students on degree programmes must be insured during their stay. At NTU, they are first enrolled in a group insurance plan (3,000 TWD for six months, non-refundable), then in National Health Insurance (NHI) after six consecutive months of residence with the ARC.

If you are coming for a single exchange semester, ask your host university: the visa and insurance rules are not the same as for a full degree.

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Residence, flatshare or studio: which to choose?

The university residence

Taiwanese universities house some of their students on campus or nearby. At NTU, the published rates range from 7,900 to 12,900 TWD per semester for a double or quadruple room in the general residences, and from 5,620 to 8,590 TWD per month at Prince House, water included. For a semester, NTU estimates the latter at between 22,480 and 42,280 TWD.

Three rules to remember:

  • the housing request is ticked at the time of application and cannot be changed afterwards;
  • the result arrives about a month before the start of term, too late to begin a calm search on the private market;
  • on-campus housing is open only during the study period.

So run both searches in parallel.

Flatshares and shared houses

A room in a shared apartment fits the budget of 12,000 to 18,000 TWD per month used by NTU. The furnished shared houses that the university lists for information show ranges of 6,000 to 23,000 TWD per month, sometimes with utilities included, some with a minimum term of only one month. NTU states that it has no connection with these landlords: assess the conditions and risks yourself.

The studio on your own

Living alone in Taipei costs 20,000 to 45,000 TWD per month in central neighbourhoods, and from 12,000 TWD in more distant areas such as Neihu, Wenshan or Muzha. Add water, electricity and internet, generally billed on top of the rent.

Taipei neighbourhoods to look at

Start from your campus and the nearest metro (MRT) station. For NTU, that is Gongguan, and the student card works like an EasyCard on the metro and on YouBike bikes, available near every station.

  • Da'an: NTU's neighbourhood, in high demand among students and foreigners, with some of the highest rents.
  • Zhongzheng: historic and administrative district, close to the main station, convenient for getting around the rest of the island.
  • Zhongshan: central, well served by the metro.
  • Wanhua: historic district being revived around Ximending, with more affordable rents.
  • Wenshan: residential and quiet in the south of the city, with competitive rents.
  • Neihu: residential and green, further out, affordable rents.

Outside Taipei, rents are generally lower, but published benchmarks are rare: ask your host university's international office.

The lease and the condition of the home

  • The contract is in Chinese: have every clause (term, notice, early departure, return of the deposit) reviewed by someone who reads Chinese.
  • The security deposit: generally one to three months' rent, payable at signing.
  • Agency fees: about half a month's rent if an agency is involved.
  • At the viewing: look for signs of damp, which is common in Taipei, test the air conditioner and the water heater, and judge the soundproofing.

Pitfalls to avoid

  • Signing without viewing: the big listing platforms, such as 591.com.tw, are mostly in Chinese and photos tell you nothing about damp or noise.
  • Paying a deposit remotely: pay it only after the viewing and against a signed contract.
  • Ignoring your university's services: NTU's Student Safety Center offers an off-campus housing safety service. You register the landlord's name and phone number and the address; the team gives advice and can check the housing conditions with the landlord. Ask whether your institution offers the same.
  • Arriving without a solution: book a few nights in advance so you can view in person before signing.

Getting help to search remotely

If you don't read Chinese or are searching from France, a Remoters home finder based in Taipei can look for a room or studio for you, visit, put together your application and review the lease before you sign. The first conversation and the quote are free.

Sources

  • Cost of Living, National Taiwan University, Office of International Affairs, August 2026
  • Accommodation, National Taiwan University, Office of International Affairs, September 2026
  • Visa/ARC, National Taiwan University, Office of International Affairs, August 2026
  • Insurance, National Taiwan University, Office of International Affairs, September 2026
  • Local Resources, National Taiwan University, Office of International Affairs, July 2026

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.

Sources cited in this article

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