The cheapest kind of apartment is the studio-apartment. A studio-apartment usually comes furnished with air-conditioning, bed, desk and chair, and clothes cabinet. There's always a bathroom with shower and toilet. TV and refrigerator would cost extra.

Studio-apartments usually cost NT$ 4,000 to NT$ 7,000 a month. Upon signing the lease, you will need to pay NT$ 12,000 to NT$ 21,000 up front.

One-bedroom apartments may or may not have a kitchen, and may or may not come furnished. Some come with two bathrooms.

One bedroom apartments usually cost NT$ 8,000 to NT$ 15,000 per month. Upon signing the lease, you will need to pay NT$ 24,000 to NT$ 45,000 up front.

Two and three-bedroom apartments usually have at least 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. They may or may not come furnished. Teachers usually pool their money together to rent such an apartment.

Two and three-bedroom apartments usually cost NT$ 15,000 to NT$ 30,000 per month. Upon signing the lease, you will need to pay NT$ 45,000 to NT$ 90,000 up front.

Aside from the rent, some apartments also collect a monthly maintenance fee. Depending on the building administrator, the maintenance fee may be collected monthly, semi-monthly, or quarterly. Usually, you can get a discount when you pay for a couple of months in advance.

The maintenance fee usually includes garbage collection, security, and electricity for the common areas like hallways, lobby and elevators.

Maintenance fees range from NT$ 300 to NT$ 2,500 a month depending on the size of the apartment and the services included.

Below is a summary of what you will expect to pay upon signing your apartment¡¦s lease.

Unless you brought enough money to rent an apartment right away, we recommend that you spend one month in a hostel or dormitory. The monthly rate for such is around NT$ 5,000 to NT$ 7,000. You will need to pay upfront for the entire month.

For weekly payments, hostels and dormitories will charge by the day. Daily rates for hostels and dormitories are NT$ 250 to NT$ 500 per day.

Staying in a hostel or dormitory will provide you with the chance to familiarize yourself with your new environment before settling down.

Utilities

Utilities include electricity, water and gas.  The amount you pay for rent usually do not include utilities.

In most studio-apartments, you only need to pay for electricity and water. Only larger apartments with kitchens have gas. Some older buildings may use gas-run water heaters.

Electric bills come every two months. Water and gas bills come every month. Utility bills can be paid in any bank, post office or convenience store. It is essential that utility bills be paid on time. Paying overdue bills is a big hassle. You will have to travel to the main office of the utility company to settle your account.

Other Amenities

Most apartments in Taiwan do not include Telephone, cable TV, Internet access and other special amenities.

Applying for cable TV is relatively easy. Depending on your location, cable companies charge an installation fee of around NT$ 2,000. Monthly fee is NT$ 500 to NT$ 600. Depending on your arrangement with the cable company, they will send you a bill every month or every 6 months. You can pay your cable bill in any convenience store or post office.

There are different rates for Internet access. ADSL is the most expensive. You will need to pay installation fees and monthly fees. For dial-up Internet access, you will need a telephone line and pay a fixed monthly fee plus usage. Pre-paid Internet access cards can be bought in most convenience stores.

Most teachers just use the computer in their schools or Internet cafes.

When applying for a local telephone line, you will need an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate). The installation fee is NT$ 3,000 and you will have to pay a refundable deposit of NT$ 1,000. Monthly phone bills can be paid in any convenience store. Like utility bills, it is essential that you pay them on time. Paying overdue bills is a big hassle. You will have to travel to the phone company¡¦s representative office to settle your account.

Getting a mobile phone would be more practical. Second hand mobile phones cost between NT$ 500 to NT$ 2,000 each. Most foreigners purchase pre-paid mobile phone cards as registration and deposits are not required. Pre-paid phone kits costs NT$ 1,000. In the kit, you will get a SIM card to install in your mobile phone. The kit is also preloaded with NT$ 300 to NT$ 500 worth of calls.

You can charge your phone with more call units by purchasing more pre-paid cards in any convenience store.