Taiwan (TW)
A safe, democratic, tech-forward island with excellent public healthcare, dense transit, world-class food culture, and a strong base for East Asia.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Taiwan.
🛒 Supermarkets
Most common neighbourhood supermarket; good for groceries and household basics.
Hypermarkets and smaller Market stores; imported items and household goods.
Membership warehouse popular with families and expats; bulk imported goods.
Local chain with basics and promotions.
Imported groceries in higher-income districts and department stores.
Fresh produce, fish, meat and prepared food; cash and basic Mandarin help.
Opening Hours
Convenience stores are famously 24/7. Supermarkets usually open around 8am-10pm. Banks often open weekdays roughly 9am-3:30pm. Government counters are mainly weekday office hours.
Sunday Rules
No general Sunday trading ban. Restaurants, malls, convenience stores and many supermarkets open weekends; banks, clinics and government offices usually close.
Recycling
Waste collection is active and local. In many cities you bring sorted garbage to timed trucks and separate recyclables/food waste. Taipei uses paid city garbage bags; rules differ by municipality.
Dining Out
Eating out is normal and often cheaper than cooking for one. Night markets, breakfast shops, bento shops and noodle stalls are everyday options; many small places are cash-only.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity and water are generally reliable. Summer air conditioning can raise bills. Dehumidifiers help in northern homes. Gas may be piped or cylinder depending on building.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Convenience stores handle parcels, bills, tickets and printing.
- → Carry an umbrella or rain jacket in northern Taiwan.
- → Apartment humidity and mold control are real quality-of-life issues.
- → Respect temple etiquette and apartment quiet expectations.
- → Line is the dominant messaging app for work, schools, landlords and services.
- → Night markets are social spaces; queue, order clearly and keep cash handy.
Quiet Hours
Noise rules are municipal and building-specific rather than one national quiet-hours law. Apartment management rules matter.
Loud music, drilling, shouting and renovation noise.
Construction and renovation often restricted by local or building rules.
Many apartment committees restrict works on Sundays and holidays.
- •Assuming thin concrete apartments block sound
- •Running dehumidifier/washer loudly at night
- •Ignoring building management notices in Chinese
Neighbours may complain to building management, police or environmental authorities; repeated disputes can affect lease renewal.
Postal Services
Chunghwa Post provides mail, savings, insurance and parcel services. Convenience-store parcel pickup is extremely common.
iBox lockers and convenience-store pickup via 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Shopee/Taiwan e-commerce channels.
Passport/ARC is commonly required for bank, telecom, registered mail and financial services.
Registered mail is used for official notices, banks and legal communications; do not ignore pickup slips.
Chunghwa Post offers address-change and mail redirection services; update NIA, tax, bank, employer and telecom separately.
- →Use Chinese address format when possible.
- →Keep your phone number current for parcel SMS.
- →Ask your building guard how packages are handled.