Living expenses in Beijing and Shanghai have skyrocketed in recent years. In contrast, it is possible live well, yet frugally as a student in Taipei. In addition, there are many free or reasonably-priced options for entertainment and extracurricular learning. Here are a few tips: (The exchange rate is currently about 30NTD/1USD.) 1) Housing ICLP offers comfortable, reasonably priced dormitory housing on campus. This is a good choice if your Chinese is not ready to deal the search on your own. The rental market has a lot of turnover, and many landlords are willing to sign short-term leases to fit your term of study. Prices and quality vary greatly, so it pays to spend at least a week looking. Many use Tealit.com or similar expat-oriented sites to find housing, but options are limited and on the expensive side. I highly recommend Tsuei Mama (崔媽媽基金會), a foundation that offers free rental listings for students. The staff will offer practical advice. However, you must register at their office in person before accessing the database. It is a fifteen minute walk from ICLP. With a little looking, it is possible to find an older, small room with shared bathroom not far from campus for as little as 4,500-5,000 NTD/month plus water and electricity. 2) Food Restaurant prices and quality also vary greatly. Most restaurants around campus offer options between 60-200NTD. Local college students tend to find 50-90NTD reasonable for a meal. Gourmet will put you back 300-600NTD. 3) Transportation Buy a bike! The NTU campus is big. You can save a lot of commuting time and explore more of the city on wheels. Used bikes of reasonable quality run between 600-1200 NTD at shops near campus. Make sure to haggle to have a free lock thrown in. NTU periodically holds a sale for towed bikes that haven’t been claimed. Each is just 400NTD, no matter the make or quality. 4) Entertainment Taipei has a vibrant nightlife, a fact that hasn’t escaped the attention of visitors from abroad. However, compared to other living expenses, club cover and alcohol are pricey. There are many inexpensive or free forms of entertainment more amenable to making friends with locals and learning Chinese. As a rule, lectures and classes at NTU are open to auditors. Many non-profit organizations and foundations hold lecture series about the arts and other topics. Museums are usually less than 100NTD with student ID. There is always something to do in Taipei, usually within a thirty-minute distance from campus. You can pick up pamphlets and newspapers advertising upcoming events at many cafes near campus. A gym membership at NTU only costs about 1,000NTD for six month.