Taipei

Taipei is a high-convenience, high-safety, moderate-opportunity relocation choice for software engineers. Redditors consistently praise the MRT, compact city layout, food scene, cafés, convenience stores, healthcare, and general day-to-day safety. For people who enjoy dense Asian cities, Chinese culture, and car-free living, Taipei can feel unusually livable and comfortable.

For software engineers specifically, the biggest caveat is that Taipei is not a global salary-maximizing tech hub. The local market exists and is strongest in Taipei, but pay and purchasing power rank poorly relative to many tech cities. Multiple commenters say the best setup is a US or foreign remote job, a strong multinational, or a semiconductor-related role; local Taiwanese companies may bring lower pay, top-down culture, and long hours.

The other major tradeoffs are housing and weather. Everyday life can be affordable, but Taipei’s housing affordability is among the worst in the comparison set, especially for buying, and Western-style apartments cost more than many newcomers expect. The climate also gets heavy criticism: rain, humidity, low sunshine, hot summers, damp winters, pollution, and pests are recurring complaints.

Overall, current residents’ sentiment is split but not random: people with the right job, expectations, and tolerance for humidity often love Taipei, while those stuck in bad local work environments or expecting Western-style salaries, space, and integration can become frustrated quickly. As several Redditors advise, the smart move is to try living there for a few months first, ideally during the hardest season, before making a permanent decision.