Taipei’s Air Quality: A Digital Nomad’s Unfiltered Take (And Why My Lungs Feel Like a Clogged Sieve)

i’ve been living like a digital nomad in taipei for the past six months, and honestly, the air quality here feels like a conspiracy. not a spy kind of conspiracy, but more like, ‘why does every time i step outside, i taste this weird mix of scooter fumes and convenience store plastic?’ like, i didn’t sign up for this. i came for the coffee, not a chemical face mask.

so here’s the deal: taipei’s air quality isn’t great. not the worst in the world, sure, but if you’re here long-term or have asthma or just hate feeling like you’re inhaling a dumpster fire, this is a vibe you need to unpack. let me drop some real data points mashed with my misanthropic rants.

*how bad is it really?
look, i’m no scientist, but i’ve checked the air quality index (aqi) onAirVisual app enough times to know taipei’s AQI usually bounces between 50-120. that means ‘moderate’ to ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’ i’m not sensitive, but i’m still sneezing more than a golden retriever in november.

here’s the irony: taipei’s government says they’re improving it, but i swear every time i ride an e-scooter past a construction site, i get a faceful of particulate matter. data from theepa.gov.tw shows 70% of pollution comes from vehicles and industry. yep, that’s right. the city that’s basically a tech paradise has more pollution than a Jakarta traffic jam.

rent vs. health: the trade-off
so, rent in taipei is brutal. i’m paying like $1,200 a month for a tiny place in dongzhi, and it’s not even super close to a park. but i didn’t want to be in a trailer park in queens. here’s the kicker: places with lower rent often mean closer to factories or ports. like, the cheap apartments in chang-gu? they’re basically carbon monoxide zones. somebody out there is selling ‘fresh air’ as a $30/month upsell.

pro-tips for not dying
- buy an air purifier. i got a panda x5 for like $150. it’s loud as a v8 engine at 3am, but my lungs thank me.
- avoid the night markets. sure, the smog is romantic, but it’s also a respiratory attack.
- check thepcdb.gov.tw site daily. it’s the only thing keeping me from buying a dehumidifier and a hazmat suit.

then there’s the weather. taipei’s a mix of 90% humidity and sudden monsoons. yesterday, i stepped out and it rained for 30 seconds. then it stopped. the humidity made the air feel like jello, and the smell of wet concrete was iconic. my neighbor’s cat, which i’ve grown to hate, was the only thing outside that day. it stared at me like, ‘you’re both unwitting participants in environmental hell.’

last week, a guy in a taxi told me, ‘if you want clean air, go to new taipei. they’re building this big park or whatever.’ i asked if it was true, and he just snorted. ‘lol, the government uses that as a selling point.’ classic. like, we’re all just playing their game.

overheard gossip
- over at a bar near shilin station, someone said, ‘the air here is so bad, even the pigeons are wearing masks.’ i didn’t believe them until i saw a pigeon with a tiny mask in a photo onTripAdvisor.
- a yoga instructor at a café near ximending warned me, ‘if you practice here, your chi will get clogged.’ she was serious. i didn’t listen. now i cough like a smoker.
- a local on reddit asked if we should care about air quality. the top reply was, ‘you live here. you’re the problem.’ brutal, but true.

why i stay anyway*
because taipei has the best street food? check. because the tech scene is insane? check. because i’m stubborn? check.

and the job market? yeah, it’s wild. i’m doing remote work now, which means i could leave. but every time i think about quitting, i remember this one quotation from a yelp review for a coffee shop: ‘the air tastes like regret here, but the oat milk latte is worth it.’

so here’s my mess: i’mформирую this city into a fragile habit. i’ll keep checking the AQI, buying my purifier, and pretending the smog isn’t a personal attack.maybe one day, i’ll find a hack - like a rooftop garden or a secret forest. but until then, i’ll just order a boba tea and hope the milk is free of particulate.

i’m keeping this short because i need to charge my laptop.

links:
- airvisual-taipei (for real-time AQI)
- taipei locals reddit (for more disgusting truths)
- traveling with asthma (surprisingly helpful)
- youtube video: taipei air quality explained (because who doesn’t love a rant)

Taipei’s Air Quality: A Digital Nomad’s Unfiltered Take (And Why My Lungs Feel Like a Clogged Sieve)

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Ethan Hunt

Comments (0)

Join the conversation

Comments (0)

Join the conversation