Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,950 in Chiayi versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Chiayi versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 22% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 14% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 NT$217

$13.14 MX$227

-48.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 NT$1,311

$53.5 MX$926

-24.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 NT$190

$9.33 MX$161

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$72.2

$3.70 MX$64.0

-39.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$37.59

$1.60 MX$27.76

-27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.99

$1.12 MX$19.34

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$60.8

$3.14 MX$54.3

-40.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 NT$96.3

$4.85 MX$83.9

-38.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$1.65 MX$28.61

94.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$61.3

$2.71 MX$46.96

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$97.9

$1.91 MX$33.03

58.64%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$94.2

$2.59 MX$44.81

12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 NT$645

$9.81 MX$170

103.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NT$319

$8.43 MX$146

17.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 NT$649

$11.93 MX$206

68.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 NT$165

$2.95 MX$51.1

73.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$1.74 MX$30.10

64.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 NT$89.0

$2.04 MX$35.38

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 NT$133

$2.06 MX$35.64

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$91.5

$2.15 MX$37.20

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.2

$2.26 MX$39.02

-3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NT$60.6

$1.39 MX$23.97

35.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.92

$1.12 MX$19.31

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 NT$131

$4.22 MX$73.0

-3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 NT$154

$17.51 MX$303

-72.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NT$58.0

$1.71 MX$29.58

4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$78.3

$3.63 MX$62.8

-33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.07

$0.35 MX$6.10

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 NT$1,278

$19.32 MX$334

104.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$94.6

$1.38 MX$23.80

112.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 NT$13.43

$0.28 MX$4.77

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NT$324

$5.28 MX$91.3

89.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.56

$1.36 MX$23.50

-23.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K NT$1.2M

$19.1K MX$330.5K

98.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.4K NT$883.6K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

15.91%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$72.4 NT$2,338

$40.53 MX$701

78.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.02 NT$614

$27.38 MX$474

-30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 NT$804

$30.38 MX$526

-18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 NT$1,205

$52.2 MX$903

-28.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 NT$495

$26.48 MX$458

-42.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NT$387

$6.19 MX$107

93.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$644 NT$20.8K

$425 MX$7,355

51.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K NT$596.1K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

71.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NT$1,907

$58.3 MX$1,009

1.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 NT$1,058

$44.57 MX$771

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 NT$2,969

$103 MX$1,791

-11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,987

$109 MX$1,881

13.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 NT$13.8K

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,369

$623 MX$10.8K

-53.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NT$33.6K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-50.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 NT$23.3K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-41.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,045 NT$98.3K

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-19.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,834 NT$59.2K

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-13.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,116 NT$68.3K

$1,052 MX$18.2K

101.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

11.34

-80.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Chiayi and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $293, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiayi vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Chiayi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Chiayi versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,149 per month in Chiayi versus $1,472 in Mexico City – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,149 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiayi and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.