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: $1,058 in Chiayi versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Chiayi versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,937 in Chiayi versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 36% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 23% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$154

$11.92 MX$206

-59.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 NT$1,483

$51.6 MX$890

-9.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 NT$186

$11.41 MX$197

-48.90%

Cappuccino

$3.53 NT$113

$3.99 MX$68.9

-11.53%

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

$0.85 NT$26.98

$1.66 MX$28.61

-48.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.81

$1.33 MX$22.87

-51.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$90.8

$3.47 MX$59.9

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 NT$117

$5.90 MX$102

-37.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$99.2

$1.88 MX$32.36

65.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 NT$64.8

$3.25 MX$56.1

-37.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 NT$97.9

$2.16 MX$37.26

42.59%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.6

$2.90 MX$49.94

-7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.52 NT$621

$12.86 MX$222

51.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 NT$304

$10.05 MX$173

-4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.35 NT$680

$15.86 MX$273

34.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 NT$161

$3.29 MX$56.8

54.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 NT$109

$2.01 MX$34.60

70.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 NT$101

$2.20 MX$37.93

43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 NT$145

$2.36 MX$40.63

93.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$85.8

$2.05 MX$35.43

31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.8

$1.90 MX$32.79

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NT$56.4

$1.61 MX$27.68

9.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$35.72

$1.40 MX$24.09

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 NT$122

$5.46 MX$94.2

-29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 NT$147

$17.65 MX$304

-73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.9

$2.06 MX$35.44

-16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$4.68 MX$80.8

-51.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.51 NT$398

$20.81 MX$359

-39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 NT$83.1

$2.10 MX$36.15

24.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 NT$14.64

$0.56 MX$9.64

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 NT$294

$5.81 MX$100

58.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.49

$1.61 MX$27.68

-36.65%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$22.8K MX$393.8K

47.84%

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

$24.5K NT$778.3K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-8.60%

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

$65.8 NT$2,095

$65.2 MX$1,124

0.98%

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

$17.73 NT$564

$30.09 MX$519

-41.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.95 NT$890

$37.18 MX$641

-24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.98 NT$1,018

$59.8 MX$1,030

-46.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 NT$314

$7.04 MX$121

39.91%

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

$631 NT$20.1K

$465 MX$8,012

35.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$527.0K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 NT$2,017

$75.9 MX$1,308

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 NT$1,262

$56.0 MX$965

-29.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,672

$112 MX$1,929

-24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,304

$121 MX$2,078

-13.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 NT$11.9K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$7,981

$721 MX$12.4K

-65.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,152 NT$100.3K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-21.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,883 NT$59.9K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,129 NT$67.8K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

105.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

11.3

-78.76%

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

Last update for Chiayi: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Chiayi and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Chiayi vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $345, 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 57% 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 105% 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: $375 in Chiayi versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,058 per month in Chiayi versus $1,660 in Mexico City – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 66% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,058 in Chiayi versus $1,660 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 $1,058 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.