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: $1,173 in Chiayi versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Chiayi versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Chiayi versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 12% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 NT$214

$12.98 MX$227

-47.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.59 NT$1,285

$53.1 MX$929

-23.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 NT$178

$9.72 MX$170

-42.18%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.8

$3.75 MX$65.6

-42.13%

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

$1.13 NT$35.65

$1.57 MX$27.46

-28.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.90

$1.13 MX$19.76

-30.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$59.5

$3.18 MX$55.7

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NT$95.2

$4.66 MX$81.6

-35.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$1.62 MX$28.37

101.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$60.2

$2.71 MX$47.36

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NT$101

$1.88 MX$32.89

69.15%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$89.1

$2.51 MX$43.90

11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$641

$10.08 MX$176

100.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NT$313

$8.29 MX$145

19.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 NT$635

$11.94 MX$209

68.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 NT$165

$2.86 MX$50.1

82.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.9

$1.75 MX$30.62

69.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.5

$2.08 MX$36.48

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$1.97 MX$34.46

118.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.5

$2.16 MX$37.79

31.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.8

$2.18 MX$38.16

1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.4

$1.39 MX$24.34

41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.22

$1.12 MX$19.69

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$4.20 MX$73.5

-2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 NT$153

$14.25 MX$249

-66.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.3

$1.76 MX$30.85

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.7

$3.68 MX$64.5

-35.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.95

$0.39 MX$6.74

110.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.66 NT$1,224

$18.66 MX$327

107.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.2

$1.39 MX$24.26

112.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.13

$0.30 MX$5.32

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$320

$5.42 MX$94.9

86.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.58

$1.35 MX$23.63

-23.70%

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

$38.8K NT$1.2M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

105.71%

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

$28.1K NT$888.4K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

21.24%

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

$72.1 NT$2,280

$40.82 MX$714

76.51%

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

$18.85 NT$596

$27.50 MX$481

-31.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 NT$781

$30.38 MX$532

-18.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 NT$1,196

$53.4 MX$935

-29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 NT$479

$26.30 MX$460

-42.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.66 NT$369

$6.27 MX$110

85.96%

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

$645 NT$20.4K

$436 MX$7,632

47.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$594.1K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

79.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NT$1,889

$56.8 MX$993

5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,077

$44.79 MX$784

-24.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$2,941

$103 MX$1,799

-9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,952

$108 MX$1,888

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.9K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-55.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,186

$620 MX$10.9K

-53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.7K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-51.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.6K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 NT$236.8K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

93.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,182 NT$164.0K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

122.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,122 NT$67.1K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

98.79%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Chiayi and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 99% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $286, 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 27% 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.

Chiayi pays 99% more on average, 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: $440 in Chiayi versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,173 per month in Chiayi versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,173 in Chiayi versus $1,484 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 $1,173 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.