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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$12.98 MX$226

-68.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,068

$53.1 MX$923

-36.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$9.72 MX$169

-44.14%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.5

$3.75 MX$65.2

-20.27%

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

$0.97 NT$30.72

$1.57 MX$27.30

-38.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.88

$1.13 MX$19.64

-36.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.0

$3.18 MX$55.3

-47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$4.66 MX$81.1

-40.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$108

$1.62 MX$28.21

111.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.1

$2.71 MX$47.09

-26.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.88 MX$32.70

38.83%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$104

$2.51 MX$43.65

31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$509

$10.08 MX$175

60.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$298

$8.29 MX$144

13.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$554

$11.94 MX$208

47.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$2.86 MX$49.77

116.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.7

$1.75 MX$30.45

48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.2

$2.08 MX$36.27

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$126

$1.97 MX$34.27

103.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$2.16 MX$37.58

34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.3

$2.18 MX$37.94

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.4

$1.39 MX$24.20

40.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.64

$1.12 MX$19.57

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$4.20 MX$73.1

7.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$493

$14.25 MX$248

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.6

$1.76 MX$30.68

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$80.8

$3.68 MX$64.1

-30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.94

$0.39 MX$6.71

110.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$851

$18.66 MX$325

44.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.8

$1.39 MX$24.12

109.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.09

$0.30 MX$5.29

163.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$193

$5.42 MX$94.3

12.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.46

$1.35 MX$23.50

-23.70%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

84.76%

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

$25.6K NT$809.5K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

10.75%

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

$102 NT$3,231

$40.82 MX$710

150.69%

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

$25.62 NT$809

$27.50 MX$479

-6.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$792

$30.38 MX$529

-17.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,252

$53.4 MX$930

-25.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$351

$26.30 MX$458

-57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$315

$6.27 MX$109

59.17%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$436 MX$7,588

-1.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$361.7K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,075

$56.8 MX$988

71.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,131

$44.79 MX$779

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,781

$103 MX$1,789

-14.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,268

$108 MX$1,878

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$13.9K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,821

$620 MX$10.8K

-54.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.3K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-55.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-44.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.2K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

19.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.5K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

39.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.4K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

43.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

11.34

-79.72%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 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

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

Kaohsiung and Mexico City differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,484 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 44% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.