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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.71 NT$217

95.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$40.61 NT$1,311

31.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.88 NT$190

58.67%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.24 NT$72.2

65.18%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.16 NT$37.59

37.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.77 NT$24.99

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.88 NT$60.8

67.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.98 NT$96.3

62.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$3.21 NT$104

-48.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.90 NT$61.3

42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$3.03 NT$97.9

-36.96%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.92 NT$94.2

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$19.98 NT$645

-50.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$9.89 NT$319

-14.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$20.10 NT$649

-40.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$5.12 NT$165

-42.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.87 NT$92.6

-39.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.76 NT$89.0

-26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$4.12 NT$133

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.83 NT$91.5

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.17 NT$70.2

4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.88 NT$60.6

-26.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.33 NT$42.92

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.06 NT$131

3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.78 NT$154

266.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.79 NT$58.0

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.43 NT$78.3

49.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.84 NT$27.07

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.58 NT$1,278

-51.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.93 NT$94.6

-52.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.42 NT$13.43

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$10.02 NT$324

-47.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.04 NT$33.56

30.77%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$37.9K NT$1.2M

-49.57%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.4K NT$883.6K

-13.73%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$72.4 NT$2,338

-44.01%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$19.02 NT$614

43.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$24.90 NT$804

22.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.31 NT$1,205

39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.33 NT$495

72.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$11.98 NT$387

-48.33%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$644 NT$20.8K

-34.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$18.5K NT$596.1K

-41.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$59.1 NT$1,907

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$32.77 NT$1,058

36.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$91.9 NT$2,969

12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$123 NT$3,987

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$426 NT$13.8K

137.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$290 NT$9,369

114.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,042 NT$33.6K

103.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$720 NT$23.3K

69.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$3,045 NT$98.3K

24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,834 NT$59.2K

15.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$2,116 NT$68.3K

-50.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.19

417.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $426 in Chiayi. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $379, 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

Mexico City vs Chiayi: 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.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Chiayi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $1,149 in Chiayi – 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, Mexico City and Chiayi 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.