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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.76 NT$214

92.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$40.59 NT$1,285

30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.62 NT$178

72.95%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.17 NT$68.8

72.81%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.13 NT$35.65

38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.79 NT$24.90

43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.88 NT$59.5

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.01 NT$95.2

54.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.26 NT$103

-50.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.90 NT$60.2

42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$3.18 NT$101

-40.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.81 NT$89.1

-10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$20.24 NT$641

-50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.87 NT$313

-16.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$20.08 NT$635

-40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.22 NT$165

-45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.97 NT$93.9

-41.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.86 NT$90.5

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.30 NT$136

-54.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.83 NT$89.5

-23.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.21 NT$69.8

-1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.97 NT$62.4

-29.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.33 NT$42.22

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.09 NT$129

2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.84 NT$153

194.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.75 NT$55.3

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.39 NT$75.7

53.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.82 NT$25.95

-52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.66 NT$1,224

-51.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.95 NT$93.2

-52.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.41 NT$13.13

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$10.10 NT$320

-46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.03 NT$32.58

31.07%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$38.8K NT$1.2M

-51.39%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.1K NT$888.4K

-17.52%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$72.1 NT$2,280

-43.34%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$18.85 NT$596

45.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$24.69 NT$781

23.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.78 NT$1,196

41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$15.13 NT$479

73.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$11.66 NT$369

-46.23%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$645 NT$20.4K

-32.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$18.8K NT$594.1K

-44.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$59.7 NT$1,889

-4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$34.01 NT$1,077

31.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$92.9 NT$2,941

10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$125 NT$3,952

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$440 NT$13.9K

127.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$290 NT$9,186

113.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,034 NT$32.7K

106.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$713 NT$22.6K

73.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$7,483 NT$236.8K

-48.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$5,182 NT$164.0K

-54.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,122 NT$67.1K

-49.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $440 in Chiayi. 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $383, 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 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.

On paper, Chiayi earns 99% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $440 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,173 in Chiayi – 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, 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.