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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.83 NT$154

146.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$46.59 NT$1,483

10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.83 NT$186

95.71%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.53 NT$113

13.03%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.85 NT$26.98

95.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.65 NT$20.81

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.85 NT$90.8

21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.68 NT$117

60.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$3.12 NT$99.2

-39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.03 NT$64.8

60.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$3.08 NT$97.9

-29.87%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.69 NT$85.6

7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$19.52 NT$621

-34.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.56 NT$304

5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$21.35 NT$680

-25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.07 NT$161

-35.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$3.43 NT$109

-41.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.16 NT$101

-30.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.57 NT$145

-48.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.70 NT$85.8

-24.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.26 NT$71.8

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.77 NT$56.4

-9.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.12 NT$35.72

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.84 NT$122

42.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$4.63 NT$147

281.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.72 NT$54.9

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.29 NT$73.0

104.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$12.51 NT$398

66.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.61 NT$83.1

-19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.46 NT$14.64

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$9.23 NT$294

-37.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.02 NT$32.49

57.84%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-32.36%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$24.5K NT$778.3K

9.41%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$65.8 NT$2,095

-0.97%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$17.73 NT$564

69.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$27.95 NT$890

33.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$31.98 NT$1,018

86.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.85 NT$314

-28.53%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$631 NT$20.1K

-26.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$16.6K NT$527.0K

-19.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$63.4 NT$2,017

19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$39.63 NT$1,262

41.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$83.9 NT$2,672

33.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$104 NT$3,304

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$375 NT$11.9K

194.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$251 NT$7,981

187.46%

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)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$3,152 NT$100.3K

26.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,883 NT$59.9K

10.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,129 NT$67.8K

-51.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.4

370.83%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $375 in Chiayi. 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $382, 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 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.

On paper, salaries run 105% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $375 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,058 in Chiayi – 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, 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.