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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,160 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,967 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,774 in Chiayi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Chiayi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.67 NT$211

94.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$40.85 NT$1,291

28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.61 NT$177

68.09%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.17 NT$68.7

64.52%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.12 NT$35.40

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.79 NT$24.90

45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.91 NT$60.4

64.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.08 NT$97.4

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$3.10 NT$97.9

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.96 NT$61.9

34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$3.06 NT$96.7

-37.91%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.93 NT$92.7

-13.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$20.43 NT$646

-50.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$10.21 NT$323

-18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$20.12 NT$636

-42.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$5.19 NT$164

-41.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.98 NT$94.3

-42.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.79 NT$88.3

-26.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.10 NT$130

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.82 NT$89.0

-26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.28 NT$72.1

-4.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.90 NT$60.0

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.32 NT$41.67

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.09 NT$129

4.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.66 NT$147

230.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.83 NT$58.0

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.43 NT$76.7

51.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.83 NT$26.14

-54.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$39.35 NT$1,244

-51.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.79 NT$88.3

-50.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.41 NT$13.10

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$10.12 NT$320

-46.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.03 NT$32.65

24.27%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

-50.92%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.1K NT$856.1K

-13.37%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$73.3 NT$2,318

-44.05%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$18.55 NT$586

45.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$24.60 NT$778

20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$37.24 NT$1,177

40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.21 NT$481

72.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$11.88 NT$376

-47.98%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$632 NT$20.0K

-32.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$18.4K NT$581.8K

-41.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$58.8 NT$1,859

-3.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$33.12 NT$1,047

35.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$92.4 NT$2,921

13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$123 NT$3,902

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$438 NT$13.8K

127.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$293 NT$9,252

112.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$1,056 NT$33.4K

101.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$721 NT$22.8K

73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$7,631 NT$241.2K

-48.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$5,251 NT$166.0K

-60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$2,156 NT$68.1K

-48.64%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $438 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 95% 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 $288 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 25% 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 95% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $438 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $1,160 in Chiayi – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,160 in Chiayi versus $1,447 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 $1,160 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.