Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Douliu

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
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Douliu Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Douliu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Douliu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Douliu $2,650

Mexico City costs about 38% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Douliu is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$3.85 NT$125

179.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$22.40 NT$726

124.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$5.81 NT$189

91.05%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.40 NT$110

8.24%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.94 NT$30.58

75.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.67 NT$21.86

94.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$2.79 NT$90.4

19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.73 NT$121

48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$3.09 NT$100

-42.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$2.01 NT$65.1

51.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$3.17 NT$103

-36.59%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.76 NT$89.4

0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$19.44 NT$631

-38.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$9.97 NT$323

-6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$21.44 NT$695

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$4.79 NT$155

-35.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$3.29 NT$107

-40.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$3.08 NT$99.9

-34.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$4.34 NT$141

-49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$2.82 NT$91.3

-28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$2.34 NT$75.9

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.71 NT$55.6

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$1.10 NT$35.65

16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$3.85 NT$125

36.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$14.46 NT$469

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.63 NT$52.9

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.31 NT$75.0

83.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.61 NT$19.89

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$35.53 NT$1,152

-44.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$2.66 NT$86.3

-24.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.77 NT$24.82

-31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$9.46 NT$307

-40.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.03 NT$33.56

47.57%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-38.13%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$24.0K NT$777.6K

5.00%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$86.6 NT$2,807

-27.80%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$17.15 NT$556

67.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$27.79 NT$901

23.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$36.37 NT$1,179

57.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$9.54 NT$309

-30.08%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$663 NT$21.5K

-35.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$17.0K NT$550.7K

-30.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$64.5 NT$2,091

9.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$40.75 NT$1,321

27.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$85.0 NT$2,756

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$105 NT$3,408

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$404 NT$13.1K

160.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$257 NT$8,334

158.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$982 NT$31.8K

138.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$730 NT$23.7K

68.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$7,836 NT$254.1K

-54.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$4,924 NT$159.7K

-59.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$2,544 NT$82.5K

-61.69%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 61.4% $408

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 23.9% $77

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 42.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 14.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 4.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 21.3% $15

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 72.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $404 in Douliu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 161% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Mexico City vs $400 in Douliu – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

07:32 7:32 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

108,401

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Douliu 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Douliu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 38% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,567 in Mexico City and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Douliu costs $1,138 versus $1,567 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.