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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,091 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,818 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $2,546 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Kaohsiung is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$5.38 NT$171

119.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$31.11 NT$990

67.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$4.82 NT$153

125.52%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$2.76 NT$87.8

46.01%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.11 NT$35.39

54.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.66 NT$21.14

103.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.51 NT$48.00

124.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$2.47 NT$78.6

132.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$3.20 NT$102

-40.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.21 NT$70.5

43.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$2.87 NT$91.4

-28.57%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$2.52 NT$80.1

19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$14.98 NT$477

-15.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$7.96 NT$253

24.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$15.28 NT$486

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$6.39 NT$204

-48.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$2.73 NT$86.9

-24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$2.52 NT$80.4

-17.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$3.21 NT$102

-22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$2.68 NT$85.2

-23.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$1.95 NT$62.2

-4.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$2.33 NT$74.1

-32.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$1.03 NT$32.78

34.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$4.05 NT$129

32.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$15.26 NT$486

17.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.57 NT$50.0

28.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.19 NT$69.8

117.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.73 NT$23.09

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$12.16 NT$387

71.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$2.68 NT$85.2

-23.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.81 NT$25.94

-30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$5.52 NT$176

5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.00 NT$31.78

54.00%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$32.6K NT$1.0M

-31.10%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$22.7K NT$724.3K

16.39%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$83.3 NT$2,650

-20.76%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$17.36 NT$553

78.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$26.17 NT$833

38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$39.15 NT$1,246

46.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$10.24 NT$326

161.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$11.04 NT$352

-35.42%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$461 NT$14.7K

-0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$14.0K NT$446.6K

-5.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$91.2 NT$2,905

-16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$33.54 NT$1,068

61.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$84.9 NT$2,704

37.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$99.1 NT$3,155

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$376 NT$12.0K

205.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$272 NT$8,666

166.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$957 NT$30.5K

161.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$667 NT$21.2K

99.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$4,541 NT$144.6K

-14.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$3,084 NT$98.2K

-30.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,419 NT$45.2K

-24.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.56

343.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $376 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 33% 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 $31.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $357, 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kaohsiung differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $1,091 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $376 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $461 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,091 in Kaohsiung versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.