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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Kaohsiung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.05 NT$128

220.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.24 NT$1,082

53.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.51 NT$174

71.14%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.09 NT$97.8

15.53%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.97 NT$30.78

65.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.71 NT$22.50

61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.66 NT$52.4

89.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.73 NT$86.2

78.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$3.50 NT$110

-51.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.00 NT$63.3

32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.61 NT$82.4

-27.20%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.33 NT$105

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$16.02 NT$506

-37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$9.41 NT$297

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$18.01 NT$569

-35.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$6.17 NT$195

-50.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.56 NT$81.1

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.84 NT$89.9

-27.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$3.99 NT$126

-48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$3.01 NT$95.1

-31.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.13 NT$67.2

1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.85 NT$58.6

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.19 NT$37.52

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.38 NT$139

-2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$15.51 NT$490

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.72 NT$54.3

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.46 NT$77.7

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.82 NT$25.79

-53.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$26.56 NT$840

-28.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.94 NT$92.9

-53.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.78 NT$24.73

-64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.28 NT$198

-13.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.03 NT$32.71

24.27%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-44.00%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

-8.56%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$102 NT$3,225

-59.79%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$25.18 NT$796

6.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$25.61 NT$810

15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$39.43 NT$1,246

32.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$11.15 NT$352

135.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$10.08 NT$319

-38.69%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$428 NT$13.5K

-0.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

-6.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$95.0 NT$3,004

-40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$36.01 NT$1,138

24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$89.3 NT$2,824

17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$101 NT$3,191

4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$443 NT$14.0K

124.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$281 NT$8,897

120.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$950 NT$30.0K

123.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$682 NT$21.6K

83.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

-14.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$3,194 NT$101.0K

-34.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,503 NT$47.5K

-26.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.3

393.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 36% 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 $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $385, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 36% 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 $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $428 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 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,447 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 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.