Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kaohsiung

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,108 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kaohsiung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,108 in Kaohsiung.

Mexico City $1,561
Kaohsiung $1,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,821 in Kaohsiung.

Mexico City $2,440
Kaohsiung $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $2,535 in Kaohsiung.

Mexico City $3,319
Kaohsiung $2,535

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Kaohsiung is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$5.46 NT$174

103.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$31.96 NT$1,020

53.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$4.87 NT$155

130.60%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$2.83 NT$90.4

32.86%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$1.14 NT$36.40

44.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$0.71 NT$22.76

80.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$1.53 NT$48.85

113.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$2.55 NT$81.5

121.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$3.25 NT$104

-44.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$2.19 NT$69.7

34.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$3.07 NT$98.1

-33.22%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$2.67 NT$85.2

9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$16.13 NT$515

-25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$8.08 NT$258

17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$15.24 NT$486

-2.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$6.80 NT$217

-53.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$2.82 NT$90.1

-28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$2.57 NT$82.0

-19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$3.08 NT$98.4

-27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$2.84 NT$90.7

-27.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$2.06 NT$65.8

-8.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$2.45 NT$78.2

-39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$1.04 NT$33.18

29.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$4.54 NT$145

19.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$15.72 NT$502

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$1.67 NT$53.4

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$2.25 NT$71.7

92.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$0.68 NT$21.68

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$12.67 NT$404

59.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$2.76 NT$88.0

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$0.75 NT$23.98

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$5.51 NT$176

-1.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.02 NT$32.50

49.02%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$33.6K NT$1.1M

-35.40%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$23.0K NT$735.3K

7.68%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$84.8 NT$2,705

-25.73%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$17.34 NT$553

66.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$25.77 NT$822

31.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$41.21 NT$1,315

35.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$10.41 NT$332

139.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$10.96 NT$350

-38.23%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$462 NT$14.7K

-7.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$14.1K NT$449.2K

-15.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$93.5 NT$2,982

-25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$31.88 NT$1,017

68.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$85.9 NT$2,740

27.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$104 NT$3,314

10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$415 NT$13.2K

156.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$276 NT$8,808

142.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$979 NT$31.2K

142.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$668 NT$21.3K

88.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$4,588 NT$146.4K

-19.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$3,154 NT$100.7K

-37.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$1,462 NT$46.7K

-31.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.56

341.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9% 58.8% $395

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1% 12.5% $41

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1% 45.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8% 9.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5% 1.7% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7% 8.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Kaohsiung

$22 2% 16.9% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $415 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $368, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

20:16 8:16 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,777,873

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Kaohsiung 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Kaohsiung

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kaohsiung differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $1,108 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $415 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $462 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 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,108 in Kaohsiung versus $1,561 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.