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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,294 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,068 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,843 in Keelung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 15% more expensive than Keelung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Keelung is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.01 NT$159

159.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$29.90 NT$946

77.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.54 NT$175

75.45%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.93 NT$92.8

27.99%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.15 NT$36.25

36.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.78 NT$24.80

44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.16 NT$68.5

47.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.84 NT$90.0

64.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.34 NT$106

-51.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.51 NT$47.67

79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.18 NT$37.40

59.32%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.42 NT$76.6

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$31.90 NT$1,010

-68.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.04 NT$191

37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$16.02 NT$507

-25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.58 NT$145

-37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.81 NT$57.3

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.29 NT$72.4

-9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.07 NT$97.0

-35.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.34 NT$42.32

61.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.86 NT$59.0

17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.32 NT$73.4

-40.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.25 NT$39.54

-10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.96 NT$125

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.74 NT$308

46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.18 NT$37.23

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.63 NT$83.1

39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.52 NT$16.55

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$66.7 NT$2,110

-72.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.80 NT$88.7

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.18 NT$37.29

-74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$10.33 NT$327

-47.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.01 NT$31.98

33.66%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-44.20%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.3K NT$831.5K

-11.87%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$43.89 NT$1,389

-6.99%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$24.95 NT$790

10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$12.06 NT$382

151.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.38 NT$1,183

42.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$33.82 NT$1,071

-22.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.45 NT$268

-25.80%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$357 NT$11.3K

22.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$21.1K NT$667.9K

-50.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$84.0 NT$2,659

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$34.88 NT$1,104

28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$51.5 NT$1,629

99.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$33.41 NT$1,058

222.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$617 NT$19.5K

61.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$506 NT$16.0K

22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,138 NT$36.0K

87.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$998 NT$31.6K

23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$3,451 NT$109.2K

12.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,362 NT$74.8K

-1.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,442 NT$77.3K

-56.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.18

420.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $617 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 129% 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 $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $358, 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 Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Keelung differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,294 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 129% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $617 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Keelung versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Keelung 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 Keelung 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 Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.