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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $788 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,105 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,423 in Miaoli.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 113% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Miaoli is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.61 NT$82.5

365.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$24.16 NT$764

123.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.80 NT$152

131.04%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.06 NT$96.9

33.99%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.88 NT$27.84

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.58 NT$18.39

139.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.26 NT$39.72

164.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$1.32 NT$41.84

345.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.86 NT$90.3

-35.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.22 NT$38.51

159.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.60 NT$82.4

-20.38%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.22 NT$70.2

31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$9.55 NT$302

31.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.59 NT$240

33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$21.61 NT$684

-25.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.88 NT$123

-12.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.08 NT$65.7

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.02 NT$95.6

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.06 NT$96.8

-21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.60 NT$82.2

-18.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.95 NT$61.8

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$2.41 NT$76.1

-35.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.87 NT$27.58

56.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.98 NT$126

44.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$10.94 NT$346

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.46 NT$46.15

41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.19 NT$69.2

110.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.80 NT$88.7

-26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.76 NT$24.03

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.19 NT$227

-15.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.00 NT$31.66

55.00%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

-31.40%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$24.4K NT$772.0K

11.57%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$70.0 NT$2,215

-3.74%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$18.28 NT$578

67.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$21.95 NT$694

69.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.90 NT$345

-34.77%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$521 NT$16.5K

-12.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$32.3K NT$1.0M

-57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$12.91 NT$408

474.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$25.01 NT$791

127.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$62.5 NT$1,977

84.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$97.5 NT$3,082

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$220 NT$6,968

420.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$161 NT$5,094

340.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,543 NT$80.4K

-57.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.18

418.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $220 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 135% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $316 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Miaoli differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $788 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 135% lower in Miaoli. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $220 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $521 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Miaoli versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.