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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $888 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,351 in Miaoli.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Miaoli is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.29 NT$106

297.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$24.96 NT$806

115.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.98 NT$161

94.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.79 NT$90.0

34.05%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.17 NT$37.67

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.75 NT$24.11

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.64 NT$52.9

96.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.59 NT$83.7

83.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.93 NT$94.7

-43.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.39 NT$44.88

97.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.40 NT$77.6

-22.08%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.21 NT$71.2

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.19 NT$297

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.07 NT$260

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$20.70 NT$668

-42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.29 NT$106

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.04 NT$33.52

74.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.72 NT$87.8

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$3.00 NT$97.0

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.34 NT$75.6

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.90 NT$61.5

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.97 NT$96.0

-50.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.91 NT$29.48

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$6.62 NT$214

-34.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.02 NT$356

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.75 NT$56.5

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.34 NT$75.7

52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.87 NT$28.18

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$38.24 NT$1,234

-51.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.10 NT$100.0

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.79 NT$25.49

-64.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.02 NT$259

-34.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.06 NT$34.09

26.42%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-47.44%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.8K NT$865.6K

-11.14%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$64.7 NT$2,089

-37.14%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$28.54 NT$921

-5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$19.44 NT$627

56.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.32 NT$1,204

41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$15.02 NT$485

77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$10.27 NT$332

-36.61%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$584 NT$18.8K

-26.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$30.1K NT$971.8K

-65.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$31.87 NT$1,029

79.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.09 NT$778

88.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$66.7 NT$2,153

56.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$101 NT$3,248

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$335 NT$10.8K

199.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$173 NT$5,571

260.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,021 NT$33.0K

106.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$740 NT$23.9K

64.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,442 NT$78.8K

-57.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $335 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 $25.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $309, 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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Miaoli differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $888 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $335 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Miaoli runs roughly 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $584 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $1,456 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.