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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Miaoli is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.49 NT$110

277.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$25.88 NT$815

108.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.03 NT$158

87.28%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.84 NT$89.3

25.00%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.11 NT$34.88

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.69 NT$21.86

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.71 NT$53.7

82.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.59 NT$81.4

78.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$3.10 NT$97.5

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.45 NT$45.58

87.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.52 NT$79.4

-24.21%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.29 NT$71.9

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.25 NT$291

8.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.14 NT$256

-0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$20.58 NT$648

-43.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.33 NT$105

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.04 NT$32.67

74.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.71 NT$85.2

-25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$3.05 NT$95.9

-33.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.39 NT$75.4

-11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.90 NT$59.7

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.87 NT$90.4

-51.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.93 NT$29.16

21.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.46 NT$203

-33.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.19 NT$352

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.85 NT$58.3

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.37 NT$74.5

51.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.87 NT$27.54

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.63 NT$1,247

-51.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.00 NT$94.3

-54.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.73 NT$22.84

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$8.25 NT$260

-33.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.07 NT$33.64

21.50%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-48.94%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.2K NT$823.6K

-11.60%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$64.4 NT$2,027

-36.55%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$28.45 NT$895

-5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.94 NT$596

58.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$36.89 NT$1,161

41.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.01 NT$473

78.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.21 NT$321

-38.30%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$566 NT$17.8K

-22.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-65.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$31.72 NT$999

78.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$23.77 NT$748

86.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$68.8 NT$2,166

49.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$103 NT$3,233

2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$345 NT$10.9K

195.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$168 NT$5,279

276.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

105.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$730 NT$23.0K

70.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-54.88%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 122% 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 $26.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $314, 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 122% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $345 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 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $566 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,467 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.