Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and New Taipei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and New Taipei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,338 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,200 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $3,062 in New Taipei City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 10% more expensive than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, New Taipei City 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$5.01 NT$162

162.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$33.55 NT$1,085

59.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$5.85 NT$189

59.49%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$3.00 NT$97.0

23.33%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.87 NT$28.26

83.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.73 NT$23.57

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.01 NT$65.1

56.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.73 NT$88.2

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$3.27 NT$106

-49.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.91 NT$61.8

41.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$3.17 NT$103

-39.75%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$3.04 NT$98.5

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$20.08 NT$650

-51.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.78 NT$284

-3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$19.97 NT$646

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$4.61 NT$149

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$2.67 NT$86.3

-34.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$2.73 NT$88.3

-25.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$4.24 NT$137

-51.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$2.86 NT$92.6

-24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$2.19 NT$70.8

3.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$2.04 NT$66.0

-31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.29 NT$41.76

-13.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$4.12 NT$133

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$8.75 NT$283

100.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.72 NT$55.6

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.42 NT$78.1

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.66 NT$21.48

-46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$41.37 NT$1,338

-53.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$2.91 NT$94.0

-52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.80 NT$25.80

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$10.30 NT$333

-48.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.08 NT$34.95

25.93%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$37.4K NT$1.2M

-48.96%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$27.1K NT$876.5K

-12.87%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$94.6 NT$3,059

-57.14%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$24.17 NT$782

13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$24.21 NT$783

25.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$39.01 NT$1,262

33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$16.35 NT$529

61.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$12.04 NT$389

-48.59%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$640 NT$20.7K

-33.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$18.7K NT$604.6K

-42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$77.5 NT$2,505

-24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$33.91 NT$1,097

31.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$93.3 NT$3,017

10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$121 NT$3,918

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$653 NT$21.1K

55.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$463 NT$15.0K

34.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$1,725 NT$55.8K

22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$1,081 NT$35.0K

13.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$12.5K NT$405.4K

-69.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$7,073 NT$228.8K

-70.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,402 NT$45.4K

-24.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.19

417.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $653 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 33% 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 $34.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $379, 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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and New Taipei City differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,338 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in New Taipei City. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $653 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in New Taipei City runs roughly 114% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $640 in New Taipei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,338 in New Taipei City versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.