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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,180 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,966 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,752 in Taichung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 23% more expensive than in Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Taichung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.99 NT$161

161.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$30.18 NT$974

78.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.31 NT$172

82.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.91 NT$94.0

28.52%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.15 NT$37.21

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.84 NT$26.97

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.08 NT$67.2

55.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.86 NT$92.4

65.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$3.91 NT$126

-57.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.76 NT$56.8

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.78 NT$89.6

-32.73%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.14 NT$101

-20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$31.84 NT$1,028

-67.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.23 NT$266

0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.91 NT$514

-25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.68 NT$151

-35.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.73 NT$55.9

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.23 NT$71.9

-10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$3.07 NT$99.0

-34.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.29 NT$41.68

61.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.90 NT$61.4

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.36 NT$76.3

-38.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.24 NT$40.12

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.99 NT$129

9.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$15.50 NT$500

9.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.65 NT$53.4

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.67 NT$86.1

34.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.87 NT$28.21

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$28.55 NT$922

-34.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.94 NT$94.9

-54.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.19 NT$38.28

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$10.22 NT$330

-48.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.06 NT$34.15

26.42%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-42.33%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.4K NT$852.3K

-9.75%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$95.7 NT$3,088

-57.47%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$24.69 NT$797

8.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$21.22 NT$685

43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$35.41 NT$1,143

49.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$10.35 NT$334

157.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$10.85 NT$350

-40.00%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$357 NT$11.5K

19.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$20.8K NT$670.4K

-49.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$85.9 NT$2,774

-33.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.53 NT$1,115

31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$95.3 NT$3,076

9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$131 NT$4,222

-17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$377 NT$12.2K

165.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$281 NT$9,077

121.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,044 NT$33.7K

102.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$727 NT$23.4K

67.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$7,208 NT$232.6K

-46.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$5,156 NT$166.4K

-60.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,392 NT$44.9K

-25.45%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taichung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $377 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 34% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $400, 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Taichung differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,180 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Taichung. 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 $377 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taichung runs roughly 53% 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 $357 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,180 in Taichung versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.