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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Taichung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.17 NT$163

154.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$30.14 NT$949

78.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.48 NT$172

71.90%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.03 NT$95.5

17.16%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.16 NT$36.61

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.86 NT$27.02

29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.19 NT$68.9

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.93 NT$92.4

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$3.86 NT$122

-55.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.74 NT$54.9

56.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.82 NT$88.7

-32.27%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.27 NT$103

-22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$31.67 NT$997

-68.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.26 NT$260

-2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$16.07 NT$506

-27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.64 NT$146

-35.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.76 NT$55.5

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.26 NT$71.0

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.97 NT$93.6

-31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.27 NT$40.12

66.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.97 NT$62.1

15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.36 NT$74.3

-40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.30 NT$40.95

-13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.96 NT$125

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$16.23 NT$511

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.71 NT$53.8

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.66 NT$83.7

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.94 NT$29.57

-59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$28.86 NT$908

-33.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.92 NT$92.1

-52.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.24 NT$38.97

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.25 NT$323

-46.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.05 NT$33.02

23.81%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.5K NT$1.1M

-45.90%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

-10.88%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$96.6 NT$3,042

-57.72%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$24.51 NT$771

9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.07 NT$695

35.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$36.44 NT$1,147

42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$10.09 NT$318

166.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.52 NT$331

-40.11%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$355 NT$11.2K

22.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-50.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$84.1 NT$2,646

-32.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.06 NT$1,072

30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$96.9 NT$3,049

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$130 NT$4,092

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$379 NT$11.9K

169.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$292 NT$9,184

116.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,056 NT$33.2K

102.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$731 NT$23.0K

70.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-46.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-60.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,420 NT$44.7K

-21.46%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 27% 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 $288 vs $402, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,175 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taichung earns 27% 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 $379 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 50% 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 $355 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,467 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.