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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,123 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,916 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,710 in Taichung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Taichung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Taichung is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.86 NT$154

149.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$32.16 NT$1,017

67.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.87 NT$154

127.72%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.87 NT$90.9

42.86%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.03 NT$32.70

63.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.77 NT$24.36

80.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.58 NT$49.86

110.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.91 NT$92.1

102.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$3.30 NT$104

-43.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.78 NT$56.2

78.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.68 NT$84.6

-22.76%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.63 NT$83.1

11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$29.27 NT$926

-56.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.14 NT$257

24.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$16.73 NT$529

-3.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$4.30 NT$136

-21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.98 NT$62.5

5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.87 NT$59.1

13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.30 NT$72.6

4.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.24 NT$39.29

71.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.96 NT$62.0

2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$2.43 NT$76.9

-36.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.87 NT$27.57

56.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.78 NT$119

52.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$15.60 NT$493

13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.65 NT$52.0

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.60 NT$82.2

77.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.68 NT$21.43

-45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$31.34 NT$991

-32.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.67 NT$84.3

-23.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.97 NT$30.56

-40.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$9.29 NT$294

-34.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.02 NT$32.24

51.96%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-32.26%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$22.9K NT$725.5K

18.73%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$108 NT$3,404

-37.36%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$15.03 NT$475

103.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$21.12 NT$668

76.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$32.21 NT$1,019

90.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$13.31 NT$421

103.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.04 NT$318

-29.18%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$345 NT$10.9K

32.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$16.8K NT$532.3K

-18.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$69.0 NT$2,181

7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$36.61 NT$1,158

55.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$83.7 NT$2,648

37.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$110 NT$3,468

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$405 NT$12.8K

183.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$284 NT$8,992

149.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,216 NT$38.5K

111.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$750 NT$23.7K

72.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$7,201 NT$227.8K

-44.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$5,336 NT$168.7K

-60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,399 NT$44.2K

-22.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.27

397.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Taichung: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $405 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 29% 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 $32.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $375, 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,123 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $405 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $345 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,123 in Taichung versus $1,677 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.