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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,074 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,873 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,672 in Tainan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tainan is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.12 NT$193

115.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$26.69 NT$841

101.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.11 NT$161

84.34%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.50 NT$110

1.43%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.12 NT$35.27

44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.79 NT$24.77

40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.30 NT$104

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.35 NT$105

38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$3.15 NT$99.3

-46.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.92 NT$60.4

41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$3.02 NT$95.0

-36.75%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.85 NT$89.7

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$19.81 NT$624

-49.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$9.98 NT$315

-18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$20.31 NT$640

-42.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$4.33 NT$137

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.82 NT$88.8

-35.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.87 NT$90.3

-29.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.27 NT$135

-52.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.87 NT$90.4

-26.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.21 NT$69.5

2.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.68 NT$52.8

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.06 NT$33.30

6.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.16 NT$131

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$13.93 NT$439

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.74 NT$54.8

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.40 NT$75.7

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.62 NT$19.56

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$21.71 NT$684

-11.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.83 NT$89.0

-51.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.78 NT$24.63

-64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$10.36 NT$326

-47.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.02 NT$32.08

27.45%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-50.43%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$26.5K NT$836.1K

-12.85%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$86.7 NT$2,732

-52.87%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$18.57 NT$585

44.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$22.99 NT$724

30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$39.82 NT$1,254

30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$15.42 NT$486

74.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.93 NT$376

-47.19%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$269 NT$8,479

62.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,829 NT$215.1K

52.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$59.5 NT$1,874

-4.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$30.34 NT$956

46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$92.2 NT$2,905

11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$122 NT$3,848

-13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$328 NT$10.3K

211.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$195 NT$6,157

222.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$684 NT$21.5K

212.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$712 NT$22.4K

74.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,183 NT$100.3K

22.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$3,153 NT$99.3K

-34.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,368 NT$43.1K

-18.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.83

519.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $328 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 23% 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 $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $390, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tainan differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,074 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tainan earns 23% 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 $328 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tainan runs roughly 13% 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 $269 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.