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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,077 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,884 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,690 in Tainan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tainan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.08 NT$196

114.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$27.21 NT$878

97.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.94 NT$159

95.95%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.48 NT$112

7.47%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.13 NT$36.34

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.75 NT$24.16

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.36 NT$109

-3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.45 NT$111

37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$3.21 NT$104

-48.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.88 NT$60.5

46.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.87 NT$92.5

-34.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.78 NT$89.7

-10.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.96 NT$644

-48.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$10.11 NT$326

-18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$20.25 NT$654

-41.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.30 NT$139

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.93 NT$94.7

-38.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.90 NT$93.6

-31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.16 NT$134

-51.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.92 NT$94.3

-28.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.28 NT$73.6

-0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.70 NT$54.9

-14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.07 NT$34.51

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.05 NT$131

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$13.52 NT$436

25.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.75 NT$56.6

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.35 NT$75.9

52.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.59 NT$18.88

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$21.97 NT$709

-14.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.90 NT$93.5

-54.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.79 NT$25.54

-64.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$10.32 NT$333

-49.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.01 NT$32.65

32.67%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$38.6K NT$1.2M

-49.72%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.4K NT$853.7K

-9.90%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$84.6 NT$2,730

-51.90%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$18.51 NT$597

45.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$23.10 NT$746

32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$40.10 NT$1,294

31.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$15.06 NT$486

76.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$11.73 NT$379

-44.50%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$273 NT$8,810

56.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,899 NT$222.7K

52.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$57.6 NT$1,858

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$30.71 NT$991

48.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$92.6 NT$2,989

12.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$121 NT$3,917

-11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$331 NT$10.7K

203.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$194 NT$6,257

221.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$695 NT$22.4K

203.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$731 NT$23.6K

66.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,050 NT$98.5K

27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$3,037 NT$98.0K

-33.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,352 NT$43.6K

-23.25%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $331 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 30% 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 $292 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,077 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Tainan. 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 $331 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 18% 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 $273 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,456 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.