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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,120 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,864 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,607 in Taitung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than Taitung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Taitung is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.97 NT$126

226.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$40.27 NT$1,275

31.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.80 NT$184

67.59%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.76 NT$119

-0.27%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.18 NT$37.32

33.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.75 NT$23.68

50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.38 NT$107

-5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.36 NT$106

38.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.25 NT$103

-50.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.89 NT$59.7

43.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$3.06 NT$96.8

-38.56%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.38 NT$75.2

5.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$20.31 NT$643

-50.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.15 NT$131

99.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$20.55 NT$650

-41.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.05 NT$64.9

39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.99 NT$94.7

-41.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.02 NT$63.9

2.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.11 NT$130

-52.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.83 NT$89.6

-23.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.25 NT$71.1

-3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.96 NT$62.2

-29.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.38 NT$43.58

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.12 NT$130

1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$14.99 NT$474

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.76 NT$55.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.31 NT$73.2

59.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.84 NT$26.43

-53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.80 NT$1,228

-51.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.83 NT$89.6

-50.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.77 NT$24.52

-61.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$10.34 NT$327

-47.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.03 NT$32.69

31.07%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$38.2K NT$1.2M

-50.51%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.5K NT$869.2K

-15.70%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$84.9 NT$2,686

-51.90%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$19.04 NT$603

44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$24.72 NT$782

22.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.87 NT$1,199

41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$15.08 NT$477

74.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$10.15 NT$321

-38.23%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$630 NT$19.9K

-30.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$18.9K NT$597.1K

-44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$30.61 NT$969

85.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$16.71 NT$529

168.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$53.3 NT$1,687

92.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$122 NT$3,846

-11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$425 NT$13.5K

135.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$285 NT$9,015

117.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,052 NT$33.3K

103.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$738 NT$23.4K

67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$6,746 NT$213.5K

-42.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$4,689 NT$148.4K

-50.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$637 NT$20.2K

67.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.19

417.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Taitung: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $425 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 68% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $354, 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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Taitung differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,120 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 68% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $425 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taitung runs roughly 108% 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 $630 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,120 in Taitung versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung 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 Taitung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.