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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,083 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,820 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,558 in Taitung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Taitung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Taitung is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.17 NT$135

215.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$40.98 NT$1,323

30.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.66 NT$183

64.84%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.86 NT$125

-4.15%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.17 NT$37.81

36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.74 NT$23.87

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.36 NT$109

-6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.29 NT$106

47.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$3.12 NT$101

-47.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.98 NT$63.8

36.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$3.04 NT$98.3

-37.17%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.50 NT$80.9

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$20.41 NT$659

-51.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.10 NT$132

105.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$20.37 NT$658

-41.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.06 NT$66.5

43.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.97 NT$95.9

-41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.05 NT$66.1

-0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$4.24 NT$137

-51.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.84 NT$91.8

-24.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.28 NT$73.7

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.97 NT$63.7

-29.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.38 NT$44.53

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.04 NT$130

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$14.09 NT$455

24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.73 NT$55.9

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.39 NT$77.3

51.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.82 NT$26.63

-57.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.67 NT$1,281

-51.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.81 NT$90.6

-50.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.72 NT$23.41

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$10.23 NT$330

-48.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.03 NT$33.40

32.04%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$37.3K NT$1.2M

-48.85%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.3K NT$880.9K

-13.47%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$85.0 NT$2,744

-52.31%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$18.74 NT$605

46.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$24.52 NT$792

23.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.36 NT$1,206

39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.27 NT$493

73.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$10.15 NT$328

-39.01%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$639 NT$20.6K

-33.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$19.0K NT$612.7K

-43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$30.56 NT$987

90.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$16.58 NT$535

168.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$53.2 NT$1,718

94.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$123 NT$3,961

-11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$435 NT$14.1K

132.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$289 NT$9,324

115.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,020 NT$33.0K

107.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$731 NT$23.6K

67.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$6,321 NT$204.1K

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$5,238 NT$169.2K

-59.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$609 NT$19.7K

72.85%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Taitung: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $435 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 73% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $353, 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,083 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $435 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 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $639 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,083 in Taitung versus $1,472 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.