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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,133 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,711 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,289 in Taoyuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Taoyuan is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.06 NT$160

156.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$25.54 NT$808

107.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.17 NT$195

57.54%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.94 NT$92.9

27.55%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.29 NT$40.87

21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.78 NT$24.81

44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.68 NT$53.1

89.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.40 NT$76.0

94.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.21 NT$102

-49.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.38 NT$43.56

96.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.53 NT$79.9

-25.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.23 NT$70.5

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$9.18 NT$291

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.02 NT$254

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$15.90 NT$503

-24.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.34 NT$106

-14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.90 NT$60.2

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.62 NT$83.0

-20.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.00 NT$95.0

-34.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.44 NT$77.2

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.89 NT$59.7

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.56 NT$80.9

-45.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.87 NT$27.61

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.61 NT$209

-36.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.44 NT$299

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.84 NT$58.2

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.37 NT$75.0

55.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.70 NT$22.08

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$41.05 NT$1,299

-54.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.13 NT$99.0

-55.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.78 NT$24.80

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.03 NT$254

-32.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.05 NT$33.34

28.57%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$35.9K NT$1.1M

-47.39%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.4K NT$834.4K

-12.18%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$65.2 NT$2,063

-37.38%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$29.34 NT$928

-6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.10 NT$605

59.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.10 NT$1,174

44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$10.26 NT$325

156.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.97 NT$316

-37.11%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$575 NT$18.2K

-24.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$15.3K NT$485.7K

-31.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$82.6 NT$2,613

-31.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$24.12 NT$763

85.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$84.7 NT$2,680

21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$101 NT$3,200

6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$424 NT$13.4K

135.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$343 NT$10.9K

80.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$837 NT$26.5K

155.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$613 NT$19.4K

101.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$8,004 NT$253.3K

-51.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$5,235 NT$165.7K

-55.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,536 NT$48.6K

-30.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.57

622.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $424 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Taoyuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $299, 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 Taoyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Taoyuan differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,133 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taoyuan earns 44% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $424 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taoyuan runs roughly 120% 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 $575 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,133 in Taoyuan versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.