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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,693 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,294 in Yilan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Yilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Yilan is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.62 NT$114

264.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$30.73 NT$967

75.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.34 NT$168

76.40%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.95 NT$93.0

20.34%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.10 NT$34.59

47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.69 NT$21.65

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.55 NT$48.92

101.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.91 NT$91.6

59.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$3.57 NT$112

-52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.77 NT$55.8

53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.00 NT$62.9

-4.50%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.63 NT$82.7

-3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$31.73 NT$999

-68.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.91 NT$249

2.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.67 NT$493

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.73 NT$149

-37.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.87 NT$27.39

108.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.31 NT$72.6

-12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.73 NT$54.5

17.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.34 NT$42.19

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.39 NT$43.91

63.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.17 NT$68.3

-35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.30 NT$40.82

-13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.19 NT$132

1.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$16.23 NT$511

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.44 NT$45.24

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.66 NT$83.7

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.00 NT$31.63

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.29 NT$1,079

-44.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.85 NT$89.6

-51.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.19 NT$37.49

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$9.97 NT$314

-45.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.05 NT$32.91

23.81%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.6K NT$838.1K

-29.82%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$23.5K NT$741.1K

-1.75%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$59.6 NT$1,877

-31.47%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.18 NT$541

56.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.06 NT$694

35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$31.87 NT$1,003

63.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$17.17 NT$541

56.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.79 NT$308

-35.65%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$359 NT$11.3K

21.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$20.4K NT$642.6K

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$70.9 NT$2,230

-20.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.23 NT$1,077

29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$78.7 NT$2,477

30.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$86.8 NT$2,731

21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$303 NT$9,544

237.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$292 NT$9,185

116.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$669 NT$21.1K

219.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$492 NT$15.5K

152.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$7,553 NT$237.7K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$5,424 NT$170.7K

-61.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,040 NT$32.7K

7.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.18

420.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yilan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $303 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% 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 $31.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $376, 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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yilan differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,093 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 7% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $303 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yilan runs roughly 79% 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 $359 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan 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 Yilan 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 Yilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.