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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,081 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,343 in Yilan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.55 NT$114

268.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$30.77 NT$993

74.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.36 NT$173

80.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.99 NT$96.6

25.08%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.15 NT$37.15

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.75 NT$24.36

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.53 NT$49.50

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.94 NT$95.0

61.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$3.62 NT$117

-54.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.69 NT$54.4

62.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.96 NT$63.4

-4.59%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.74 NT$88.3

-8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$31.74 NT$1,024

-67.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.08 NT$261

2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$16.01 NT$517

-26.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.56 NT$147

-33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.87 NT$27.93

108.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.22 NT$71.6

-9.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.74 NT$56.2

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.29 NT$41.63

61.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.39 NT$44.96

63.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.17 NT$70.1

-32.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.23 NT$39.79

-12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.12 NT$133

5.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$15.32 NT$494

10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.43 NT$46.00

20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.58 NT$83.4

38.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.03 NT$33.32

-62.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$34.65 NT$1,118

-46.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.91 NT$93.9

-54.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.20 NT$38.71

-76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$10.16 NT$328

-48.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.01 NT$32.49

32.67%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$27.6K NT$892.2K

-29.78%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.8K NT$736.7K

4.41%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$60.4 NT$1,948

-32.60%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$16.63 NT$537

61.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$21.93 NT$708

39.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$31.86 NT$1,028

65.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$16.93 NT$546

57.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$9.92 NT$320

-34.38%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$367 NT$11.8K

16.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$20.6K NT$665.8K

-49.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$71.8 NT$2,316

-20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.71 NT$1,120

31.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$78.8 NT$2,544

31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$88.3 NT$2,850

22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$303 NT$9,772

231.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$286 NT$9,221

117.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$673 NT$21.7K

213.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$509 NT$16.4K

139.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$7,150 NT$230.8K

-45.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$4,917 NT$158.7K

-58.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$997 NT$32.2K

4.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yilan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $303 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 4% 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 $292 vs $374, 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,081 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,003 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 85% 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 $367 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,081 in Yilan versus $1,456 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.