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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,001 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,746 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,491 in Yilan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Yilan is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$204

$3.56 NT$113

234.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$885

$30.37 NT$965

69.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.85 NT$154

135.26%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.5

$2.77 NT$87.9

44.04%

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

$1.66 MX$28.45

$1.05 NT$33.27

58.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.74

$0.71 NT$22.65

87.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.5

$1.49 NT$47.42

132.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.94 NT$93.5

100.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.18

$3.21 NT$102

-41.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.8

$1.72 NT$54.8

88.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.05

$2.66 NT$84.4

-18.80%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.66

$2.55 NT$81.0

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$220

$29.36 NT$933

-56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$172

$7.93 NT$252

26.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$16.85 NT$535

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.5

$4.40 NT$140

-25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.40

$1.93 NT$61.3

4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.84 NT$58.4

19.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.40

$2.27 NT$72.0

3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.23

$1.21 NT$38.55

69.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.60

$1.91 NT$60.8

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.52

$2.37 NT$75.3

-32.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.95

$0.92 NT$29.14

52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.7

$3.71 NT$118

47.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$15.87 NT$504

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.24

$1.41 NT$44.87

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.3

$2.53 NT$80.4

84.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.80

$0.76 NT$24.03

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$36.58 NT$1,162

-43.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.95

$2.74 NT$87.1

-23.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.59

$0.93 NT$29.61

-39.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.7

$9.24 NT$294

-37.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.53

$0.99 NT$31.56

62.63%

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

$22.8K MX$391.6K

$25.0K NT$794.0K

-8.59%

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

$26.8K MX$458.6K

$19.9K NT$632.4K

34.43%

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

$65.2 MX$1,117

$47.93 NT$1,523

35.99%

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

$30.09 MX$516

$14.86 NT$472

102.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$637

$21.17 NT$673

75.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,024

$31.96 NT$1,016

86.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$455

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.29 NT$263

-15.08%

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

$465 MX$7,967

$347 NT$11.0K

33.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.6K

$17.0K NT$538.9K

-21.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,301

$54.6 NT$1,736

38.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$959

$31.89 NT$1,013

75.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,918

$83.9 NT$2,665

33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,066

$62.7 NT$1,992

92.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$278 NT$8,844

296.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$254 NT$8,075

183.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$992 NT$31.5K

154.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$744 NT$23.6K

73.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.4K

$7,457 NT$237.0K

-46.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.8K

$5,040 NT$160.2K

-58.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,026 NT$32.6K

1.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.27

397.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Yilan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $278 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $373, 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,001 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $278 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $347 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,001 in Yilan versus $1,660 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 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.