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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,807 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,549 in Zhongli City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than Zhongli City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Zhongli City is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.10 NT$161

158.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$20.62 NT$649

161.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.67 NT$147

101.71%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.50 NT$78.7

42.00%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.79 NT$24.94

105.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.60 NT$19.00

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.47 NT$46.30

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.49 NT$46.86

210.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$3.43 NT$108

-50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.77 NT$55.9

53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.85 NT$89.6

-32.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.60 NT$81.7

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$31.63 NT$996

-68.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.15 NT$257

-0.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.91 NT$501

-26.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.53 NT$143

-34.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.83 NT$57.5

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.30 NT$72.3

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.95 NT$92.7

-31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.34 NT$42.32

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.94 NT$60.9

17.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.30 NT$72.3

-39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.29 NT$40.50

-12.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.14 NT$130

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$16.03 NT$505

-2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.66 NT$52.2

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.33 NT$73.5

54.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.63 NT$19.70

-39.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$40.79 NT$1,284

-52.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.81 NT$88.5

-50.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.72 NT$22.74

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.04 NT$316

-45.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.98 NT$30.73

32.65%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-45.37%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$25.4K NT$799.7K

-8.96%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$95.4 NT$3,002

-57.16%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.49 NT$425

98.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$10.23 NT$322

192.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.35 NT$1,176

39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.05 NT$474

78.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.56 NT$301

-34.10%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$357 NT$11.2K

22.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$21.0K NT$659.8K

-50.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$61.8 NT$1,946

-8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$20.07 NT$632

121.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$80.6 NT$2,537

27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$66.7 NT$2,099

58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$431 NT$13.6K

137.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$256 NT$8,067

146.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,043 NT$32.8K

104.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$741 NT$23.3K

67.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,372 NT$74.7K

-52.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.1

440.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $431 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $392, 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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zhongli City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,064 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zhongli City earns 113% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $431 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zhongli City runs roughly 113% 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 $357 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,064 in Zhongli City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.