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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $788 in Miaoli versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,105 in Miaoli versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,423 in Miaoli versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miaoli is 43% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 NT$82.5

$12.14 MX$206

-78.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 NT$764

$53.9 MX$914

-55.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 NT$152

$11.09 MX$188

-56.72%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NT$96.9

$4.10 MX$69.5

-25.37%

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

$0.88 NT$27.84

$1.68 MX$28.53

-47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 NT$18.39

$1.39 MX$23.55

-58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 NT$39.72

$3.33 MX$56.5

-62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.84

$5.88 MX$99.7

-77.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 NT$90.3

$1.85 MX$31.41

54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 NT$38.51

$3.17 MX$53.8

-61.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$82.4

$2.07 MX$35.13

25.60%

Eggs

$2.22 NT$70.2

$2.93 MX$49.67

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 NT$302

$12.59 MX$214

-24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 NT$240

$10.11 MX$172

-24.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 NT$684

$16.09 MX$273

34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NT$123

$3.39 MX$57.5

14.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 NT$65.7

$2.08 MX$35.26

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.6

$2.12 MX$35.97

42.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 NT$96.8

$2.41 MX$40.95

26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NT$82.2

$2.13 MX$36.11

22.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NT$61.8

$2.01 MX$34.02

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NT$76.1

$1.55 MX$26.21

55.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$27.58

$1.36 MX$23.15

-36.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 NT$126

$5.77 MX$97.8

-31.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 NT$346

$17.74 MX$301

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 NT$46.15

$2.07 MX$35.11

-29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NT$69.2

$4.61 MX$78.3

-52.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$88.7

$2.05 MX$34.84

36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.03

$0.58 MX$9.79

31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 NT$227

$6.07 MX$103

18.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.66

$1.55 MX$26.34

-35.48%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

45.78%

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

$24.4K NT$772.0K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-10.37%

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

$70.0 NT$2,215

$67.4 MX$1,144

3.89%

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

$18.28 NT$578

$30.62 MX$520

-40.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 NT$694

$37.24 MX$632

-41.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 NT$345

$7.11 MX$121

53.31%

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

$521 NT$16.5K

$456 MX$7,739

14.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K NT$1.0M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

136.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.91 NT$408

$74.2 MX$1,259

-82.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.01 NT$791

$57.0 MX$967

-56.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 NT$1,977

$115 MX$1,958

-45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 NT$3,082

$122 MX$2,061

-19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 NT$6,968

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-80.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 NT$5,094

$709 MX$12.0K

-77.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,543 NT$80.4K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

135.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

11.3

-80.71%

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

Last update for Miaoli: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $220 in Miaoli and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 135% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Miaoli vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $345 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

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

Miaoli vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miaoli and Mexico City differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($788 vs $1,677 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Miaoli, 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: $220 in Miaoli versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $521 in Miaoli versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Miaoli versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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, Miaoli and Mexico 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.