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: $899 in Miaoli versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Miaoli versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Miaoli versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 39% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miaoli is 33% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 NT$110

$13.18 MX$228

-73.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.88 NT$815

$53.9 MX$932

-51.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 NT$158

$9.42 MX$163

-46.60%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.3

$3.55 MX$61.4

-20.00%

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

$1.11 NT$34.88

$1.62 MX$27.98

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.86

$1.11 MX$19.27

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 NT$53.7

$3.12 MX$54.0

-45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$81.4

$4.63 MX$80.1

-44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.5

$1.70 MX$29.43

82.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 NT$45.58

$2.72 MX$47.02

-46.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 NT$79.4

$1.91 MX$33.07

31.94%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$71.9

$2.54 MX$43.86

-9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$291

$10.03 MX$174

-7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$256

$8.09 MX$140

0.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.58 NT$648

$11.62 MX$201

77.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NT$105

$2.97 MX$51.3

12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$32.67

$1.81 MX$31.24

-42.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NT$85.2

$2.01 MX$34.82

34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$95.9

$2.03 MX$35.20

50.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$2.12 MX$36.75

12.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$59.7

$2.27 MX$39.25

-16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.40 MX$24.22

105.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NT$29.16

$1.13 MX$19.55

-17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 NT$203

$4.27 MX$73.9

51.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NT$352

$15.56 MX$269

-28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NT$58.3

$1.76 MX$30.39

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$74.5

$3.60 MX$62.2

-34.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.54

$0.38 MX$6.62

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.63 NT$1,247

$19.18 MX$332

106.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 NT$94.3

$1.38 MX$23.79

117.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.84

$0.28 MX$4.78

160.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 NT$260

$5.45 MX$94.2

51.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.64

$1.30 MX$22.55

-17.69%

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

$36.6K NT$1.2M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

95.85%

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

$26.2K NT$823.6K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

13.12%

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

$64.4 NT$2,027

$40.86 MX$707

57.61%

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

$28.45 NT$895

$26.81 MX$464

6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 NT$596

$29.96 MX$518

-36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.89 NT$1,161

$52.0 MX$900

-29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$473

$26.84 MX$464

-44.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$321

$6.30 MX$109

62.06%

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

$566 NT$17.8K

$436 MX$7,544

29.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K NT$958.1K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

192.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.72 NT$999

$56.7 MX$980

-44.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 NT$748

$44.38 MX$768

-46.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 NT$2,166

$103 MX$1,780

-33.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,233

$106 MX$1,825

-2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 NT$10.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-66.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 NT$5,279

$631 MX$10.9K

-73.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NT$32.7K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-51.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.0K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-41.25%

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)

$2,471 NT$77.8K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

121.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-82.36%

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

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Miaoli and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Miaoli vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $288, 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

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

Miaoli and Mexico City differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,467 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Miaoli pays 122% 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: $345 in Miaoli versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Miaoli runs roughly 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $566 in Miaoli versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,467 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.