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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,123 in Taichung versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,916 in Taichung versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Taichung versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Taichung costs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 19% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 NT$154

$12.14 MX$206

-59.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 NT$1,017

$53.9 MX$914

-40.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 NT$154

$11.09 MX$188

-56.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 NT$90.9

$4.10 MX$69.5

-30.00%

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

$1.03 NT$32.70

$1.68 MX$28.53

-38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.36

$1.39 MX$23.55

-44.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$49.86

$3.33 MX$56.5

-52.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$5.88 MX$99.7

-50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$104

$1.85 MX$31.41

78.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.2

$3.17 MX$53.8

-43.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 NT$84.6

$2.07 MX$35.13

29.47%

Eggs

$2.63 NT$83.1

$2.93 MX$49.67

-10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.27 NT$926

$12.59 MX$214

132.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$257

$10.11 MX$172

-19.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 NT$529

$16.09 MX$273

3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$3.39 MX$57.5

26.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NT$62.5

$2.08 MX$35.26

-4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 NT$59.1

$2.12 MX$35.97

-11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 NT$72.6

$2.41 MX$40.95

-4.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 NT$39.29

$2.13 MX$36.11

-41.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.0

$2.01 MX$34.02

-2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 NT$76.9

$1.55 MX$26.21

56.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$27.57

$1.36 MX$23.15

-36.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 NT$119

$5.77 MX$97.8

-34.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 NT$493

$17.74 MX$301

-12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.0

$2.07 MX$35.11

-20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 NT$82.2

$4.61 MX$78.3

-43.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 NT$21.43

$0.37 MX$6.21

83.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.34 NT$991

$21.18 MX$359

47.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NT$84.3

$2.05 MX$34.84

30.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.56

$0.58 MX$9.79

67.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 NT$294

$6.07 MX$103

53.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.24

$1.55 MX$26.34

-34.19%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

47.63%

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

$22.9K NT$725.5K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-15.77%

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

$108 NT$3,404

$67.4 MX$1,144

59.65%

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

$15.03 NT$475

$30.62 MX$520

-50.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 NT$668

$37.24 MX$632

-43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.21 NT$1,019

$61.5 MX$1,043

-47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 NT$421

$27.12 MX$460

-50.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 NT$318

$7.11 MX$121

41.21%

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

$345 NT$10.9K

$456 MX$7,739

-24.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$532.3K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 NT$2,181

$74.2 MX$1,259

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 NT$1,158

$57.0 MX$967

-35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,648

$115 MX$1,958

-27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NT$3,468

$122 MX$2,061

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 NT$12.8K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$8,992

$709 MX$12.0K

-59.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 NT$38.5K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 NT$23.7K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-42.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,201 NT$227.8K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

79.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,336 NT$168.7K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

150.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,399 NT$44.2K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

29.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

11.3

-79.91%

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

Last update for Taichung: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Taichung and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Taichung vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $345, 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

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

Taichung and Mexico City differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,123 vs $1,677 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Taichung, 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: $405 in Taichung versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taichung runs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $345 in Taichung versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,123 in Taichung versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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, Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.