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: $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Taichung costs roughly 20% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 12% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$13.18 MX$228

-60.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$53.9 MX$932

-44.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$9.42 MX$163

-41.83%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$3.55 MX$61.4

-14.65%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$1.62 MX$27.98

-28.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$1.11 MX$19.27

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$3.12 MX$54.0

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$4.63 MX$80.1

-36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$1.70 MX$29.43

127.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$2.72 MX$47.02

-36.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$1.91 MX$33.07

47.64%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$2.54 MX$43.86

28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$10.03 MX$174

215.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$8.09 MX$140

2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$11.62 MX$201

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$2.97 MX$51.3

56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$1.81 MX$31.24

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.01 MX$34.82

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$2.03 MX$35.20

46.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$2.12 MX$36.75

-40.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.27 MX$39.25

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$1.40 MX$24.22

68.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$1.13 MX$19.55

15.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.27 MX$73.9

-7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$15.56 MX$269

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.76 MX$30.39

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$3.60 MX$62.2

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$0.38 MX$6.62

147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$19.18 MX$332

50.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$1.38 MX$23.79

111.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.28 MX$4.78

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$5.45 MX$94.2

88.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.30 MX$22.55

-19.23%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

84.85%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

12.20%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$40.86 MX$707

136.51%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$26.81 MX$464

-8.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$29.96 MX$518

-26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$52.0 MX$900

-29.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$26.84 MX$464

-62.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$6.30 MX$109

66.98%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$436 MX$7,544

-18.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

100.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$56.7 MX$980

48.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$44.38 MX$768

-23.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$103 MX$1,780

-5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$106 MX$1,825

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$631 MX$10.9K

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-50.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-41.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

86.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

154.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

27.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

11.34

-80.78%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Taichung vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 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

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

Taichung and Mexico City differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $1,467 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taichung pays 27% 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: $379 in Taichung 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 Taichung runs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $355 in Taichung versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,467 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.