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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Tainan versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Tainan versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 19% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 NT$197

$13.07 MX$229

-53.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 NT$879

$53.8 MX$943

-49.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 NT$160

$9.68 MX$170

-48.97%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NT$113

$3.74 MX$65.6

-6.95%

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

$1.13 NT$36.39

$1.62 MX$28.34

-30.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.19

$1.16 MX$20.37

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 NT$109

$3.23 MX$56.6

4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$4.74 MX$83.1

-27.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$1.65 MX$28.89

94.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.6

$2.75 MX$48.30

-31.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$1.87 MX$32.87

53.48%

Eggs

$2.78 NT$89.8

$2.50 MX$43.86

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.96 NT$645

$10.20 MX$179

95.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 NT$327

$8.25 MX$145

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 NT$654

$11.82 MX$207

71.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$139

$3.01 MX$52.8

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.8

$1.81 MX$31.77

61.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.00 MX$35.07

45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$134

$2.00 MX$35.00

108.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 NT$94.4

$2.08 MX$36.56

40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.7

$2.27 MX$39.85

0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.9

$1.46 MX$25.55

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.55

$1.08 MX$18.88

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$4.35 MX$76.3

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 NT$437

$16.99 MX$298

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.7

$1.73 MX$30.40

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.0

$3.58 MX$62.7

-34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$18.90

$0.39 MX$6.79

51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 NT$710

$18.69 MX$328

17.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.6

$1.33 MX$23.25

118.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.57

$0.28 MX$4.91

182.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$334

$5.25 MX$92.1

96.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.69

$1.34 MX$23.44

-24.63%

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

$38.6K NT$1.2M

$19.4K MX$340.5K

98.87%

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

$26.4K NT$854.6K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

10.98%

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

$84.6 NT$2,734

$40.69 MX$714

107.91%

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

$18.51 NT$598

$26.87 MX$471

-31.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.10 NT$746

$30.51 MX$535

-24.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 NT$1,296

$52.8 MX$926

-24.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 NT$487

$26.65 MX$467

-43.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 NT$379

$6.51 MX$114

80.18%

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

$273 NT$8,820

$428 MX$7,508

-36.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,899 NT$222.9K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-34.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NT$1,860

$57.3 MX$1,004

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 NT$992

$45.50 MX$798

-32.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,993

$104 MX$1,825

-10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,922

$108 MX$1,891

12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 NT$10.7K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-67.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,264

$623 MX$10.9K

-68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 NT$22.5K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-67.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-40.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 NT$98.6K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-21.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,037 NT$98.1K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

49.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 NT$43.7K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

30.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

11.34

-83.86%

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

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in Tainan and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Tainan vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $292, 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

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

Tainan and Mexico City differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $1,456 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Tainan, 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: $331 in Tainan versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tainan runs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Tainan versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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, Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.