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: $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 20% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$13.18 MX$228

-53.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$53.9 MX$934

-50.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$9.42 MX$163

-45.75%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$3.55 MX$61.5

-1.41%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$1.62 MX$28.03

-30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$1.11 MX$19.31

-28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.12 MX$54.1

5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$4.63 MX$80.2

-27.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$1.70 MX$29.48

85.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$2.72 MX$47.10

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$1.91 MX$33.13

58.12%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$2.54 MX$43.94

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$10.03 MX$174

97.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$8.09 MX$140

23.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$11.62 MX$201

74.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$2.97 MX$51.4

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$1.81 MX$31.30

55.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.01 MX$34.88

42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$2.03 MX$35.26

110.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$2.12 MX$36.82

35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$2.27 MX$39.32

-2.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$1.40 MX$24.26

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$1.13 MX$19.59

-6.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$4.27 MX$74.0

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$15.56 MX$270

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.76 MX$30.44

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$3.60 MX$62.3

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$0.38 MX$6.64

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$19.18 MX$332

13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$1.38 MX$23.84

105.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$0.28 MX$4.79

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$5.45 MX$94.4

90.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$1.30 MX$22.60

-21.54%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

101.75%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

14.74%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$40.86 MX$708

112.19%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$26.81 MX$465

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$29.96 MX$519

-23.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$52.0 MX$901

-23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$26.84 MX$465

-42.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$6.30 MX$109

89.37%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$436 MX$7,558

-38.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-34.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$56.7 MX$982

5.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$44.38 MX$769

-31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$103 MX$1,784

-10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$106 MX$1,829

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-67.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$631 MX$10.9K

-69.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-42.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-18.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

52.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

22.64%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 23% 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 $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

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

Tainan and Mexico City differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $1,467 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tainan pays 23% 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: $328 in Tainan 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 Tainan runs roughly 13% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $269 in Tainan versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,467 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.