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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Taoyuan versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,825 in Taoyuan versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Taoyuan versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taoyuan is 12% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.46 NT$142

$11.92 MX$204

-62.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.81 NT$788

$51.6 MX$885

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$176

$11.41 MX$196

-51.53%

Cappuccino

$3.04 NT$96.5

$3.99 MX$68.5

-23.81%

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

$0.98 NT$31.08

$1.66 MX$28.45

-40.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.09

$1.33 MX$22.74

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 NT$60.5

$3.47 MX$59.5

-45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$74.6

$5.90 MX$101

-60.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 NT$90.7

$1.88 MX$32.18

51.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 NT$39.23

$3.25 MX$55.8

-62.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$83.5

$2.16 MX$37.05

21.76%

Eggs

$2.11 NT$67.2

$2.90 MX$49.66

-27.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 NT$291

$12.86 MX$220

-28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 NT$238

$10.05 MX$172

-25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.50 NT$683

$15.86 MX$272

35.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 NT$122

$3.29 MX$56.5

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 NT$64.3

$2.01 MX$34.40

0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$97.9

$2.20 MX$37.71

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 NT$100

$2.36 MX$40.40

33.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 NT$79.4

$2.05 MX$35.23

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NT$63.1

$1.90 MX$32.60

4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NT$72.2

$1.61 MX$27.52

40.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NT$27.92

$1.40 MX$23.95

-37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 NT$161

$5.46 MX$93.7

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 NT$348

$17.65 MX$303

-37.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 NT$46.05

$2.06 MX$35.24

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$66.5

$4.68 MX$80.3

-55.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 NT$17.63

$0.34 MX$5.80

61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,204

$20.81 MX$357

82.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 NT$91.5

$2.10 MX$35.95

37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.61

$0.56 MX$9.59

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 NT$224

$5.81 MX$99.7

21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.70

$1.61 MX$27.53

-37.89%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$22.8K MX$391.6K

48.89%

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

$23.5K NT$748.1K

$26.8K MX$458.6K

-12.00%

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

$69.1 NT$2,195

$65.2 MX$1,117

5.97%

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

$17.83 NT$566

$30.09 MX$516

-40.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.30 NT$709

$37.18 MX$637

-40.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.89 NT$1,077

$59.8 MX$1,024

-43.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 NT$228

$26.55 MX$455

-72.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 NT$352

$7.04 MX$121

57.24%

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

$531 NT$16.9K

$465 MX$7,967

14.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K NT$1.0M

$13.3K MX$227.6K

144.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 NT$2,907

$75.9 MX$1,301

20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.11 NT$798

$56.0 MX$959

-55.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 NT$2,629

$112 MX$1,918

-26.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 NT$3,067

$121 MX$2,066

-19.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 NT$20.9K

$1,103 MX$18.9K

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 NT$13.8K

$721 MX$12.4K

-39.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 NT$30.4K

$2,530 MX$43.4K

-62.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$23.4K

$1,293 MX$22.2K

-42.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,589 NT$241.2K

$3,991 MX$68.4K

90.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,683 NT$148.8K

$2,090 MX$35.8K

124.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 NT$49.8K

$1,037 MX$17.8K

51.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

11.3

-80.71%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Taoyuan and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Taoyuan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $345 per month, with Taoyuan cheaper across the board.

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

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

Taoyuan and Mexico City differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,660 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Taoyuan, 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: $659 in Taoyuan versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taoyuan runs roughly 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $531 in Taoyuan versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,209 in Taoyuan versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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, Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan 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.