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: $1,133 in Taoyuan versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Taoyuan versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Taoyuan versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taoyuan is 15% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.06 NT$160

$12.98 MX$226

-61.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.54 NT$806

$53.1 MX$923

-51.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 NT$195

$9.72 MX$169

-36.52%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.7

$3.75 MX$65.2

-21.60%

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

$1.29 NT$40.77

$1.57 MX$27.30

-17.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.75

$1.13 MX$19.64

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.0

$3.18 MX$55.3

-47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.8

$4.66 MX$81.1

-48.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$101

$1.62 MX$28.21

98.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 NT$43.45

$2.71 MX$47.09

-49.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 NT$79.7

$1.88 MX$32.70

34.57%

Eggs

$2.23 NT$70.4

$2.51 MX$43.65

-11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 NT$290

$10.08 MX$175

-8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 NT$253

$8.29 MX$144

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 NT$502

$11.94 MX$208

33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 NT$106

$2.86 MX$49.77

16.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$1.75 MX$30.45

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 NT$82.8

$2.08 MX$36.27

25.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 NT$94.8

$1.97 MX$34.27

52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NT$77.0

$2.16 MX$37.58

12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$59.5

$2.18 MX$37.94

-13.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NT$80.7

$1.39 MX$24.20

84.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$27.54

$1.12 MX$19.57

-22.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 NT$209

$4.20 MX$73.1

57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.44 NT$298

$14.25 MX$248

-33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NT$58.0

$1.76 MX$30.68

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$74.8

$3.68 MX$64.1

-35.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NT$22.02

$0.39 MX$6.71

79.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.05 NT$1,296

$18.66 MX$325

119.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 NT$98.7

$1.39 MX$24.12

125.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.74

$0.30 MX$5.29

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 NT$254

$5.42 MX$94.3

48.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.26

$1.35 MX$23.50

-22.22%

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

$35.9K NT$1.1M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

90.09%

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

$26.4K NT$832.3K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

13.87%

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

$65.2 NT$2,058

$40.82 MX$710

59.70%

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

$29.34 NT$926

$27.50 MX$479

6.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.10 NT$603

$30.38 MX$529

-37.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 NT$1,171

$53.4 MX$930

-30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.26 NT$324

$26.30 MX$458

-60.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 NT$315

$6.27 MX$109

59.01%

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

$575 NT$18.2K

$436 MX$7,588

31.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K NT$484.5K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

46.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 NT$2,607

$56.8 MX$988

45.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.12 NT$762

$44.79 MX$779

-46.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 NT$2,673

$103 MX$1,789

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,192

$108 MX$1,878

-6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 NT$13.4K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-57.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 NT$10.8K

$620 MX$10.8K

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 NT$26.4K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-60.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 NT$19.4K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-50.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,004 NT$252.7K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

107.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,235 NT$165.3K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

124.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,536 NT$48.5K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

43.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

11.34

-86.16%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Taoyuan and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taoyuan vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $286, 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

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

Taoyuan and Mexico City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,133 vs $1,484 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taoyuan pays 44% 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: $424 in Taoyuan versus $1,000 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 120% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Taoyuan versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,133 in Taoyuan versus $1,484 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.