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: $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,715 in Taoyuan versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,328 in Taoyuan versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taoyuan is 17% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 NT$166

$13.14 MX$229

-60.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.22 NT$816

$53.5 MX$934

-52.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 NT$198

$9.33 MX$163

-34.41%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$89.9

$3.70 MX$64.5

-24.86%

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

$1.24 NT$39.97

$1.60 MX$27.98

-22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$25.09

$1.12 MX$19.49

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 NT$52.6

$3.14 MX$54.7

-48.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.6

$4.85 MX$84.5

-50.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 NT$106

$1.65 MX$28.84

99.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 NT$45.25

$2.71 MX$47.34

-48.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 NT$77.3

$1.91 MX$33.29

25.13%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$74.2

$2.59 MX$45.17

-11.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$299

$9.81 MX$171

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 NT$261

$8.43 MX$147

-4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 NT$512

$11.93 MX$208

32.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 NT$107

$2.95 MX$51.5

11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

$1.74 MX$30.35

9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.3

$2.04 MX$35.66

33.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$96.8

$2.06 MX$35.93

45.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.1

$2.15 MX$37.49

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$60.8

$2.26 MX$39.33

-16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 NT$82.6

$1.39 MX$24.17

83.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.43

$1.12 MX$19.47

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 NT$206

$4.22 MX$73.6

50.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 NT$345

$17.51 MX$305

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NT$58.7

$1.71 MX$29.82

5.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$76.5

$3.63 MX$63.4

-34.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$21.45

$0.35 MX$6.15

88.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 NT$1,292

$19.32 MX$337

106.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 NT$97.9

$1.38 MX$24.00

119.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$23.43

$0.28 MX$4.81

157.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 NT$266

$5.28 MX$92.0

56.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.27

$1.36 MX$23.69

-22.06%

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

$36.1K NT$1.2M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

89.22%

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

$26.9K NT$870.3K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

13.97%

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

$66.4 NT$2,146

$40.53 MX$707

63.71%

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

$29.10 NT$941

$27.38 MX$478

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 NT$614

$30.38 MX$530

-37.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 NT$1,198

$52.2 MX$911

-29.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 NT$325

$26.48 MX$462

-62.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$328

$6.19 MX$108

63.97%

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

$582 NT$18.8K

$425 MX$7,414

36.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NT$499.7K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

43.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 NT$2,630

$58.3 MX$1,017

39.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 NT$776

$44.57 MX$777

-46.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 NT$2,725

$103 MX$1,805

-18.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,331

$109 MX$1,897

-5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.5K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 NT$11.4K

$623 MX$10.9K

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 NT$26.9K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 NT$19.4K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-51.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,335 NT$237.3K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

93.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,640 NT$150.1K

$2,110 MX$36.8K

119.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 NT$48.7K

$1,052 MX$18.4K

43.07%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Taoyuan and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 43% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $293, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,472 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $418 in Taoyuan versus $1,014 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 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $582 in Taoyuan versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,472 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.