Moving to Australia from Mexico

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mexico to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Mexico to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.2 times more expensive than Mexico overall. A MX$1,310,130 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly A$164,267 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Mexico to Australia.

What does your salary buy?

MX$1,310,130 A$164,267

To maintain the same standard of living in Australia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 70.3% more

Groceries

pay 34.1% more

Transportation

pay 49.1% more

Housing

pay 2.2 times more

Childcare

pay 4.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.8 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MXN = 0.0823 AUD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Australia cost about 35% more than cities in Mexico.

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Mexico to Australia, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
245 ↓ 39% vs 2022

people moved from Mexico to Australia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Australia?

Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Mexico and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

MX
26.1
AU
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MX
12.0
AU
4.5

Australia performs significantly better than Mexico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

MX
$1,368
AU
$7,691
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

MX
25.6
AU
39.8

Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

MX
30.0
AU
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MX
3.6t
AU
14.1t

Mexico generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MX
20.5
AU
35.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MX
45.0%
AU
4.6%

Australia performs significantly better than Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MX
2.8%
AU
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MX
$22,400
AU
$59,500

Mexico generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MX
72.3 yrs
AU
83.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MX
11.9
AU
3.0

Australia performs significantly better than Mexico across all family life metrics.

Data: Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Mexico City Rain: 32.1 in/yr (816 mm)
74° / 49°F

Avg. annual high / low

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Mexico City Canberra
Jan–Mar 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) 80°/54°F (26°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) 56°/35°F (13°/1°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) 73°/47°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Mexico City Canberra
Jan 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C)
Feb 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C)
Mar 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C)
Apr 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C)
May 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C)
Jun 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Jul 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C)
Aug 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C)
Oct 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C)
Nov 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C)
Dec 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C)

Data: Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.

Mexico passport

Mexico passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Mexico passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.
Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Mexico

Visa Free
Australia passport holders can enter Mexico without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Mexico?

Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 52% higher than Mexico on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Australia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a MX$1,310,130 comparable salary, that's around A$41,067 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Australia?

With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Mexico and Australia.

Is Australia safe for expats?

Australia performs significantly better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 26.1 in Mexico.

How is healthcare in Australia compared to Mexico?

Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 25.6 in Mexico. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mexico: 75).

What's the weather like in Australia compared to Mexico?

The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.

What language do they speak in Australia?

The official language in Australia is English. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

MX AU
Population 129,150,971 26,141,369
Currency Mexican Peso (MX$) Australian Dollar (A$)
Languages Spanish English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +52 +61
Time zones 3 8
Emergency number 911 000