Moving to Illinois from Mexico
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Mexico to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Mexico to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 78.6% more expensive than Mexico overall. A MX$1,400,000 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly $135,000 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Chicago averages 59°F vs 74°F in Mexico City, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Mexico?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 49.0% more
Groceries
pay 38.1% more
Transportation
pay 22.7% more
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 4.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 83.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,400,000 → $135,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →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 Illinois cost about 50% more than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Mexico to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from Mexico to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
-
1.10,853,105
Mexico
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Mexico to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Illinois performs significantly better than Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly better than Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Illinois performs significantly better than Mexico across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Mexico
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mexico City | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Mexico to Illinois?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Mexico passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Mexico
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Mexico?
No — Illinois is on average about 79% more expensive than Mexico. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $33,750 in Illinois on a MX$1,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Mexico?
Illinois performs significantly better than Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.
