Moving to Portugal from Mexico
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mexico to Portugal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mexico to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 29.7% more expensive than Mexico overall. A MX$1,400,000 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly €88,000 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mexico and Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,400,000 → €88,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 19.5% more
Groceries
pay 7.6% less
Transportation
pay 30.6% more
Housing
pay 65.0% more
Childcare
pay 91.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.8% 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.
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 Portugal cost about 30% more than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Mexico to Portugal.
Who's moving to Portugal?
Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.
- 179,524
- 154,017
- 104,164
- 80,570
- 68,299
- 53,384
- · · ·
-
71.301
Mexico
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Portugal compared to Mexico.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs significantly better than Mexico across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs significantly better than Mexico across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Portugal 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Mexico generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal performs significantly better than Mexico across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP (2016), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mexico City | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico and Portugal. To live, work, or study long-term in Portugal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Portugal's immigration authority.
Mexico passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal 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 Portugal than Mexico?
On average Portugal is around 30% pricier than Mexico, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Budget about €22,000 for 3 months in Portugal (based on a MX$1,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
Connectivity is usually fine (Portugal: 45.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Portugal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Portugal performs significantly better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 24.9 in Mexico.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Mexico?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 25.9 in Mexico. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mexico: 75).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.
