Moving to Spain from Mexico
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mexico to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Mexico to Spain, you would find that Spain is 38.1% more expensive than Mexico overall. A MX$1,310,130 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly €89,887 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Mexico to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,310,130 → €89,887
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 56.0% more
Groceries
pay 7.4% more
Transportation
pay 23.9% more
Housing
pay 64.0% more
Childcare
pay 71.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.6% 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 Spain cost about 23% more than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Mexico to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Mexico and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
Spain 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
Mexico generally does better on environment, though Spain leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Spain 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 Spain 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
Spain 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mexico City | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Mexico passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain 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 Spain than Mexico?
Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 37% higher than Mexico on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
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 €22,472 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 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 Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 26.1 in Mexico. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Mexico?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 25.6 in Mexico. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mexico: 75).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.
