Moving to Mexico from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Mexico — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Mexico, you would find that Mexico is 18.1% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €65,700 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly MX$993,533 in Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → MX$993,533
To maintain the same standard of living in Mexico
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 22.0% less
Groceries
pay 9.7% more
Transportation
pay 9.6% less
Housing
pay 39.8% less
Childcare
pay 50.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.3% less
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 Mexico cost about 16% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to Mexico, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Mexico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs 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 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 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.
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 better than Mexico across all family life metrics.
Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, 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 | Lisbon | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Mexico. To live, work, or study long-term in Mexico, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Mexico's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Mexico
Visa Free
Mexico passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Mexico than Portugal?
Generally yes: Mexico runs about 24% cheaper than Portugal on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Mexico?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around MX$248,383 in Mexico for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Mexico?
With 20.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Portugal and Mexico.
Is Mexico safe for expats?
Portugal performs better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Mexico is 26.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Mexico compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Mexico, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Mexico scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Mexico compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Mexico City is 74°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Mexico City receives around 32.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Mexico?
The official language in Mexico is Spanish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
