Moving to Mexico from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to Mexico — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Turkey to Mexico, you would find that Mexico is 19.3% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly MX$1,650,000 in Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Mexico City averages 74°F vs 65°F in Istanbul, making it significantly warmer.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Mexico cheaper than Turkey?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 29.7% more

Groceries

pay 82.8% more

Transportation

pay 9.8% less

Housing

pay 27.7% more

Childcare

pay 58.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.3735 MXN (October 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.

What salary do you need in Mexico?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → MX$1,650,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Mexico

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 Mexico cost about 13% less than cities in Turkey.

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Mexico

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Turkey to Mexico, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
81

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

Who's moving to Mexico?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Mexico.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
MX
24.9
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

TR
61%
MX
39%

Turkey performs better than Mexico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
MX
$1,368
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
MX
25.9

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TR
39.0
MX
30.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
MX
3.6t

Mexico performs significantly better than Turkey across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
23.4
MX
21.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
MX
45.0%

Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Mexico leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
MX
2.7%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
MX
$13,889

Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
MX
75.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
MX
12.1

Turkey generally does better on family life, though Mexico leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Mexico vs Turkey

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Istanbul Rain: 26.7 in/yr (678 mm)
65° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Istanbul Mexico City
Jan–Mar 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) 74°/45°F (23°/7°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
Month Istanbul Mexico City
Jan 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C)
Feb 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C)
Mar 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C)
Apr 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C)
Jun 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C)
Aug 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C)
Sep 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C)
Oct 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C)
Nov 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C)
Dec 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional

Can you move from Turkey to Mexico?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Mexico

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Turkey passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Mexico.
Mexico passport

Mexico passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa on Arrival
Mexico passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Turkey.

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 Mexico than Turkey?

No — Mexico is on average about 19% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Mexico?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MX$412,500 in Mexico on a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Mexico?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Mexico safe for expats?

Turkey performs better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Mexico is 24.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 39% of people in Mexico feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Mexico compared to Turkey?

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Mexico, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Mexico scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Mexico City is 74°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Mexico City receives around 32.1 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Mexico?

The official language in Mexico is Spanish. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR MX
Population 85,878,556 131,946,900
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Mexican Peso (MX$)
Languages Turkish Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +52
Time zones 1 3
Emergency number 112 911