Mexico
Temporary Resident Visa · Mexico City
The Americas' workhorse: aligned with US business hours, cheap, culturally rich and — unusually — a real path to a second passport in five years.
MX$80,000/mo
10–30 days
1 year
50/100
80 Mbps
Low
Varied — temperate highlands to tropical coast
UTC-6
Model your move to Mexico
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Mexico
Pre-filled with typical costs in Mexico City. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $4,400/mo · plus ~$72,600 savings.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$4,538
$1,826
$2,712
Tax in Mexico
Effective rate
24.4%
- Income tax / mo
- $1,462
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $1,462
- Take-home / mo
- $4,538
Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.
Private health insurance is mandatory for this visa — it's already counted in your living costs above.
Stay under 183 days (with your centre of vital interests abroad) and foreign income is untaxed; cross that line and Mexico taxes worldwide income on the progressive ISR table (top 35% only above ~MXN 5.1M/yr).
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 24.4% here
Same lifestyle costs
$4,348 at home → $1,826 here
Money left over
$286 at home → $2,712 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- MX$80,000
- Basis
- ≈$4,400/month income or ~$74,000 savings
- Family add-on
- +MX$27,000 spouse · +MX$27,000/child
- Savings required
- MX$1,320,000
- Combine two incomes?
- No — main applicant only
Thresholds vary by consulate; savings of ~$73,000 over 12 months is an alternative to the income route.
The visa
- Program
- Temporary Resident Visa (Residente Temporal)
- Introduced
- 2012
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- 4 years
- Fees
- $300 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Employees, Freelancers, Business owners
- Bring family?
- Yes
Consular fee plus ~$250 in-country residence-card issuance. Not branded a 'nomad visa' but the de-facto choice: 1 year, renewable up to 4, then a route to permanent residency.
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income can be taxed
- Headline rate
- 35%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
- Health insurance
- Required for the visa
Stay under 183 days (with your centre of vital interests abroad) and foreign income is untaxed; cross that line and Mexico taxes worldwide income on the progressive ISR table (top 35% only above ~MXN 5.1M/yr).
Resident tax bands
This visa requires private health insurance. Get covered with SafetyWing (sponsored)
Reviewed Source: INM Mexico
Path to residency & citizenship
On the visa
Year 0–4
Live legally on the Temporary Resident Visa.
Permanent residency
~4 years
Settle permanently with full rights.
Citizenship
~5 years
Apply for a passport.
Permanent residence after 4 years as a temporary resident; citizenship after 5 years total.
Reviewed Source: INM Mexico
Typical costs in Mexico City
Rent (1-bed)
$950
Rent (family)
$1,500
Groceries / person
$260
Utilities
$60
Internet
$30
Transport / person
$30
Health insurance
$70
Dining / person
$230
Cost index 42/100 vs New York · prices are about 46% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- A genuine route: 4 years to PR, 5 to a passport.
- Same time zones as US clients.
- Mexico City is a world-class nomad hub.
What to watch
- Safety varies sharply by region.
- Consular income rules are inconsistent.
Reviewed Source: INM Mexico
Compare Mexico
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to Mexico from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.