🇵🇹 Portugal vs 🇲🇽 Mexico
Side by side on the data that actually changes your life: prices, taxes, climate, air, safety. Every number has a source and a date.
Climate (capital)
Open-Meteo historical weather
Jan 13° · Jul 24° · Lisbon
Jan 16° · Jul 17° · Mexico City
Sunny days (capital)
Open-Meteo, days with over 4.5h of sunshine
327 days / yr
359 days / yr
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 50 · Good
AQI 83 · Moderate
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
−13% (2025)
—
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index (euro-area countries share one euro-area price)
$7.05
$6.17
Living costs · single, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$800–$1,100 / mo
—
Living costs · family of four, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$2,750–$3,450 / mo
—
Employment taxes (not your rate)
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~39% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
~22% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified June 2026
IFICI (“NHR 2.0”)
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
Inflation
World Bank
2.3% / yr (2025)
3.8% / yr (2025)
Unemployment
World Bank, ILO-modelled estimate
6.2% (2025)
2.7% (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~180 Mbps
~70 Mbps
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
very high
low
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, last 6 months
No known issues
No known issues
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Population
World Bank total population
10.8M (2025)
131.9M (2025)
Population density
World Bank, people per km²
115 / km² (2023)
67 / km² (2023)
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
10.8% of population (2024)
1.3% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
81 yrs
71 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
EUR
MXN
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC+1
UTC-6
Crypto-friendly
Legal
Short-term gains
28.0%
35%
Long-term gains
0%
35%
Long-term holding period
12mo
—
Staking income
28.0%
—
Mining income
28.0%
—
General rates, not personal tax advice.
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 12 July 2026. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 7 July 2026. Sources shown per row.
Bottom line: which should you choose?
Pick 🇵🇹 Portugal if you want
a stronger safety rating.
Pick 🇲🇽 Mexico if you want
lower day-to-day costs, more sunshine and lighter employment taxes.
Based only on the sourced metrics above. Visa eligibility and paperwork depend on your passport — build a free plan for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is Portugal or Mexico cheaper?
Mexico is the cheaper of the two on our comparable cost measure (Big Mac $6.17 vs $7.05). Your real cost depends on the city and lifestyle — see the full table above, then generate a free plan for a budget matched to your exact move.
Should I choose Portugal over Mexico?
On the data we track, Portugal comes out ahead for a stronger safety rating, while Mexico wins on lower day-to-day costs, more sunshine and lighter employment taxes. Every figure has a source in the table above.
Special tax regimes, verified
Regimes change often and many sites still advertise closed ones. We link the official source for each.
🇵🇹 Portugal
20% flat tax on eligible Portuguese income · 10 years
Verified June 2026 · Portal das Finanças
🇲🇽 Mexico
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified June 2026 · SAT
Numbers are half the story
Your visa route, paperwork and deadlines depend on where you hold a passport. Get a free checklist personalized to your exact move.