TL;DRTulum is 56% cheaper on rent ($1,045/mo vs $2,388/mo). Mexico gets you to permanent residency 6 years faster (4 vs 10 years). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Chicago edges ahead 53 to 45. Tulum isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Chicago

Tulum

5.9/25

💰 Affordability

18.8/25

0/15

🔒 Violent Crime

0/15

3.5/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

5.3/10

13.5/15

⚡ Internet

3.1/15

11.8/15

🗳️ Democracy

8/15

10/10

🗣️ English

3.4/10

9.2/10

☀️ Climate

6.5/10

7.1/10

📊 Stability

5.3/10

3.4/10

🚗 Road Safety

4.3/10

4.2/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

3.5/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇺🇸 Chicago

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇲🇽 Tulum

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

New York vs Chicago

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Chicago

Metric

Tulum

$819/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$279/mo✓

$8,623

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,885✓

✓34 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

30 / 100

✓17.5 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

26.1 / 100k

14.2 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

—

35 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

53 / 100✓

81°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

90°F

25°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

66°F

✓180 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

41 Mbps

11.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

—

80 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

—

✓7.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

5.3 / 10

✓8.0 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

4.8 / 9

67 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

71 / 100✓

✓100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

19/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$24k

✓2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

4.7% · Boringly steady

83/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

✓80/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

59/100

A median Software Engineer in Chicago takes home $11,064/mo under Standard employee. In Tulum: $2,898/mo under Standard employee.

$8,166/mo more in Chicago

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$191k

💰

Gross income

$46k

−$44k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$10k

−$14k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$1k

✓$133k/yr

$11k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$35k/yr

$3k/mo

−$57k

🏠

Cost of living

−$26k

✓$75k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$8k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Tulum

$1,343/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Chicago

17.5 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Chicago

7.8/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

81°F vs 90°F summers

📋

Residency

Tulum

PR in 4 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

53% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.1h

Shortest day

Dec

10.9h

15.2h

Longest day

Jun

13.4h

Sun clocks out early in Chicago's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

declining ↓

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financetradinghealthcaremanufacturing

Industries

—

hub

Startup ecosystem

—

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

Suspended

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Spouse works

—

Not recognized

Partner pathway

—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

Protected by the Reproductive Health Act; regional access hub for the Midwest.

Decriminalized nationwide by Supreme Court in 2023. Access varies by state.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Chicago vs Tulum — Common Questions

Is Chicago cheaper than Tulum?▾

Tulum is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1045/month there vs $2388/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Chicago or Tulum?▾

Chicago is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Chicago has a rate of 17.50 per 100,000 and Tulum has 26.11 per 100,000.

Should I move to Chicago or Tulum?▾

Chicago edges ahead 53 to 45. Tulum isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Chicago or Tulum?▾

Chicago: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). Tulum: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Chicago or Tulum?▾

Tulum is warmer in summer (90°F vs 81°F). Chicago has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Chicago or Tulum without speaking the local language?▾

Chicago is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Tulum (19/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Chicago vs Tulum?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1045/month in Tulum, $2388/month in Chicago (Numbeo). That's 56% cheaper rent in Tulum.

Is Chicago or Tulum better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Chicago scores 7.8/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 5.3/10 for Tulum. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.