# Merida — relocation profile

Merida, Mexico · Hybrid regime · livability 51/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Mexico
- **Region:** North America
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $1,859/month
- **Livability score:** 51 / 100 (rank 121 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 37 / 100 (rank 111 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 82% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, Dry Heat, Remote Work Visa Cities, Hidden Gems, Retire Abroad, Young Professionals, Queer Settlers, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $601 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $466 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $1,243 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $574 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$1,859** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $2,609.

Reference point: 49% cheaper than Puerto Vallarta.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 5.3
- **Regime type:** Hybrid regime
- **Homicide rate:** 24.9 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 4 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 5 years
- **English proficiency:** Very Low (EF EPI 440)
- **Main languages:** Spanish

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 24–34°C
- **Winter (low–high):** 20–29°C
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 72.0

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $26,185 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 4.7% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 2.7% (2025)
- **Population:** 892,363

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cancun | Mexico | $737 | $2,184 | /cities/cancun |
| Playa del Carmen | Mexico | $1,068 | $2,479 | /cities/playa-del-carmen |
| Tulum | Mexico | $1,045 | $2,193 | /cities/tulum |
| Bangkok | Thailand | $703 | $1,814 | /cities/bangkok |
| Chiang Mai | Thailand | $463 | $1,374 | /cities/chiang-mai |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/merida
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/merida/visa

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Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/merida) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.