Mexico vs US: Pay, Prices and Moving Rules (2026)

What this page compares and why the numbers are not like-for-like

This page sets out figures that official agencies in Mexico and the United States print, each with its own currency, unit, reference period and date. It does not convert currencies, annualise, average or rank them, and it gives no advice. The figures are not like-for-like. In its labour-poverty bulletin INEGI prints Mexican labour income in constant pesos of the first quarter of 2020, not current pesos. BLS says the median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. BLS also says its area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices among cities, and that average prices per kilowatt hour are generally not suitable for place-to-place price comparisons. INEGI's household survey prints an average for a household, not for one worker. Where the official pages we read do not state a figure, this page says so.

inegi.org.mx: Labour Poverty (Pobreza Laboral), second quarter of 2026 (indicator bulletin 536/26) bls.gov: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Consumer Price Index Summary, August 2026 (BLS news release USDL-26-1496) bls.gov: CPI: Average Price Data (BLS fact sheet) inegi.org.mx: National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH) 2024 (press release 112/25)

Minimum wage in Mexico and the United States

Mexico: the resolution published in the Diario Oficial on 9 December 2025 sets the general-zone minimum wage at 315.04 pesos and the Northern Border Free Zone minimum wage at 440.87 pesos, each per daily work shift, from 1 January 2026. Expressed monthly, it gives 9,582.47 pesos for the general zone and 13,409.80 pesos for the border zone. It says the minimum wage cannot be divided by the hour to pay workdays shorter than the legal maximums. United States: the Department of Labor says the federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour (the page prints no date) and that where state and federal laws both apply the employee is entitled to the higher of the two. Its consolidated table, effective 1 July 2026, counts 30 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with rates higher than the federal rate. One figure is daily and the other hourly; this page does not convert them.

dof.gob.mx: Resolution of the Council of Representatives of the National Minimum Wage Commission setting the general and professional minimum wages that apply from 1 January 2026 dol.gov: Minimum Wage (U.S. Department of Labor) dol.gov: Consolidated Minimum Wage Table (U.S. Department of Labor)

Professional minimum wages for listed trades in Mexico

The same resolution also sets daily professional minimum wages for listed professions, trades and special jobs, in pesos, from 1 January 2026, as the minimum amount workers must receive for an ordinary work shift. It says its technical directorate suggested keeping unchanged the 61 existing professions, trades and special jobs. The table has one column for the Northern Border Free Zone and one for the general minimum-wage zone. In its first row, "Albañilería, oficial de", the table shows 440.87 pesos for the border zone and 363.44 pesos for the general zone. This page does not reproduce the other rows. These are minimum wages for named trades, not average pay by occupation.

dof.gob.mx: Resolution of the Council of Representatives of the National Minimum Wage Commission setting the general and professional minimum wages that apply from 1 January 2026

Pay statistics in Mexico: labour income and minimum-wage bands

INEGI's labour-poverty bulletin of 26 August 2026 states that in the second quarter of 2026 the average real labour income of the employed population nationally was 8,029.42 pesos per month, in constant pesos of the first quarter of 2020. For the second quarter of 2026 it gives, in the same constant pesos, a monthly labour income of 11,043.63 pesos for the formal employed population and 5,706.91 pesos for the informal. INEGI's employment survey bulletin of 25 August 2026 says that, during the second quarter of 2026 and in equivalent minimum wages (January 2026 base), 46.5% of the employed population earned up to one minimum wage, 31.6% more than one and up to two, and 8.7% did not specify their income.

inegi.org.mx: Labour Poverty (Pobreza Laboral), second quarter of 2026 (indicator bulletin 536/26) inegi.org.mx: National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE), second quarter of 2026 (indicator bulletin 503/26)

Pay statistics in the United States

BLS published its Occupational Employment and Wages summary for May 2025 on 15 May 2026. Its Table 1 prints, for all occupations, a mean hourly wage of $33.54, a mean annual wage of $69,770 and a median hourly wage of $24.51, and notes that annual wages are calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a year-round, full-time hours figure of 2,080 hours. The Occupational Outlook Handbook gives a median annual wage of $50,980 for all workers in May 2025; its pay figures do not include self-employed workers, agriculture workers or workers in private households. Its median annual wages for May 2025 are: software developers $135,980; registered nurses $97,550; accountants and auditors $83,680; electricians $63,190; general and operations managers $105,770; elementary school teachers, except special education, $63,970.

bls.gov: Occupational Employment and Wages Summary, May 2025 (BLS news release USDL-26-0725) bls.gov: Table 1. National employment and wage data from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey by occupation, May 2025 bls.gov: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Registered Nurses — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Accountants and Auditors — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Electricians — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Top Executives — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) bls.gov: Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers — Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Prices and inflation in Mexico

INEGI says the national consumer price index (INPC) is a measure of the average change in the prices of a basket of goods and services. In August 2026 it stood at 145.462 points, up 0.20% on the previous month, with general annual inflation at 3.26% (bulletin of 9 September 2026). Its 'Vivienda' component, which INEGI says includes own housing, housing rent, domestic service and other household services, shows an annual change of 3.57%. For the first fortnight of September 2026 (bulletin of 24 September 2026) general annual inflation was 3.42%; the August bulletin gave 8 October 2026 as the date of the next monthly publication.

inegi.org.mx: National Consumer Price Index (INPC), August 2026 (indicator bulletin 586/26) inegi.org.mx: National Consumer Price Index (INPC), first fortnight of September 2026 (indicator bulletin 605/26)

Household income and spending in Mexico

INEGI's ENIGH 2024 release of 30 July 2025 gives a household average monthly current income of 25,955 pesos and average monthly monetary current spending of 15,891 pesos, of which 'vivienda y servicios' was 1,449 pesos (9.1%). The official pages we read state no average rent paid in pesos; ENIGH counts an estimated rental value of owner-occupied homes as non-monetary household income, which is not a rent paid.

inegi.org.mx: National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH) 2024 (press release 112/25)

Prices and inflation in the United States

BLS says that over the last 12 months the all items index increased 3.4 percent before seasonal adjustment and the shelter index increased 3.0 percent over the last year (August 2026 release of 11 September 2026). The Consumer Price Index measures the change in prices paid by consumers, and BLS says its area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices among cities. The August release said the September 2026 release was scheduled for 14 October 2026. BLS's average retail price table (U.S. city average) prints, for August 2026, electricity per KWH at 0.196 and unleaded regular gasoline per gallon at 4.200, with no currency symbol; BLS says per-kWh average prices are generally not suitable for place-to-place comparisons. HUD says Fair Market Rents are estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units within a metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan county. The pages we read give no national rent figure.

bls.gov: Consumer Price Index Summary, August 2026 (BLS news release USDL-26-1496) bls.gov: Average Retail Food and Energy Prices, U.S. and Midwest Region (BLS) bls.gov: CPI: Average Price Data (BLS fact sheet) huduser.gov: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMRs) By State, County, and Metropolitan Areas (HUD USER)

Income tax in Mexico

Annex 8 of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution (Diario Oficial, 28 December 2025) gives the tariff for the 2026 tax year, with columns for lower limit, upper limit, fixed fee and percentage on the excess, printed with a $ sign. Its first bracket runs from 0.01 to 10,135.11 with a fixed fee of 0 and 1.92%; its last starts at 5,107,703.93 with a fixed fee of 1,601,862.46 and 35.00%.

sat.gob.mx: Annex 8 of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution: rate tables for provisional payments, withholdings and income tax calculation

Income tax and worldwide income in the United States

The IRS announced the tax year 2026 inflation adjustments on 9 October 2025 (IR-2025-103) and says they generally apply to tax returns filed in 2027. Revenue Procedure 2025-32 prints, for unmarried individuals other than surviving spouses and heads of households, a lowest step of 10% of taxable income not over $12,400 and a highest of $192,979.25 plus 37% of the excess over $640,600. The standard deduction for tax year 2026 is $16,100 for single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of households. The IRS says a U.S. citizen or resident alien who lives abroad is taxed on worldwide income, and that for tax year 2026 the foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900, up from $130,000 for tax year 2025. This page does not compare the two countries' tax schedules.

irs.gov: IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026, including amendments from the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (IR-2025-103) irs.gov: Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 inflation-adjusted items) irs.gov: Foreign earned income exclusion (Internal Revenue Service)

Remittances to Mexico

Banco de México's analytical report of 3 February 2026 states that remittance income in 2025 as a whole was 61,791 million US dollars, below the 64,746 million reported for 2024, an annual fall of 4.6%. Its report of 1 October 2026 states that remittance income for January-August 2026 was 41,802 million US dollars, against 40,903 million in the same period of 2025, an annual increase of 2.2%, and that the cumulative flow over the last twelve months (September 2025 - August 2026) was 63,370 million US dollars. The report says the direct remittances in the monthly statistic are preliminary Banco de México estimates, revised quarterly with the final statistics provided by INEGI. The reports we read do not state what share of this income comes from the United States.

banxico.org.mx: Remittance income and expenditure, December 2025 (analytical report) banxico.org.mx: Remittance income and expenditure, August 2026 (analytical report)

Visiting Mexico: the Multiple Migration Form (FMM)

INM's page says foreigners entering Mexico by land can obtain the Multiple Migration Form (FMM) online; the status obtained is visitor without permission to carry out paid activities, the form is valid for at most 180 calendar days for a single entry, and paying the fee does not guarantee entry.

inm.gob.mx: Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM)

Moving from the US to Mexico: temporary residence and the solvency test

Under the visa guidelines published in the Diario Oficial on 25 July 2025 (reformed by an agreement published on 15 May 2026), a temporary-residence visa (Trámite 5) is for a stay of more than 180 days and no more than 4 years, applied for at consular offices. One listed ground is economic solvency: investments or bank accounts with an average monthly balance equivalent to eleven thousand four hundred and sixty days of UMA over the last twelve months, or employment or pension with monthly income, free of encumbrances, greater than the equivalent of six hundred and eighty days of UMA over the last six months. UMA is the Unidad de Medida y Actualización; INM's sheet prints its daily value for 2026 as $117.31 MXN, and this page does not multiply the two.

dof.gob.mx: Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas que emiten las secretarías de Gobernación y de Relaciones Exteriores dof.gob.mx: ACUERDO por el que se reforman y adicionan los Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas que emiten las secretarías de Gobernación y de Relaciones Exteriores inm.gob.mx: Cambios de Condición de Estancia inegi.org.mx: Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA)

Moving from Mexico to the US: the TN classification

USCIS says the TN classification permits qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level; the conditions include a profession included in the USMCA and a prearranged full-time or part-time job for a U.S. employer or entity (page prints Last Reviewed/Updated: 06/04/2025, month/day/year). A Mexican citizen residing outside the United States must obtain a visa to enter as a TN nonimmigrant and should apply for it directly at a U.S. embassy or consulate in Mexico; the initial period of stay is up to 3 years.

uscis.gov: TN USMCA Professionals

Moving from Mexico to the US: the H-1B classification

For H-1B, USCIS (page updated 21 September 2026) says the occupation requires highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor's or higher degree in a directly related specific specialty (or its equivalent). The classification has an annual cap of 65,000 new statuses or visas each fiscal year (with certain deductions and additions based on H-1B1 set asides and usage); USCIS says an additional 20,000 petitions for beneficiaries with a master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution of higher education are exempt from the cap. Admission may generally be for up to 3 years, extended by up to 3 more. The $100,000 payment that a 2025 proclamation attached to certain H-1B petitions, and the court order about it, are described in the two sections headed "What changed recently or is about to change".

uscis.gov: H-1B Specialty Occupations

Family in the United States: TN and H-1B

USCIS says a spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 who accompany or follow to join a TN worker may qualify for TD status; they are not permitted to work in the United States but are permitted to study. For H-1B, USCIS says a spouse and unmarried children under 21 may seek admission in H-4 status, and certain H-4 spouses can file Form I-765 for employment authorization if the H-1B worker has already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status.

uscis.gov: TN USMCA Professionals uscis.gov: H-1B Specialty Occupations

Family in Mexico: the family-unity ground

The visa guidelines list a family-unity ground for the spouse or partner of a foreign holder of a temporary-residence or temporary-student visa, with proof of solvency for each family member: an average monthly balance equivalent to two hundred and twenty days of UMA over the last twelve months, or employment or pension with monthly income, free of encumbrances, above the equivalent of two hundred and twenty days of UMA over the last six months.

dof.gob.mx: Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas que emiten las secretarías de Gobernación y de Relaciones Exteriores

What changed recently or is about to change: USCIS and the court order

USCIS (page updated 21 September 2026) says that under the proclamation certain H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern on 21 September 2025 must be accompanied by an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility. It says the proclamation applies, among other cases, to such petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries who are outside the United States and do not have a valid H-1B visa, and also if a petition requests consular notification, port of entry notification or pre-flight inspection for a person in the United States. USCIS also says that on 8 June 2026 a court order vacated agency guidance implementing it, that on 24 July 2026 the First Circuit denied the government's motion to stay that order pending appeal, and that DHS will comply with the court's order while considering next steps and still plans to collect the payment if the order is lifted.

uscis.gov: H-1B Specialty Occupations

What changed recently or is about to change: the proclamation and a proposed rule

Proclamation 11069 of 18 September 2026 (Federal Register, 23 September 2026) extends the 2025 proclamation until 21 September 2027 and restricts the entry of H-1B specialty-occupation workers except where their petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000, subject to exceptions it sets out. No official page we read reconciles the proclamation with the USCIS statement above, so this page does not say whether the payment is collected today. A DHS proposed rule published on 25 August 2026 would set a $103,265 fee for cap-subject H-1B petitions, in addition to all other applicable fees or payments; it is not a final rule.

federalregister.gov: Proclamation 11069 of September 18, 2026: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers federalregister.gov: Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions (notice of proposed rulemaking)

What this page does not cover

This page does not cover rents (an average rent in Mexico, or a national rent figure for the United States), average pay by occupation in Mexico, cost-of-living comparisons and indexes, benefits, healthcare costs, schooling, permanent-residence thresholds, other employment routes, commuting across the border for work, or which Mexican entry category applies to a US national. Check the official pages for them. Which country suits you, what to do and whether you would qualify for any visa are not covered either, and nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm every figure and rule on the official page before acting.