Why it is here
Why Cancún is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- Benito Juárez, the municipality of Cancún, is the most populous in Quintana Roo, with 911,503 residents in the 2020 census. [M1]
- InterNations lists 3,699 members in Cancún, and the United States has a consular agency there. [E2] [E1]
- The INM representation office for Quintana Roo is in Cancún (Av. Carlos Nader), open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 15:00. [I1]
- The 2020 census counts 39,586 people living in Quintana Roo who were born in another country; the most common birthplaces are Guatemala (7,116), the United States (5,881) and Cuba (4,494). This is a state figure and counts birthplace, not nationality. [M1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
62 of 100MixedCountry figure
Price level 0.537 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Mexico. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
8 of 100WeakOwn figure
Cancún's own normals: 2 comfortable months a year (January and December); monthly average daily highs run 28.7 to 35.1 °C. Only January and December are comfortable; February (30.1 °C) and November (30.3 °C) are just over the 30 °C line.
Source: Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Cancun (23155). Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
16 of 100WeakCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 139th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
64 of 100MixedCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 79 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
87 of 100StrongCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 1st of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Lifestyle
60 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 16th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: Mexican consulates accept remote-work income for temporary residence on economic solvency (there is no separate remote-worker visa), but fixed broadband is 21.7 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: Temporary resident visa: economic solvency (2026 checklist); Temporary resident visa checklist 2026; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
85 of 100StrongCountry figure
Strong: temporary residence on economic solvency accepts pension income, has no age minimum, and four years as a temporary resident allow a change to permanent residence.
Source: Temporary resident visa: economic solvency (2026 checklist); Change from temporary resident to permanent resident (procedure INM-03-010-B). Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
48 of 100MixedCountry figure
21.74 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
0 of 100WeakCountry figure
EF EPI 2025 score 440, below the 499 weak line.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Mexico. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
85 of 100StrongCountry figure
The temporary resident visa on economic solvency is open without a Mexican job offer or age minimum and allows a stay of more than 180 days and up to four years. It asks for either an income of more than US$52,000 a year or savings of more than US$73,000. The official figures are about MXN 79,800 a month (680 days of the UMA, Mexico's daily reference unit) or about MXN 1,300,000 balance, converted at the 15 October 2026 rate. To be safe, have more than MXN 80,000 a month. The San Diego consulate prints about US$4,500 a month or about US$76,000, and New York prints about US$4,200 or about US$71,500. To be safe, have more than US$4,600 a month.
Source: General guidelines for issuing visas (2025), procedure 5: temporary resident visa; Value of the UMA; Exchange rates, 15 October 2026 (MXN cross rates from the ECB reference rates); Temporary resident visa: economic solvency (2026 checklist); Temporary resident visa checklist 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
85 of 100StrongCountry figure
Same visa: no job offer or age minimum, a stay of more than 180 days and up to four years. It asks for either an income of more than US$55,000 a year or savings of more than US$77,000. Vancouver and Calgary print about CA$6,500 a month or about CA$108,900 balance, converted at the 15 October 2026 rate. To be safe, have more than CA$6,500 a month. The consulate pages were read from archive copies from February and March 2026.
Source: General guidelines for issuing visas (2025), procedure 5: temporary resident visa; Value of the UMA; Exchange rates, 15 October 2026 (MXN cross rates from the ECB reference rates); Temporary resident visa (archived copy of 12 March 2026); Visas: temporary residence (archived copy of 23 February 2026). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
85 of 100StrongCountry figure
Same visa: no job offer or age minimum, a stay of more than 180 days and up to four years. It asks for either an income of more than US$52,000 a year (about A$75,000) or savings of more than US$73,000. The official 2025 guidelines set about MXN 79,800 a month or about MXN 1,300,000 balance, converted at the 15 October 2026 rate. To be safe, have more than MXN 80,000 a month. Canberra's current page couldn't be opened; its information sheet is from 2022.
Source: General guidelines for issuing visas (2025), procedure 5: temporary resident visa; Value of the UMA; Exchange rates, 15 October 2026 (MXN cross rates from the ECB reference rates); Temporary resident visa: general information (2022 sheet). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
85 of 100StrongCountry figure
Same visa: no job offer or age minimum, a stay of more than 180 days and up to four years. Wellington prints about NZ$5,300 a month (an income of more than US$36,000 a year) or about NZ$86,000 balance (savings of more than US$49,000), converted at the 15 October 2026 rate. To be safe, have more than NZ$5,400 a month. The official 2025 guidelines figure is higher: more than US$52,000 a year or savings of more than US$73,000. The embassy page was read from a February 2026 archive copy.
Source: General guidelines for issuing visas (2025), procedure 5: temporary resident visa; Value of the UMA; Exchange rates, 15 October 2026 (MXN cross rates from the ECB reference rates); Temporary resident visa (archived copy of 27 February 2026). Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
More on Mexico.
Cities
Other cities in Mexico.
Questions about Cancún.
How big is Cancún?
Benito Juárez, the municipality of Cancún, had 911,503 residents in the 2020 census, the most in Quintana Roo. The locality of Cancún itself had 888,797. It sits on the Caribbean coast.
Where is the immigration office in Cancún?
A long stay starts with a temporary resident visa from a Mexican consulate abroad; the rules give 30 calendar days from entry to apply for the card. The INM lists its Quintana Roo office on Av. Carlos Nader, open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 15:00. Which office handles your case is not known here.
How hot is Cancún?
Cancún's average daily highs run from 28.7 to 35.1 °C (SMN normals, 1991–2020). Only January and December have a high of 30 °C or less with under 150 mm of rain; February and November are just over. Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season runs from early June to the end of November (Government of Canada).
Is Cancún safe?
Canada's advice (updated 14 October 2026) says to exercise a high degree of caution across Mexico and that violent crime still occurs in popular tourist areas and resorts. Quintana Roo is not on its list of states to avoid. Mexico ranks 139th of 163 (GPI 2026, national).
Does Cancún have a large expat community?
InterNations, a private network, showed 3,699 members in Cancún on 15 October 2026; that is not a headcount of residents. The United States has a consular agency there. The 2020 census counts 5,881 US-born people in all of Quintana Roo, a state figure.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N1] Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020: Principales resultados por localidad (ITER), Quintana Roo, INEGI. Checked 15 October 2026. Benito Juárez municipality: 911,503 residents (2020); the locality of Cancún: 888,797. Coordinates and altitude are those INEGI gives for the locality of Cancún: 21.1614, -86.8248, 5 m.
- [B1] Cancún, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. "The city is situated on the Caribbean Sea".
- [E1] U.S. consular agencies in Mexico, U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico. Checked 15 October 2026. Lists a U.S. consular agency in Cancún (Blvd. Kukulcán Km 13, Torre La Europea).
- [I1] Oficina de Representación del INM en Quintana Roo, Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM). Checked 15 October 2026. Representation office at Av. Carlos Nader Lote 1 esq. Uxmal, Supermanzana 5, Centro, C.P. 77500, Cancún; Monday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00. Also lists branch offices in Chetumal and Playa del Carmen.
- [E2] Expats in Cancún, InterNations (expat network, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Page shows 3,699 members in Cancún on 15 October 2026. A private network's own count: members are not all residents, and it is not a census.
- [W1] Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Cancun (23155), Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN), Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA). Checked 16 October 2026. Read from an archive copy dated 16 October 2026; the official file at the original address shows the same figures. Station 23155 Cancun, Benito Juárez municipality, 9 msnm; file issued 9 October 2026. Monthly average daily highs 28.7 to 35.1 °C; months with a high of 30 °C or less and under 150 mm of rain: January and December (2).
- [M1] Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020: Presentación de resultados, Quintana Roo, INEGI. Checked 15 October 2026. Benito Juárez is the most populous municipality in Quintana Roo (911,503). 39,586 residents born in another country; top birthplaces Guatemala 7,116, United States 5,881, Cuba 4,494 (2020).
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Mexico, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 53.69 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Mexico ranks 139th of 163 countries (score 2.650).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Mexico: 79 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API on 15 October 2026.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Mexico ranks 1st of 31 countries.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Mexico ranks 16th of 31 countries in the Quality of Life Index.
- [K1] Temporary resident visa: economic solvency (2026 checklist), Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego. Checked 15 October 2026. US$4,510 a month of employment or pension income for 6 months, or a US$75,950 average balance for 12 months; employees need a letter agreeing to remote work from Mexico. San Diego consular district, 2026 figures. Used for the United States passport.
- [V3] Temporary resident visa checklist 2026, Consulate General of Mexico in New York. Checked 15 October 2026. US$4,200 a month of income for 6 months, or a US$71,500 balance for 12 months; remote workers need a letter showing permission to work from abroad. Used for the United States passport.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 21.74 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] Change from temporary resident to permanent resident (procedure INM-03-010-B), Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM), via gob.mx. Checked 15 October 2026. Four years as a temporary resident allow a change to permanent residence; retirees and pensioners with income from abroad are another route. The page has no date. gob.mx shows an automated-access challenge to scripts, so the content was read with a page reader.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Mexico, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 440, global ranking 103rd, 19 points down on the previous score; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [V1] General guidelines for issuing visas (2025), procedure 5: temporary resident visa, Diario Oficial de la Federación (Secretaría de Gobernación and Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores). Checked 15 October 2026. Published 25 July 2025. Temporary residence visa: a stay of more than 180 days and not more than 4 years. Economic solvency: an average monthly balance of 11,460 days of UMA over 12 months, or tax-free employment or pension income above 680 days of UMA a month over 6 months. No age minimum and no job offer in the solvency route.
- [V2] Value of the UMA, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI). Checked 15 October 2026. The page loads its figures by script, so the value was not read from it directly. 2026 value MXN 117.31 a day (in force from 1 February 2026); 680 days is MXN 79,771 and 11,460 days is MXN 1,344,373.
- [F2] Exchange rates, 15 October 2026 (MXN cross rates from the ECB reference rates), European Central Bank, via the Frankfurter API. Checked 15 October 2026. 1 MXN = 0.05399 USD, 0.0767 CAD, 0.07812 AUD, 0.0964 NZD on 15 October 2026.
- [V4] Temporary resident visa (archived copy of 12 March 2026), Consulate General of Mexico in Vancouver (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026. CA$108,894 average monthly balance over 12 months, or tax-free employment or pension income of over CA$6,461 a month over 6 months. Used for the Canadian passport. The live page refused automated access in earlier research; the archive copy opened on 15 October 2026.
- [V5] Visas: temporary residence (archived copy of 23 February 2026), Consulate General of Mexico in Calgary (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026. Same CA$108,894 and CA$6,461 figures as Vancouver. Used for the Canadian passport.
- [V6] Temporary resident visa: general information (2022 sheet), Embassy of Mexico in Australia, Canberra. Checked 15 October 2026. A 2022 sheet: the visa is for stays of more than 180 days and less than 4 years; the card is issued by INM within 30 days of arrival and allows up to four years. Its solvency figures (a balance of MXN 708,500) are an older basis that no longer applies, so the 2025 guidelines (V1) set the Australian test.
- [V7] Temporary resident visa (archived copy of 27 February 2026), Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand, Wellington (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026. Economic solvency: NZ$86,000 average monthly balance over 12 months, or NZ$5,300 average monthly income over 6 months (page last updated February 2025, below the 2025 guidelines figure). Used for the New Zealand passport.