Teach English in Mexico City

Mexico City has become one of the world’s most in-demand destinations, and with so many jobs available, TEFL teachers can enjoy it, too.

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Mexico City might be the most welcoming TEFL destination in Latin America, and in many ways, it’s an ideal location for teaching English. There’s a massive metropolitan population and demand for English teachers, but it’s also tourist-friendly and has as much to offer as any major world city.

There are two sides to Mexico City. At a glance, it looks chaotic, with lots of work opportunities, but a frantic pace of life that takes getting used to. But if you take the back streets and explore the neighbourhoods, you’ll find a city where relaxation and entertainment are more important than anything else.

In this article, we’re putting our magnifying glass over Mexico City, where digital nomads thrive, and English teachers can find plenty of work. We’ll cover requirements, salaries and all the other vital information you need to get going!

Why teach English in Mexico City?

Mexico is the planet's 18th-largest English-teaching market and has an interesting relationship with the English language. As the USA’s southern neighbour, you might assume that Mexico would have decent English language proficiency, but that isn’t always the case. Instead, Mexico ranks fairly low among Latin American countries. (Surprisingly, Mexico City – the country’s cosmopolitan capital – ranks well below other cities like Monterrey, Chihuahua City and Guadalajara.)

For English teachers, this means two things. First, Mexico has a massive TEFL market filled with different kinds of jobs and lots of eager learners. And second, there’s a lot of work to do to raise standards of English across the country.

As a place to live, Mexico City was made for TEFL teachers. Like many other major TEFL destinations, Mexico City has jobs across all levels of education, from kindergartens to private and international schools and universities.

On top of this, Mexico City has become a hotspot for digital nomads, with remote workers sharing positive experiences online. While there’s some resistance to foreign remote workers, with gentrification becoming an issue, Mexican people are famously accommodating and friendly.

Tip: You don’t necessarily need to learn fluent Mexican Spanish for an English teaching job, but if you want to fit in better, try to learn at least the basics before you move!

Requirements to teach English in Mexico City

Mexico City is a huge TEFL market with plenty of jobs - here are the requirements you need to meet:

TEFL certification

If you want an English teaching job in Mexico City, you need a TEFL certificate. You need at least a 120-hour TEFL qualification to give you the foundational knowledge to teach English as a foreign language.

Mexico City’s demand for English is widespread, with learners of different backgrounds, ages, motivations, and incomes needing English lessons. If you have an advanced TEFL certificate, you can teach specific types of learners, like Business English students or young learners in schools. Having a speciality and qualification to back it up is helpful in locations with the highest demand.

Teaching without a degree

In Mexico City, there are jobs for both graduates and teachers without a bachelor's degree. It depends on the employer and the institution - you won’t usually need a bachelor's degree for an entry-level job teaching English in language schools. Still, you might need at least a master’s degree and even a teaching certificate for teaching jobs in universities, international schools or private schools.

Teaching with no experience

Like degrees, some will ask for applicants with teaching experience, some won’t. Usually, the jobs that require degrees also require teaching experience, so language institutes are the best option for newer TEFL teachers.

High-paying roles in elite schools generally hire experienced teachers, but state schools can be a happy medium for teachers who have a degree but are new to the profession.

Visas for teaching positions

To legally work in Mexico City, you need two things. The first is an FM3 temporary work visa, which isn’t too difficult to get. You’ll likely be on a 180-day travel visa if you're already in Mexico.

Once you’ve had a job offer from a Mexican school or business, you’ll apply by filling out the required paperwork, paying the necessary fees, and submitting the following documents:

A valid passport (with a photocopy of the data page)
Your travel visa (if you’re already in Mexico)
A fully completed and signed application form
Legalised copies of your academic certificates (including your TEFL certificate)
Accommodation arrangements in Mexico
Two passport photographs

Along with your FM3, you’ll need a Mexican work permit. (Don’t worry, it’s your employer’s responsibility to get your work permit from the Instituto Nacional de Migración).

Once you’ve got your visa and work permit, you’re good to go - as long as you start within 30 days of getting your documents!

Language skills

Alongside a TEFL certificate and (depending on the job) a bachelor's degree, non-native English speakers must prove their English language skills to teach English in Mexico City.

Most ESL teachers who aren't native English speakers go for qualifications like the IELTS or TOEFL, though a bachelor's or master's degree from an English-speaking university also works.

Download our teaching English in Latin America guide

Salary and cost of living

Most teachers can find plenty of reasons to love Mexico City. The diverse culture and welcoming environment are attractive, but so is the city's affordability. On paper, salaries won’t look as impressive as they might in other popular destinations like Hong Kong or Taiwan, but the city’s low cost of living means your wages will go much further.

Let’s take a look at salaries, benefits and cost of living as an English teacher in Mexico City:

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Mexico	13,750 MXN £591 GBP $760 USD	Preferred	August		Sometimes		None

Salary

According to our salary data, full-time English teachers can earn an average salary of MX$13,950 (£599 / $772) per month. That’s a little higher than the national average, around MX$13,750 monthly.

To boost your earnings a little more, consider private tutoring. The typical starting rate is about MX$45 - MX$120 (£1.80 - £4.80 / $2.42 - $6.46) per hour, though in Mexico City, you can find clients who can pay more for experienced teachers.

Remember that salaries can vary based on qualifications, experience and where you’re teaching. For example, international school teachers can earn as much as £1,120 - £2,240 / $1,400 - $2,790 per month.

Other benefits

Teachers are highly valued in Mexico. The country’s public school teachers’ union enjoys a good relationship with the government (in 2025, teachers were awarded a 10% pay rise and an extra week of holiday).

If you get a job teaching English in a state school, you'll beentitled to a range of benefits, including:

Social security payments
Christmas bonus
Paid holidays
Severance pay
Maternity and paternity leave
Pension contributions

Meanwhile, in private and international schools, ESL teachers receive benefits like:

Accommodation allowances
Transport coverage
Performance bonuses

Employers will help with visas (your work permit, for example, is their responsibility) and sometimes cover application fees too. Every school or business has different benefits to offer, but Mexican employment rights are some of the best in the world.

Cost of living

Mexico City is very affordable, and you can comfortably live on a teacher's salary. However, if you’re willing to spend a little longer examining costs, you can save and take your teaching salary even further.

A great example of this is rent. According to Numbeo, renting a one bedroom city centre apartment in Mexico City costs £791 / $1,063, but there are plenty of safe, up-and-coming neighbourhoods where rents drop to around £503 / $676 per month.

La Condesa is popular with digital nomads and young families, while Coyoacan has rustic Mexican charm and cheap rents in plentiful supply.

Utilities are reasonable too – on average, you can expect to pay around £31 / $42 a month, while internet costs are about £23 / $31, depending on your provider. Mexico City’s busy traffic is one of its few downsides, but public transport is reliable and cheap, with subway trips around the city costing as little as £0.19 / $0.25.

For more information on the cost of living in Mexico, see our table below:

Restaurants	MXN	USD	GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets	MXN	USD	GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation	MXN	USD	GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities	MXN	USD	GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes	MXN	USD	GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes

Culture and customs in Mexico City: key facts

Yes, it’s full of teaching opportunities, and yes, it’s an affordable city to live in, but the best thing about Mexico City is its vibrant culture. Here are some highlights you need to know about before you start teaching abroad in Mexico City:

Lucha Libre
Chapultepec Park
Mexico City breakfasts
Something in every neighbourhood

Lucha Libre

In Mexico, Lucha Libre wrestling is massive. This is especially true in Mexico City, where watching Luchadores is a big part of the local culture. You won’t always find hulking men flexing their muscles, but you’ll see intense acrobatics, bright colours and plenty of audience participation.

Tip: Looking for a great night in Mexico City? Check out the famous Arena Coliseo, one of the top Lucha Libre spots. With a full capacity of 5,000 (which gets lively) you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action!

Chapultepec Park

It would be more than enough if Chapultepec Park were “just” 1,700 acres of natural beauty, punctuated with statues, monuments and footpaths. However, Latin America’s second biggest public park also has contemporary and modern art museums, and to top it off, Chapultepec Castle, with a history museum inside.

Mexico City breakfasts

Mexican food grows in popularity worldwide every year. The country’s cuisine is enough reason to find a teaching job in Mexico City, but there’s much more to it than tacos and burritos.

Each neighbourhood has specialist restaurants, from fine dining to curious dive diners. According to top food critics, Mexico City shines at breakfast, when savoury dishes like chicharrón en salsa verde blend with sweet coffees, pastries, and natas.

Something in every neighbourhood

To get the most out of Mexico City, try exploring different neighbourhoods. There’s something worth seeing wherever you go, and our best advice is to start from the Centro Historico and work outwards.

Centro Historico features the amazing Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, and you’ll find the most tourists in this area. From there, try riverside walks in Condesa, sample local food from Xochimilco’s colourful markets, take in the Frida Kahlo museum in Coyoacan - and that’s barely scratching the surface.

Teach English in Mexico City: key takeaways

All of Mexico's major cities have plenty to offer, but for sheer variety, job openings, and rich culture, Mexico City is impossible to top. It’s a city where, one minute, you can be lost in a crowd of tourists in Centro Historico, and the next, you can stroll around Frida Kahlo’s neighbourhood, Coyoacan.

Here are some key takeaways from a Latin American city that has it all:

Teaching jobs: There are job openings in language schools, international schools, private schools, universities, state schools, and private tutoring.
Requirements: TEFL certification is a must, a bachelor’s degree is valuable, and teaching experience is preferred. Non-native speakers will need to prove their English fluency with an IELTS, TOEFL or English-language degree.
Salary: On average, full-time ESL teachers in Mexico City earn a salary of MX$13,950 (£599 / $772) per month.

Mexico City is ideal if you want to hustle; you can take multiple teaching jobs and tutor in specialist areas like Business English. Yet it’s also somewhere you can find reliable jobs in language schools and, after school, get lost in a book under a tree in Chapultepec Park.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching abroad in Mexico City is a dream for many teachers, so it's no surprise the internet is full of questions:

Q. Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach English in Mexico City?

To teach English in Mexico City, you must be TEFL certified. The industry standard for English teaching jobs is 120 hours of TEFL training.

Q. Do I need to speak Spanish to teach English in Mexico City?

Mexican Spanish isn't a must for English teaching jobs, but it's generally a good idea to learn some of the local language wherever you teach abroad.

Q. What kind of jobs are available for English teachers in Mexico City?

In Mexico City, English teachers can find jobs in public schools, language institutes, private schools, international schools, and universities. Most schools also allow teachers to give private lessons on the side.

Q. When is the best time to find a teaching job in Mexico City?

The school year in Mexico usually runs from August to the start of July, so most teachers find work in the summer. However, job opportunities with private language companies can crop up anytime.