The internet's two answers to 'how much Spanish do I need to move to Mexico?' are both wrong. 'You don't need any — everyone speaks English' is wrong outside Playa del Carmen tourist strips. 'You need to be fluent before you go' is also wrong and will keep you from ever leaving.
The honest answer is: it depends on where you'll live, what you'll do, and how comfortable you are being mildly uncomfortable for the first 60 days. Below is a city-by-city, scenario-by-scenario breakdown so you can decide what level you actually need before you book the flight.
The short answer: A2 to land, B1 to thrive
If you can hit a solid A2 (CEFR) before you arrive — meaning you can hold simple conversations, ask basic questions, understand slow speech — you'll be fine. You'll struggle the first month and unlock new doors every week after.
B1 (low intermediate) is where life in Mexico starts feeling normal. You can handle a doctor's visit, a landlord call, a tax appointment. Most expats get from A2 to B1 within 4–6 months of daily practice in-country.
Below A2, you'll be functional in tourist enclaves but locked out of the deeper Mexico — the friendships, the bureaucracy, the daily life that makes the move worth it.
By city — what you'll actually need
Mexico City (Roma, Condesa, Juárez, Polanco): Roma and Condesa baristas, gym staff and many landlords speak English. The bank, the doctor, the immigration office do not. A2 is the floor; B1 makes life dramatically easier within 2 months.
Playa del Carmen / Tulum: You can technically survive on zero Spanish in the tourist zones. You'll be lonely, overcharged, and treated like a tourist forever. A2 unlocks the local side; B1 lets you find off-grid friendships.
Guadalajara: Much less English than CDMX. A2 is the realistic minimum; B1 is strongly recommended before arrival. The upside: locals are warm with learners.
Oaxaca, Mérida, San Miguel de Allende: Mixed. San Miguel has a huge English-speaking expat bubble (you can avoid Spanish forever, but you'll never know the real town). Oaxaca and Mérida reward Spanish — B1 to feel at home.
By scenario — the 10 conversations you must be able to handle
1. Apartment hunt — voice notes with landlords, viewing small talk, negotiating rent. A2+. (See our guide.)
2. Bank account — opening, plus the inevitable 'we need another document' conversations. A2+.
3. Doctor visit — describing symptoms, allergies, prescription timing. A2.
4. Immigration office (INM) — renewing a visa, fixing CURP issues. B1 strongly recommended; an A2 expat usually needs to bring a Spanish-speaking friend.
5. Phone plan / internet setup — Telcel, AT&T, Izzi, Totalplay. A2 is enough if you've rehearsed the scenario.
6. Uber driver chitchat — A1.5 is fine; this is your easiest free language class.
7. Tianguis / mercado shopping — bargaining, asking weights, asking what something is. A2.
8. Restaurant — A1 is enough for ordering; A2 to chat with waiters and ask about dishes.
9. Building admin (mantenimiento, leaks, packages) — A2 minimum; B1 makes you stop dreading the conversation.
10. Making real Mexican friends who don't speak English — B1, ideally B2.
How long it takes to reach each level
From zero to A2: 80–150 hours of focused practice (3–5 months at 30 min/day, faster if you do daily voice work).
From A2 to B1: another 100–150 hours, often done in-country where reps are forced on you.
From B1 to B2: another 200–300 hours and a lot of human conversation.
Most expats massively underestimate how much faster level-up is once you're in-country. 30 minutes of forced Spanish at the bank counts for more than 2 hours of solo Duolingo.
What to do in the 60 days before you move
Daily: 20–30 minutes of voice AI practice on the specific scenarios from your move (apartment hunt, bank, immigration). Roleplay the exact conversation 5–10 times.
Weekly: 1 session with a Mexican italki or Preply tutor. Get used to the Mexican accent specifically (not Spain, not generic).
Build a small starter slang vocabulary: ahorita, mande, no manches, qué onda, chido, padre, sale, depa. (See our Mexico country guide.)
If you can do this for 60 days, you'll land at solid A2 and rocket to B1 within 3 months of arrival. That's the realistic, honest path.