🇲🇽 Mexico vs 🇵🇦 Panama
Side by side on the data that actually changes your life: prices, taxes, climate, air, safety. Every number has a source and a date.
Climate (capital)
Open-Meteo historical weather
Jan 16° · Jul 17° · Mexico City
Jan 27° · Jul 27° · Panama City
Sunny days (capital)
Open-Meteo, days with over 4.5h of sunshine
359 days / yr
321 days / yr
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 83 · Moderate
AQI 13 · Good
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index (euro-area countries share one euro-area price)
$6.17
—
Employment taxes (not your rate)
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~22% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
—
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified June 2026
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
Territorial taxation
Inflation
World Bank
3.8% / yr (2025)
-0.2% / yr (2025)
Unemployment
World Bank, ILO-modelled estimate
2.7% (2025)
8.4% (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~70 Mbps
—
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
low
—
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, last 6 months
No known issues
No known issues
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Population
World Bank total population
131.9M (2025)
4.6M (2025)
Population density
World Bank, people per km²
67 / km² (2023)
60 / km² (2023)
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
1.3% of population (2024)
10.6% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
71 yrs
77 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
MXN
PAB
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC-6
UTC-5
Legal
Crypto-friendly
Short-term gains
35%
0%
Long-term gains
35%
0%
Long-term holding period
—
—
Staking income
—
0%
Mining income
—
25%
General rates, not personal tax advice.
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 12 July 2026. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 7 July 2026. Sources shown per row.
Bottom line: which should you choose?
Pick 🇲🇽 Mexico if you want
more sunshine.
Based only on the sourced metrics above. Visa eligibility and paperwork depend on your passport — build a free plan for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose Mexico over Panama?
On the data we track, Mexico comes out ahead for more sunshine. Every figure has a source in the table above.
Special tax regimes, verified
Regimes change often and many sites still advertise closed ones. We link the official source for each.
🇲🇽 Mexico
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified June 2026 · SAT
Numbers are half the story
Your visa route, paperwork and deadlines depend on where you hold a passport. Get a free checklist personalized to your exact move.