cost
Cost of Living Index
Panama101.5 / 100
Mexico104.9 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Panama leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Mexico leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Panama leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Mexico leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Panama | 101.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Mexico | 104.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Panama | 84.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Mexico | 91.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Panama | $989 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Mexico | $3,497 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Panama | 10.2x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Mexico | 5.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Panama | $1,597/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Mexico | $1,182/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Panama | 8.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Mexico | 2.7% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Panama | 52.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Mexico | 92.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Panama | 72.1 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Mexico | 74.3 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Panama wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to Mexico.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Panama leads cost, rent, and salary; Mexico leads safety, housing, and jobs.
cost
Panama
101.5
Mexico
104.9
safety
Panama
84.9
Mexico
91.1
housing
Panama
$989
Mexico
$3,497
housing
Panama
10.2x
Mexico
5.9x
jobs
Panama
$1,597/mo
Mexico
$1,182/mo
jobs
Panama
8.4%
Mexico
2.7%
health
Panama
52.2
Mexico
92.3
health
Panama
72.1 years
Mexico
74.3 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Panama
1.3%
Mexico
0.9%
education
Panama
81.3
Mexico
51.1
transport
Panama
95.2
Mexico
58.9
safety
Panama
12.5 per 100k
Mexico
24.9 per 100k
safety
Panama
33.5 per 100k
Mexico
35.5 per 100k
health
Panama
31.6%
Mexico
35.3%
quality
Panama
7.6
Mexico
6.6
housing
Panama
$7,958/sqm
Mexico
$17,910/sqm
religion
Panama
28.1%
Mexico
37.5%
religion
Panama
55.8%
Mexico
40.1%
religion
Panama
51.3%
Mexico
5.3%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.