Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean
Guatemala vs Mexico: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Guatemala and Mexico for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Mexico sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Guatemala (48 against 57), but the gap is small enough that the practical difference comes down to category-by-category detail rather than the headline. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Guatemala scores 3/5 against Mexico's 4/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on Guatemala and a Level 2 on Mexico. Drug law diverges sharply: Guatemala carries a tier-severe regime against Mexico's more permissive framework.
| 🇬🇹Guatemala | 🇲🇽Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 57 / 100 | 48 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #108 | #135 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Strict |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | marriage |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | GTQ | MXN |