Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean
Guatemala vs Nicaragua: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Guatemala and Nicaragua 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.
Guatemala and Nicaragua have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 57 and 57. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone.
| 🇬🇹Guatemala | 🇳🇮Nicaragua | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 57 / 100 | 57 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #108 | #111 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | GTQ | NIO |