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SettleMetric

Colombia vs. Mexico

Colombia va por delante en legalización, dinero y cripto, sanidad. Mexico va por delante en impuestos. Abajo, los datos criterio por criterio.

Verificado

Marcador

Las cifras clave cara a cara, con el lado más fuerte señalado. La puntuación global es decorativa; lo que importa es qué datos encajan contigo.

Resultado principal

Colombia va por delante en 3 de 6

Colombia

3

Mexico

2

01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Colombiamejor
$705/mo

DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Mexico
$780/mo

INEGI — ENIGH 2024 (gasto corriente monetario), scaled to a single-person basket

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 may 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
ENIGH 2024 average household monetary current spending was 47,674 MXN/quarter ≈ 15,891 MXN/month across an average 3.4-person household. Removing housing rent, and taking the categories a single person still bears in full (food, utilities, transport, communications, personal care, leisure) at single-person rather than strict per-capita levels, gives ≈ 13,700 MXN/month for one person excluding rent. Converted at 17.559 MXN/USD (ECB EUR 20.0153 / USD 1.1399, 2026-07-02) ≈ $780/month. National average; Mexico City runs higher, smaller cities lower. See cost-breakdown for the itemised basket.
02Freelancer tax burden
Colombia
17,3%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (DIAN RST tariffs + UGPP independent-worker contributions)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Mexicomejor
2%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Art. 113-E LISR, SAT)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme mx-resico at €60,000 = 1,200,918 MXN (ECB 20.0153 MXN/EUR, 2026-07-02). RESICO annual income in the $1M–$2.5M band → 2.0% of gross with no deductions → ISR 24,018.36 MXN, and no mandatory social contributions (IMSS is voluntary in Mexico). Total burden 24,018.36 / 1,200,918 = 2.0%. The general professional-activity regime would tax the same profile at roughly 20.7% (see mx-actividad-profesional), so RESICO is decisively better for a low-cost freelancer.
03Homicide rate
Colombiamejor
24,9/100k

UNODC data portal — intentional homicide victims per 100,000 (Colombia national series)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
UNODC national series: 24.9 per 100k (2023), down slightly from 24.9 in 2022. Colombian official sources for 2025 are higher: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal ≈ 28.2 per 100k (14,780 cases, DANE population base) and Policía Nacional 26.1 per 100k — a recent uptick. Homicide is heavily concentrated in specific regions and involves organized crime; risk to a foreign remote worker in major-city residential areas is lower than the national rate implies but the country-level figure is genuinely high.
Mexico
25,6/100k

INEGI — Defunciones por homicidio 2024 (Reporte de resultados, 1-ago-2025)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
33,241 homicide deaths registered in 2024, rate 25.6 per 100,000 (up from 24.9 in 2023). Highly uneven by state: Colima 123, Morelos 77, Baja California 65 at the top; Yucatán 3, Coahuila 4, Mexico City ~10 at the low end. The national figure masks large regional variation relevant to city choice.
04Internet speed
Colombia
17 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
Mexicomejor
18 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Mexico

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Median of the daily country median download values (download_MED) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics for Mexico, 2023 (the latest full year in M-Lab's published stats API; 2024+ files not yet available). Daily medians cluster tightly around 18 Mbps over hundreds of thousands of tests.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is a single-stream test and reads well below Ookla-style marketing figures (Mexican fixed connections commonly sell 50–200 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. Fixed broadband quality varies widely: fibre is strong in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, weaker in smaller towns.
05English proficiency
Colombia
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Mexico
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Mexico (score 440, rank 103/123, Low band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Mexico scores 440 and ranks 103rd, in EF's 'Low' band. English is workable in tourist zones, international business, and among younger urban professionals, but government offices, healthcare, and everyday services are conducted in Spanish; functional Spanish is effectively required for daily life.
06Private healthcare cost
Colombiamejor
$1250/yr

Colombian prepaid-medicine and voluntary health insurers (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva/medicina prepagada) — comprehensive plans; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
Notas
Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
Mexico
$1800/yr

Mexican gastos médicos mayores insurers (GNP, AXA, Allianz, Mapfre) — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive 'gastos médicos mayores' plans (major-medical: hospitalisation, surgery, plus outpatient riders) from GNP, AXA México, Allianz and Mapfre run roughly $120–190 USD/month for a healthy adult under 35 → ≈$1,440–$2,280/year. Midpoint ≈ $1,800/year. Premiums are quoted individually (age, deductible, hospital network), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Mexican medical inflation is high (est. ~15% for 2026), pushing premiums up 20–40% year on year.
Notas
Comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis per the data-quality lesson. Residents also have free access to public IMSS-Bienestar/IMSS care, but private cover is the norm for expats/freelancers who want private-hospital access. Deductibles and coinsurance apply on top of the premium.

Veredicto

Cada perspectiva pondera solo los datos que importan a ese plan y dice a qué lado favorece.

Informática remota / autónomo

Contrato o trabajo por cuenta propia en tecnología, facturando a clientes de fuera.

Mexico encaja mejor: 2 de 5

01Freelancer tax burden
Colombia
17,3%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (DIAN RST tariffs + UGPP independent-worker contributions)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Mexicomejor
2%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Art. 113-E LISR, SAT)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme mx-resico at €60,000 = 1,200,918 MXN (ECB 20.0153 MXN/EUR, 2026-07-02). RESICO annual income in the $1M–$2.5M band → 2.0% of gross with no deductions → ISR 24,018.36 MXN, and no mandatory social contributions (IMSS is voluntary in Mexico). Total burden 24,018.36 / 1,200,918 = 2.0%. The general professional-activity regime would tax the same profile at roughly 20.7% (see mx-actividad-profesional), so RESICO is decisively better for a low-cost freelancer.
02Internet speed
Colombia
17 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
Mexicomejor
18 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Mexico

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Median of the daily country median download values (download_MED) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics for Mexico, 2023 (the latest full year in M-Lab's published stats API; 2024+ files not yet available). Daily medians cluster tightly around 18 Mbps over hundreds of thousands of tests.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is a single-stream test and reads well below Ookla-style marketing figures (Mexican fixed connections commonly sell 50–200 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. Fixed broadband quality varies widely: fibre is strong in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, weaker in smaller towns.
03English proficiency
Colombia
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Mexico
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Mexico (score 440, rank 103/123, Low band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Mexico scores 440 and ranks 103rd, in EF's 'Low' band. English is workable in tourist zones, international business, and among younger urban professionals, but government offices, healthcare, and everyday services are conducted in Spanish; functional Spanish is effectively required for daily life.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Colombiamejor
$705/mo

DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Mexico
$780/mo

INEGI — ENIGH 2024 (gasto corriente monetario), scaled to a single-person basket

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 may 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
ENIGH 2024 average household monetary current spending was 47,674 MXN/quarter ≈ 15,891 MXN/month across an average 3.4-person household. Removing housing rent, and taking the categories a single person still bears in full (food, utilities, transport, communications, personal care, leisure) at single-person rather than strict per-capita levels, gives ≈ 13,700 MXN/month for one person excluding rent. Converted at 17.559 MXN/USD (ECB EUR 20.0153 / USD 1.1399, 2026-07-02) ≈ $780/month. National average; Mexico City runs higher, smaller cities lower. See cost-breakdown for the itemised basket.
05Domestic delivery quality
Colombia
Good

Servicios Postales Nacionales (4-72) + private carriers (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC) official service pages (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).
Mexico
Good

Estafeta / FedEx México / Correos de México (MexPost) official service pages (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Classified from carrier service/coverage pages: FedEx México, DHL, Estafeta and Redpack offer next-day delivery in major cities with standard real-time tracking; Correos de México/MexPost and Estafeta reach rural areas but 'zonas extendidas' incur reexpedición surcharges and slower delivery; OXXO/convenience-store pickup is widespread. Landed on 'good' (not 'excellent') because coverage is dense in metros but slower and pricier in the rural long tail, and there is no nationwide parcel-locker network on the European scale.
Notas
Next-day in major cities; slower and surcharged in hard-to-reach zones.

Familia

Mudarse con pareja e hijos en edad escolar.

Colombia encaja mejor: 2 de 3

01Homicide rate
Colombiamejor
24,9/100k

UNODC data portal — intentional homicide victims per 100,000 (Colombia national series)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
UNODC national series: 24.9 per 100k (2023), down slightly from 24.9 in 2022. Colombian official sources for 2025 are higher: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal ≈ 28.2 per 100k (14,780 cases, DANE population base) and Policía Nacional 26.1 per 100k — a recent uptick. Homicide is heavily concentrated in specific regions and involves organized crime; risk to a foreign remote worker in major-city residential areas is lower than the national rate implies but the country-level figure is genuinely high.
Mexico
25,6/100k

INEGI — Defunciones por homicidio 2024 (Reporte de resultados, 1-ago-2025)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
33,241 homicide deaths registered in 2024, rate 25.6 per 100,000 (up from 24.9 in 2023). Highly uneven by state: Colima 123, Morelos 77, Baja California 65 at the top; Yucatán 3, Coahuila 4, Mexico City ~10 at the low end. The national figure masks large regional variation relevant to city choice.
02Private healthcare cost
Colombiamejor
$1250/yr

Colombian prepaid-medicine and voluntary health insurers (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva/medicina prepagada) — comprehensive plans; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
Notas
Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
Mexico
$1800/yr

Mexican gastos médicos mayores insurers (GNP, AXA, Allianz, Mapfre) — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive 'gastos médicos mayores' plans (major-medical: hospitalisation, surgery, plus outpatient riders) from GNP, AXA México, Allianz and Mapfre run roughly $120–190 USD/month for a healthy adult under 35 → ≈$1,440–$2,280/year. Midpoint ≈ $1,800/year. Premiums are quoted individually (age, deductible, hospital network), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Mexican medical inflation is high (est. ~15% for 2026), pushing premiums up 20–40% year on year.
Notas
Comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis per the data-quality lesson. Residents also have free access to public IMSS-Bienestar/IMSS care, but private cover is the norm for expats/freelancers who want private-hospital access. Deductibles and coinsurance apply on top of the premium.
03English proficiency
Colombia
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Mexico
Low

EF EPI 2025 — Mexico (score 440, rank 103/123, Low band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Mexico scores 440 and ranks 103rd, in EF's 'Low' band. English is workable in tourist zones, international business, and among younger urban professionals, but government offices, healthcare, and everyday services are conducted in Spanish; functional Spanish is effectively required for daily life.

Dinero y cripto

Optimizar impuestos, banca y normas sobre cripto.

Muy reñido para este plan

01Crypto regulation
Colombiamejor
Legal regulated

DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
8 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.
Mexico
Restricted

Banco de México — Circular 4/2019 (Disposiciones aplicables a operaciones con activos virtuales)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
8 mar 2019
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Holding and trading crypto is legal for individuals and gains are taxed under ISR as enajenación de bienes. But virtual assets are not legal tender, and Banxico Circular 4/2019 bars banks and regulated fintechs from offering crypto services (custody, exchange, transmission) to the public; no institution has been authorised. Individuals buy/sell through unregulated exchanges that cannot hold client fiat. Classified 'restricted' because banking-channel access to crypto is prohibited, not merely regulated.
02Financial control level
Colombia
Moderate

Banco de la República — Regulación y operaciones cambiarias (régimen cambiario; Circular Reglamentaria DCIP-83 de 2026)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
26 feb 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).
Mexico
Moderate

SAT — declaración anual / obligations, and Banco de México FX regime (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite: the peso floats freely and is fully convertible with no capital or currency controls (IMF AREAER classifies MXN as free-floating); non-residents can open Mexican bank accounts (requires RFC/CURP and proof of address, more friction than the EU). No FBAR-style personal foreign-account disclosure regime, though CRS applies via banks and Mexico joined the crypto CARF reporting from 2026. Cash caps: purchases in cash above ~$100,000–500,000 MXN trigger anti-money-laundering reporting by the counterparty (Ley Antilavado), and cash payments above certain limits are non-deductible. Rated 'moderate' rather than 'low' because of RFC-gated banking, mandatory e-invoicing (CFDI) capturing most income, and AML cash-reporting thresholds.
03Freelancer tax burden
Colombia
17,3%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (DIAN RST tariffs + UGPP independent-worker contributions)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Mexicomejor
2%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Art. 113-E LISR, SAT)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme mx-resico at €60,000 = 1,200,918 MXN (ECB 20.0153 MXN/EUR, 2026-07-02). RESICO annual income in the $1M–$2.5M band → 2.0% of gross with no deductions → ISR 24,018.36 MXN, and no mandatory social contributions (IMSS is voluntary in Mexico). Total burden 24,018.36 / 1,200,918 = 2.0%. The general professional-activity regime would tax the same profile at roughly 20.7% (see mx-actividad-profesional), so RESICO is decisively better for a low-cost freelancer.

Vida tranquila

Priorizar la seguridad, el aire y una vida diaria sencilla.

Colombia encaja mejor: 2 de 2

01Homicide rate
Colombiamejor
24,9/100k

UNODC data portal — intentional homicide victims per 100,000 (Colombia national series)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
UNODC national series: 24.9 per 100k (2023), down slightly from 24.9 in 2022. Colombian official sources for 2025 are higher: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal ≈ 28.2 per 100k (14,780 cases, DANE population base) and Policía Nacional 26.1 per 100k — a recent uptick. Homicide is heavily concentrated in specific regions and involves organized crime; risk to a foreign remote worker in major-city residential areas is lower than the national rate implies but the country-level figure is genuinely high.
Mexico
25,6/100k

INEGI — Defunciones por homicidio 2024 (Reporte de resultados, 1-ago-2025)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
33,241 homicide deaths registered in 2024, rate 25.6 per 100,000 (up from 24.9 in 2023). Highly uneven by state: Colima 123, Morelos 77, Baja California 65 at the top; Yucatán 3, Coahuila 4, Mexico City ~10 at the low end. The national figure masks large regional variation relevant to city choice.
02Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Colombiamejor
$705/mo

DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Mexico
$780/mo

INEGI — ENIGH 2024 (gasto corriente monetario), scaled to a single-person basket

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 may 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
ENIGH 2024 average household monetary current spending was 47,674 MXN/quarter ≈ 15,891 MXN/month across an average 3.4-person household. Removing housing rent, and taking the categories a single person still bears in full (food, utilities, transport, communications, personal care, leisure) at single-person rather than strict per-capita levels, gives ≈ 13,700 MXN/month for one person excluding rent. Converted at 17.559 MXN/USD (ECB EUR 20.0153 / USD 1.1399, 2026-07-02) ≈ $780/month. National average; Mexico City runs higher, smaller cities lower. See cost-breakdown for the itemised basket.

Detalles

Impuestos

01+Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileColombia17,3Mexicomejor2

Qué mide esto

Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (DIAN RST tariffs + UGPP independent-worker contributions)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.

Mexico

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Art. 113-E LISR, SAT)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme mx-resico at €60,000 = 1,200,918 MXN (ECB 20.0153 MXN/EUR, 2026-07-02). RESICO annual income in the $1M–$2.5M band → 2.0% of gross with no deductions → ISR 24,018.36 MXN, and no mandatory social contributions (IMSS is voluntary in Mexico). Total burden 24,018.36 / 1,200,918 = 2.0%. The general professional-activity regime would tax the same profile at roughly 20.7% (see mx-actividad-profesional), so RESICO is decisively better for a low-cost freelancer.

Legalización

01+Remote-work legalization easeColombiamejorDedicated nomad visaMexicoLong stay path

Qué mide esto

Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días

Colombia

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores — Resolución 5477 de 2022, art. 46 (Visa V Nómada digital)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
22 jul 2022
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Colombia has a dedicated Visa V for digital nomads (trabajo remoto/teletrabajo for foreign companies), valid up to 2 years, income requirement 3 SMMLV. Longer-term freelancers can also use the accumulating Visa M — Profesional independiente (5 SMMLV) toward permanent residence.

Mexico

SRE — Visa de residente temporal por solvencia económica (Consulado de México en España)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Mexico has no dedicated digital-nomad visa. The established long-stay route for remote workers is the temporary-resident visa (residente temporal) granted on proof of economic solvency — foreign income or savings qualify, and there is no minimum physical-presence rule. Renewable up to 4 years, then convertible to permanent residence. See legalization path mx-temporary-resident-solvency.

Coste de vida

01+Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentColombiamejor705Mexico780

Qué mide esto

Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.

Mexico

INEGI — ENIGH 2024 (gasto corriente monetario), scaled to a single-person basket

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 may 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
ENIGH 2024 average household monetary current spending was 47,674 MXN/quarter ≈ 15,891 MXN/month across an average 3.4-person household. Removing housing rent, and taking the categories a single person still bears in full (food, utilities, transport, communications, personal care, leisure) at single-person rather than strict per-capita levels, gives ≈ 13,700 MXN/month for one person excluding rent. Converted at 17.559 MXN/USD (ECB EUR 20.0153 / USD 1.1399, 2026-07-02) ≈ $780/month. National average; Mexico City runs higher, smaller cities lower. See cost-breakdown for the itemised basket.

Gasto mensual por categoría (sin alquiler)

Colombia

DANE income/spending bands 2025 (basket anchor)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Illustrative split of the ≈$705/mo single-person non-rent basket into typical urban categories, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands and published utility/transport/mobile tariffs, converted at 3,349.7 COP/USD. Categories sum to ≈$705. Curated estimate, not a DANE household-budget survey line; national/major-city average — El Poblado-tier neighbourhoods run higher.
Mexico

INEGI — ENIGH 2024 spending shares, scaled to a single-person basket

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 may 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
ENIGH 2024 monthly household spending shares (food/bev/tobacco 37.7%, transport & communications 19.5%, education & entertainment 9.6%, housing & services 9.1%, clothing, health etc.), rebased to a single-person no-rent basket and converted at 17.559 MXN/USD. Categories sum to the ≈$780/month cost-of-living aggregate. National average — a rough guide, not a survey of one-person households (INEGI does not headline a single-person series).
01Food & non-alcoholic drinks
Colombia
Mexico
$300
02Food & groceries
Colombia
$230
Mexico
03Restaurants & eating out
Colombia
$110
Mexicomás barato
$80
04Transport
Colombia
Mexico
$130
05Recreation & culture
Colombia
$90
Mexico
06Recreation, culture & education
Colombia
Mexico
$90
07Household & personal care
Colombia
$85
Mexico
08Utilities (electricity, water, gas)
Colombia
$75
Mexico
09Transport (urban)
Colombia
$70
Mexico
10Utilities (electricity, gas, water)
Colombia
Mexico
$70
11Mobile & home internet
Colombia
$45
Mexico
12Personal care & household goods
Colombia
Mexico
$45
13Communications (mobile + internet)
Colombia
Mexico
$40
14Health (out-of-pocket)
Colombia
Mexico
$25
Total (sin alquiler)
Colombia$705/mes
Mexico$780/mes

Vivienda

Alquiler por tipo de vivienda

Alquiler de oferta: precio en el centro, con el de fuera del centro entre paréntesis ($/mes).

Colombia

SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Bogotá, Medellín)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Bogotá, Medellín; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
Mexico

SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Playa del Carmen)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 abr 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Guadalajara, Mexico City, Playa del Carmen; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
01Estudio
Colombiamás barato
$587$395 fuera del centro
Mexico
$755$532 fuera del centro
021 dormitorio
Colombiamás barato
$713$485 fuera del centro
Mexico
$1071$753 fuera del centro
032 dormitorios
Colombiamás barato
$992$679 fuera del centro
Mexico
$1401$986 fuera del centro
043 dormitorios
Colombiamás barato
$1348$916 fuera del centro
Mexico
$1948$1369 fuera del centro

Seguridad

01+Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearColombiamejor24,9Mexico25,6

Qué mide esto

Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Colombia

UNODC data portal — intentional homicide victims per 100,000 (Colombia national series)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
UNODC national series: 24.9 per 100k (2023), down slightly from 24.9 in 2022. Colombian official sources for 2025 are higher: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal ≈ 28.2 per 100k (14,780 cases, DANE population base) and Policía Nacional 26.1 per 100k — a recent uptick. Homicide is heavily concentrated in specific regions and involves organized crime; risk to a foreign remote worker in major-city residential areas is lower than the national rate implies but the country-level figure is genuinely high.

Mexico

INEGI — Defunciones por homicidio 2024 (Reporte de resultados, 1-ago-2025)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
33,241 homicide deaths registered in 2024, rate 25.6 per 100,000 (up from 24.9 in 2023). Highly uneven by state: Colima 123, Morelos 77, Baja California 65 at the top; Yucatán 3, Coahuila 4, Mexico City ~10 at the low end. The national figure masks large regional variation relevant to city choice.

Sanidad

01+Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldColombiamejor1250Mexico1800

Qué mide esto

Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

Colombian prepaid-medicine and voluntary health insurers (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva/medicina prepagada) — comprehensive plans; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
Notas
Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.

Mexico

Mexican gastos médicos mayores insurers (GNP, AXA, Allianz, Mapfre) — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Comprehensive 'gastos médicos mayores' plans (major-medical: hospitalisation, surgery, plus outpatient riders) from GNP, AXA México, Allianz and Mapfre run roughly $120–190 USD/month for a healthy adult under 35 → ≈$1,440–$2,280/year. Midpoint ≈ $1,800/year. Premiums are quoted individually (age, deductible, hospital network), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Mexican medical inflation is high (est. ~15% for 2026), pushing premiums up 20–40% year on year.
Notas
Comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis per the data-quality lesson. Residents also have free access to public IMSS-Bienestar/IMSS care, but private cover is the norm for expats/freelancers who want private-hospital access. Deductibles and coinsurance apply on top of the premium.

Dinero y cripto

01+Crypto regulationColombiamejorLegal regulatedMexicoRestricted

Qué mide esto

Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días

Colombia

DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
8 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.

Mexico

Banco de México — Circular 4/2019 (Disposiciones aplicables a operaciones con activos virtuales)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
8 mar 2019
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Holding and trading crypto is legal for individuals and gains are taxed under ISR as enajenación de bienes. But virtual assets are not legal tender, and Banxico Circular 4/2019 bars banks and regulated fintechs from offering crypto services (custody, exchange, transmission) to the public; no institution has been authorised. Individuals buy/sell through unregulated exchanges that cannot hold client fiat. Classified 'restricted' because banking-channel access to crypto is prohibited, not merely regulated.
02+Financial control levelColombiaModerateMexicoModerate

Qué mide esto

Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

Banco de la República — Regulación y operaciones cambiarias (régimen cambiario; Circular Reglamentaria DCIP-83 de 2026)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
26 feb 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).

Mexico

SAT — declaración anual / obligations, and Banco de México FX regime (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite: the peso floats freely and is fully convertible with no capital or currency controls (IMF AREAER classifies MXN as free-floating); non-residents can open Mexican bank accounts (requires RFC/CURP and proof of address, more friction than the EU). No FBAR-style personal foreign-account disclosure regime, though CRS applies via banks and Mexico joined the crypto CARF reporting from 2026. Cash caps: purchases in cash above ~$100,000–500,000 MXN trigger anti-money-laundering reporting by the counterparty (Ley Antilavado), and cash payments above certain limits are non-deductible. Rated 'moderate' rather than 'low' because of RFC-gated banking, mandatory e-invoicing (CFDI) capturing most income, and AML cash-reporting thresholds.

Infraestructura

01+Domestic delivery qualityColombiaGoodMexicoGood

Qué mide esto

Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Colombia

Servicios Postales Nacionales (4-72) + private carriers (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC) official service pages (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).

Mexico

Estafeta / FedEx México / Correos de México (MexPost) official service pages (composite)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Classified from carrier service/coverage pages: FedEx México, DHL, Estafeta and Redpack offer next-day delivery in major cities with standard real-time tracking; Correos de México/MexPost and Estafeta reach rural areas but 'zonas extendidas' incur reexpedición surcharges and slower delivery; OXXO/convenience-store pickup is widespread. Landed on 'good' (not 'excellent') because coverage is dense in metros but slower and pricier in the rural long tail, and there is no nationwide parcel-locker network on the European scale.
Notas
Next-day in major cities; slower and surcharged in hard-to-reach zones.
02+International delivery easeColombiaSignificant frictionMexicoSignificant friction

Qué mide esto

Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

DIAN — modalidad de tráfico postal y envíos urgentes; de minimis USD 200 (Decreto 1090 de 2020)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ago 2020
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) serve Colombia. De-minimis: shipments with FOB ≤ USD 200 are duty-free under the tráfico-postal/envíos-urgentes modality (Decreto 1090/2020), but the VAT (IVA) exemption applies only to origins under a free-trade agreement (e.g. USA, South Korea); from other origins IVA is charged. Consignments are capped (≤ USD 2,000, ≤ 50 kg, ≤ 6 identical units). Customs holds, brokerage fees and slower clearance are common → significant friction for non-FTA imports.

Mexico

US Dept. of Commerce (trade.gov) — Mexico Customs Regulations (de minimis) & SAT RFC courier rule

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
15 oct 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) deliver door-to-door, but import friction is real: de minimis is only USD $50 (duty- and VAT-free); USMCA-origin goods $50.01–$117 are duty-free but still bear 16% VAT; above $117 both duties and VAT apply. Since 2024-10-15 couriers require the consignee's RFC (Mexican tax ID) to use the simplified clearance procedure, and 2026 rules tightened low-value/textile imports. Customs holds and brokerage fees are common, so cross-border receiving is workable but bureaucratic.
03+Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadColombia17,4Mexicomejor18,2

Qué mide esto

Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.

Cuanto más alto, mejor· Mbps, median fixed download· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Colombia

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.

Mexico

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Mexico

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Median of the daily country median download values (download_MED) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics for Mexico, 2023 (the latest full year in M-Lab's published stats API; 2024+ files not yet available). Daily medians cluster tightly around 18 Mbps over hundreds of thousands of tests.
Notas
M-Lab NDT is a single-stream test and reads well below Ookla-style marketing figures (Mexican fixed connections commonly sell 50–200 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. Fixed broadband quality varies widely: fibre is strong in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, weaker in smaller towns.

Idioma

01+English proficiencyColombiaLowMexicoLow

Qué mide esto

Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Colombia

EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.

Mexico

EF EPI 2025 — Mexico (score 440, rank 103/123, Low band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Mexico scores 440 and ranks 103rd, in EF's 'Low' band. English is workable in tourist zones, international business, and among younger urban professionals, but government offices, healthcare, and everyday services are conducted in Spanish; functional Spanish is effectively required for daily life.

En profundidad: impuestos en Colombia ·impuestos en Mexico ·calculadora de ingreso neto