press rank #127 · ~$931/mo

Can you live unwatched in Guatemala?

Mixed civil liberties, ranked #127 for press freedom. Not individually assessed beyond public indices.

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The privacy scorecard

State surveillance3/5
Facial recognition3/5
No national ID2/5
Data-protection law2/5
Encryption3/5
VPN freedom4/5
Democracy2/5
Free expression2/5
Cash still works4/5
Financial privacy3/5
Crypto freedom3/5
Easy to stay4/5
Off-grid living5/5
8 cameras / 1,000 people press rank #127 ~$931/mo national average

Childhood vaccines: recommended, never required

Guatemala went the other way from its neighbours in 2022, though an individual school may still ask to see the card.

If you skip them: Nothing. Decree Law 6-2022 says in as many words that nobody can be required to be vaccinated.

Exemptions: Not needed.

Source: Georgetown AMP EID, survey of national legislation, 2024

Legal & financial exposure

Facts about the law, not a privacy score: whether each one helps or hurts depends on what you are trying to do.

Does not report your account balances abroad

Extradition treaty with the US

5 of 7 signals are unverified for this country: not shown, rather than guessed.

18 real places in Guatemala

Facial recognition, Bitcoin friendliness and cost vary by city even inside the same country.

Guatemala City

~$1,150/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Quetzaltenango (Xela)

~$800/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Xela (Quetzaltenango)

~$1,000/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Huehuetenango

~$750/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Cobán

~$800/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Antigua

~$1,250/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Flores (GT)

~$1,050/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Livingston (GT)

~$750/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

San Pedro La Laguna

~$950/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Panajachel

~$1,100/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

San Juan La Laguna

~$1,000/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Santa Cruz La Laguna

~$850/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 2/5

Weigh Guatemala against your own threat model

Surveillance, speech, money: filter thousands of real places across every country and see where Guatemala actually ranks.

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Not just privacy?

Arcadia matches the same real places against how you actually want to live: weather, cost, healthcare, schools, internet.

Find where to live on Arcadia

Country-level estimates for orientation, not legal advice. Surveillance law changes fast: verify anything you would act on.