Head to head

George Town vs Tulum.

🇰🇾 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands against 🇲🇽 Mexico, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.

In short, current to September 2026

  • On $1,000,000 of income, George Town takes an effective 0% and Tulum takes 34%, so George Town leaves about $335K more in hand each year on Patrician's 2026 model.
  • On a capital gain realized after residence begins, George Town charges 0% and Tulum charges 30%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $1.5M.
  • Neither Cayman Islands nor Mexico operates a special regime for arriving foreigners, so both are modeled on ordinary resident rates.
  • Inheritance, what a child pays: nothing in George Town, nothing in Tulum.
  • Route in: George Town by Residence by investment. Tulum by Residence by investment, Remote work visa.
  • Cost of the life is 105 in George Town against 60 in Tulum on Patrician's index where Zurich is 100, and safety 8 against 4 of 10. Both are Patrician editorial indices scored by us, not published statistics.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, George Town (Grand Cayman) vs Tulum: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/gcm-vs-tul/, September 2026.

George TownTulum
Effective tax at $300K0%30%
Effective tax at $1M0%34%
Effective tax at $3M0%35%
Kept at $1M$1M$665K
Capital gains0%30%
Inheritance tax, childrennothingnothing
Cost index (Zurich 100)10560
Safety8/104/10
Schools7/103/10
Sun hours2,8002,900
Supercar street index#85#95
Routes inResidence by investmentResidence by investment, Remote work visa
Net millionaire inflow 2025 (country, Henley)n/an/a
Flight London10.410.8
Flight New York4.14.2

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer, no social contributions, deductions, wealth taxes, or treaties. Inheritance is shown as it falls on a child, current to September 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

George Town (Grand Cayman) keeps more of a $1M salary, $335K a year on this model. Tulum answers with the life itself.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: George Town 0%, Tulum 30%. Neither city taxes wealth as such.

For a family

George Town (Grand Cayman) leads on schools and safety, Tulum on a lower cost and sun.

George TownThe full pageTulumThe full pageRank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds
Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, George Town or Tulum?

George Town, by about $335K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

George Town takes an effective 0% of $1,000,000 and Tulum takes 34%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 0% and 35%.

Which taxes capital gains less, George Town or Tulum?

George Town, at 0% against 30% in Tulum.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $1.5M.

Which is better for inheritance, George Town or Tulum?

Neither charges a spouse or children. Both levy no inheritance tax at all.

The Cayman Islands levy no inheritance, estate or gift tax. Mexico levies no federal inheritance tax, and inheritances are exempt from income tax.

Which is cheaper to live in, George Town or Tulum?

Tulum, at 60 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 105 for George Town, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 8 of 10 in George Town and 4 of 10 in Tulum, schools 7 and 3. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: George Town, Tulum, and the third you have not considered.Your top 3 modeled on your income, exit, passports, and family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay, usually ready within 2 minutes. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October. Refunded within 7 days if it does not change how you think.
Get the Dossier
Your position, not the average

This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

The engine takes what you earn and what you hold, then orders every address on the board against it.

Rank the board against my position →

90 seconds. No account, no payment.

The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

← Back to the board