Mexico is huge - about four times bigger than Spain. It’s the 13th largest country in the world and is actually bigger than Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom combined!
Mexico has 2.5 times the population of Spain, giving it the largest Spanish speaking population in the world.
The GDP (economy) of Mexico is a bit larger than Spain’s but on a per capital basis it is less than half. So, while they work very hard, the Mexican people are generally poorer than the Spanish people. To make matters worse, a high percentage of the wealth in Mexico is concentrated at the top. The Mexican middle class, while growing, is much smaller than Spain’s. Interestingly, on this visit we are seeing a lot more Mexican tourists visiting Oaxaca from other parts of the country.
We find prices in Mexico now to be roughly the same as in Spain. One trend is that tipping in restaurants in Mexico is becoming more prevalent. Credit cards are still not widely used in Mexico.
The future looks brighter in Mexico for young people as the unemployment rate is only 3% whereas in Spain it’s nearly 12%.
56% of the people in both countries say they are Roman Catholic. 15% of Mexicans describe themselves as Protestant or “other Christians” and 29% have “no religion or another religion.” In Spain, most non-Catholics say they are atheist or agnostic.
Spain has some diversity of languages. In addition to Spanish, there are many native speakers of the Catalan, Galician and Basque languages. Mexico is much more linguistically diverse though, with 68 recognized language groups.
The weather in Mexico and Spain varies from region to region but where we stay in both countries it is usually warm, sunny and dry.
The food, music and art in Mexico tend to be more vibrant and, dare I say, spicy. Spaniards are a bit more formal and dignified (unless you are in their homes). Just contrast mariachi music and flamenco.
Spain has worked hard in the last few decades to improve its infrastructure. Their network of planes, trains, buses and roads are much superior to those found in Mexico. It is easy, and cheap to quickly travel from Málaga to anywhere in Spain or the rest of Europe. Spaniards can boast of safe, well lit streets and sidewalks, clean water and efficient trash and recycling that Mexicans, outside of Mexico City, can only dream of.
So, how does the vibe differ? Spain has much in common with its European neighbors while a lot of the Mexican culture comes directly from its indigenous roots. People in Spain are very friendly once you get to know them but they can be a bit cold to strangers. Mexicans are quicker to respond to a “Buenos Dias!” when you pass them on the street. However, especially when comparing a poorer city like Oaxaca with a wealthy tourist destination like Málaga, there are glaring differences in the condition and cleanliness of the streets and buildings. We don't feel unsafe walking the neighborhoods of Oaxaca but some folks from the US might describe them as "sketchy."
The bottom line is that we enjoy vastly different experiences when we visit these two countries but we love each in its own way.
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