Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Panama or Malaysia: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Panama ↗ |  Malaysia ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 25% | 30% |
| Corporate tax | 25%* | 24%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | None |
| Dividend tax | 10% | 0% |
| VAT / sales tax | 7% | 8% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | No |
| Foreign income | Territorial | Territorial |
| Headline expat regime | Territorial taxation | Foreign-sourced income (FSI) exemption |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 45 | 32 |
| Population | 4,571,189 | 35,977,838 |
| Area | 78,200 km² | 329,750 km² |
| Population density | 58/km² | 109/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 8 | 29 |
| Annual tourists | 1,488,000 | 10,071,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 79.8 yrs | 76.8 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 11.7 | 0.7 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 6.3 | 5.38 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 35/100 | 51/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~17 | ~75 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 219 Mbps | 168 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,558 | $450 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 15.12 | 15.87 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC-5 | UTC+7 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Spanish) | 1 (Malay) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Panama: Territorial: only Panamanian-source income taxed. Companies with taxable income over USD 1.5M face CAIR alternative minimum tax (greater of normal base or 4.67% of gross taxable income). · Malaysia: 24% standard. Resident SMEs (paid-up capital <= MYR 2.5m, gross income < MYR 50m): 15% on first MYR 150k, 17% on next MYR 450k, 24% above.
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