Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Antigua Guatemala: $1,267 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Antigua Guatemala
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Antigua Guatemala Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Antigua Guatemala

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,267

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antigua Guatemala and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antigua Guatemala and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Antigua Guatemala $1,267
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Antigua Guatemala $2,106
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,945 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Antigua Guatemala $2,945
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Antigua Guatemala costs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antigua Guatemala is 6% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 Q 50.4

$10.75 MX$199

-38.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Q 393

$50.3 MX$929

2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 Q 60.5

$11.10 MX$205

-28.74%

Cappuccino

$3.24 Q 24.80

$3.68 MX$68.1

-11.96%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 Q 8.84

$1.65 MX$30.42

-29.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 Q 7.00

$1.30 MX$24.08

-29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.35

$3.32 MX$61.3

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 Q 35.68

$5.54 MX$102

-15.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 Q 16.02

$1.77 MX$32.68

18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 Q 24.00

$3.05 MX$56.4

2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 Q 15.00

$2.01 MX$37.20

-2.49%

Eggs

$2.32 Q 17.74

$2.77 MX$51.1

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 Q 41.44

$11.91 MX$220

-54.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 Q 70.4

$9.33 MX$172

-1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 Q 78.0

$15.02 MX$278

-32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 Q 29.55

$3.08 MX$56.8

25.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.57

$1.95 MX$35.97

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 Q 21.50

$2.03 MX$37.54

38.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.66

$2.21 MX$40.92

-24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.24

$2.02 MX$37.41

-27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.23

$1.82 MX$33.67

-4.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.31

$1.52 MX$28.07

-54.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.29

$1.28 MX$23.65

-5.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 Q 29.36

$5.27 MX$97.4

-27.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 Q 58.8

$16.12 MX$298

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.67

$1.95 MX$36.05

-8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 Q 20.76

$4.25 MX$78.6

-36.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 Q 19.76

$0.31 MX$5.82

732.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 Q 35.84

$2.00 MX$36.93

134.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 Q 81.2

$5.62 MX$104

89.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$1.52 MX$28.07

-12.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.7K Q 173.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

7.98%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.8K Q 166.8K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-13.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.4 Q 439

$62.5 MX$1,155

-8.16%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.74 Q 227

$28.77 MX$532

3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.70 Q 349

$34.45 MX$637

32.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.50 Q 317

$57.1 MX$1,055

-27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 Q 216

$24.81 MX$458

13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 Q 48.83

$6.67 MX$123

-4.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$346 Q 2,645

$431 MX$7,964

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,755 Q 51.6K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-42.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 Q 339

$70.8 MX$1,308

-37.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 Q 367

$51.8 MX$958

-7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 Q 704

$109 MX$2,011

-15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 Q 611

$112 MX$2,076

-28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 Q 6,610

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 Q 4,059

$665 MX$12.3K

-20.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 Q 14.3K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 Q 9,024

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-3.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,064 Q 23.4K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-13.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,227 Q 9,385

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-37.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 Q 4,786

$975 MX$18.0K

-35.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

11.3

2.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antigua Guatemala

$531 41.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 25.3% $134

Groceries & Markets

Antigua Guatemala

$266 21%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 21.3% $57

Eating Out

Antigua Guatemala

$149 11.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 36.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antigua Guatemala

$133 10.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 5.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Antigua Guatemala

$119 9.4%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 30% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Antigua Guatemala

$54 4.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 29.8% $16

Getting Around

Antigua Guatemala

$15 * 1.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 71.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $865 in Antigua Guatemala and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $323, with Antigua Guatemala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

Same time as Antigua Guatemala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,054

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Antigua Guatemala Mexico City 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Antigua Guatemala
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Antigua Guatemala vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antigua Guatemala and Mexico City differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,267 vs $1,567 including rent). Antigua Guatemala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $865 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Antigua Guatemala versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antigua Guatemala – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Antigua Guatemala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Antigua Guatemala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antigua Guatemala and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Antigua Guatemala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.