Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Santiago Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Santiago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,270 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,013 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,756 in Santiago.

Monthly costs are close between Antigua Guatemala and Santiago; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 5% lower, Santiago 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 Q 39.04

$10.93 CLP 9,698

-53.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 Q 405

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 Q 49.49

$8.30 CLP 7,367

-21.81%

Cappuccino

$3.40 Q 25.90

$3.11 CLP 2,762

9.32%

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

$1.22 Q 9.31

$1.79 CLP 1,587

-31.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 Q 6.98

$1.29 CLP 1,144

-28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 Q 29.46

$3.19 CLP 2,829

21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 Q 35.08

$4.39 CLP 3,897

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 Q 14.79

$1.20 CLP 1,061

61.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 Q 23.47

$1.59 CLP 1,409

93.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.52

$2.18 CLP 1,931

-24.77%

Eggs

$2.55 Q 19.45

$4.14 CLP 3,671

-38.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 Q 58.3

$10.66 CLP 9,456

-28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 Q 64.6

$6.48 CLP 5,748

30.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 Q 78.3

$10.79 CLP 9,579

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 Q 27.85

$2.00 CLP 1,779

82.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Q 11.91

$1.63 CLP 1,450

-4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 Q 23.47

$2.13 CLP 1,891

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.59

$1.84 CLP 1,630

-10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.39

$1.95 CLP 1,734

-9.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.15

$1.68 CLP 1,487

2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.65

$1.29 CLP 1,147

-42.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Q 9.34

$1.19 CLP 1,054

3.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 Q 27.50

$5.56 CLP 4,935

-35.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 60.8

$6.77 CLP 6,010

17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Q 12.87

$1.54 CLP 1,365

9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Q 18.48

$2.47 CLP 2,195

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 Q 15.03

$0.85 CLP 754

131.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 Q 35.60

$0.50 CLP 445

834.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 Q 117

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

31.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 Q 8.52

$1.37 CLP 1,215

-18.25%

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

$19.6K Q 149.4K

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

-0.16%

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

$22.1K Q 168.2K

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

-2.30%

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

$48.43 Q 369

$133 CLP 118.4K

-63.70%

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

$26.09 Q 199

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

91.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.90 Q 373

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

123.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 Q 308

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

19.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 Q 212

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

32.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 Q 55.7

$6.55 CLP 5,817

11.60%

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

$246 Q 1,878

$436 CLP 387.1K

-43.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 Q 44.5K

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

-32.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.64 Q 355

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

-15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 409

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

63.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Q 771

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

33.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 Q 639

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 Q 6,701

$519 CLP 460.6K

69.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 Q 4,237

$468 CLP 415.5K

18.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 Q 15.3K

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

98.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 Q 9,503

$888 CLP 787.7K

40.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Q 22.8K

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

3.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 Q 9,312

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

-57.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$539 Q 4,104

$884 CLP 784.5K

-39.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

5.18

64.09%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $879 in Antigua Guatemala and $519 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $53.0 in Santiago. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $242, with Santiago cheaper for home cooking.

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 Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Santiago earns 64% less. 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: $879 in Antigua Guatemala versus $519 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $246 in Antigua Guatemala versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santiago pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,270 in Santiago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Antigua Guatemala but tight or insufficient in Santiago. 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 Santiago are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Antigua Guatemala wins on affordability, Santiago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.