For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,358 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Australia and in Guatemala
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,358 in Guatemala, rent included.
Australia $2,626
Guatemala $1,358
A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $2,099 in Guatemala, rent included.
Australia $3,810
Guatemala $2,099
A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $2,840 in Guatemala, rent included.
Australia $4,994
Guatemala $2,840
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Guatemala ($743–$1,342), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Australia is about 93% higher than in Guatemala on average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65A$25.08
$8.09Q 61.8
118.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2A$121
$51.2Q 391
66.46%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.09A$15.76
$7.97Q 60.9
39.15%
Cappuccino
$3.90A$5.54
$3.58Q 27.37
8.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85A$4.05
$1.43Q 10.90
99.30%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31A$3.29
$1.14Q 8.69
102.63%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.53A$10.70
$3.34Q 25.51
125.45%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59A$12.20
$5.28Q 40.34
62.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.76A$2.50
$2.10Q 16.03
-16.19%
White Bread(500g)
$2.81A$3.99
$3.34Q 25.52
-15.87%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24A$3.19
$2.03Q 15.53
10.34%
Eggs
$5.02A$7.14
$2.44Q 18.64
105.74%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.87A$14.02
$6.08Q 46.46
62.34%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.32A$13.24
$9.95Q 76.0
-6.33%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.86A$21.13
$12.19Q 93.2
21.90%
Apples(1kg)
$3.82A$5.42
$4.04Q 30.85
-5.45%
Banana(1kg)
$2.92A$4.16
$2.01Q 15.39
45.27%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.13A$4.46
$4.46Q 34.08
-29.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.81A$6.83
$1.71Q 13.04
181.29%
Potato(1kg)
$2.80A$3.98
$1.89Q 14.45
48.15%
Onion(1kg)
$2.38A$3.38
$2.16Q 16.50
10.19%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.37A$3.37
$0.75Q 5.77
216.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65A$2.35
$1.23Q 9.37
34.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13A$55.6
$3.85Q 29.44
916.36%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.93A$19.80
$8.28Q 63.3
68.24%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96A$7.05
$2.34Q 17.85
111.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17A$7.35
$3.25Q 24.82
59.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.42A$3.44
$1.29Q 9.87
87.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$94.6A$134
$10.89Q 83.2
768.78%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.49A$4.97
$5.33Q 40.71
-34.52%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.60A$2.27
$1.71Q 13.08
-6.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$39.84A$56.6
$10.49Q 80.1
279.79%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39A$1.97
$1.37Q 10.44
1.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KA$42.7K
$21.4KQ 163.4K
40.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8KA$36.6K
$24.5KQ 187.1K
5.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205A$291
$70.2Q 537
191.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33A$40.27
$31.89Q 244
-11.16%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8A$83.5
$51.4Q 393
14.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.7A$79.1
$38.60Q 295
44.17%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57A$27.82
$15.29Q 117
27.99%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38A$21.86
$6.67Q 50.9
130.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,145A$3,049
$350Q 2,671
513.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.3KA$26.1K
$7,517Q 57.4K
144.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3A$111
$46.37Q 354
68.88%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3A$80.0
$50.6Q 387
11.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115A$164
$106Q 808
8.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123A$175
$108Q 824
14.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,591A$2,261
$828Q 6,327
92.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,293A$1,837
$515Q 3,939
150.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,524A$3,588
$1,558Q 11.9K
62.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,005A$2,850
$880Q 6,728
127.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,751A$12.4K
$2,295Q 17.5K
281.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,260A$8,898
$1,158Q 8,849
440.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Guatemala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,984A$5,663
$660Q 5,040
504.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.93
11.62
-48.97%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026
Last update for Guatemala: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K 49.2%
Guatemala
$515 38% ↓ 60.1%$777
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374 14.3%
Guatemala
$298 21.9% ↓ 20.4%$76
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$297 11.3%
Guatemala
$169 12.5% ↓ 43%$128
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292 11.1%
Guatemala
$154 11.3% ↓ 47.5%$139
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168 6.4%
Guatemala
$140 10.3% ↓ 16.7%$28
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$116 4.4%
Guatemala
$30 2.2% ↓ 74.1%$86
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86 3.3%
Guatemala
$52 3.8% ↓ 39.9%$34
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$2K 40.2%
Guatemala
$880 31% ↓ 56.1%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$848 17%
Guatemala
$691 24.3% ↓ 18.5%$157
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$1K 20.4%
Guatemala
$591 20.8% ↓ 42%$428
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$320 6.4%
Guatemala
$185 6.5% ↓ 42.2%$135
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$373 7.5%
Guatemala
$311 10.9% ↓ 16.7%$62
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$236 4.7%
Guatemala
$62 2.2% ↓ 73.6%$174
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$192 3.9%
Guatemala
$119 4.2% ↓ 38.1%$73
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $698 in Guatemala. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $816 in Guatemala City.
💰Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $741 in Guatemala. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 98% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 65% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 664% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
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
Australia vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Guatemala?
Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 48% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $698 in Guatemala.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Guatemala – part of why living there is about 48% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Australia or in Guatemala?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Guatemala?
Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.