Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 92% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Guatemala City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.23 Q 39.87

237.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$50.9 Q 388

36.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.24 Q 47.54

126.92%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.31 Q 25.19

-15.41%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.22 Q 9.26

130.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 Q 7.09

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.33 Q 25.37

38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.48 Q 34.15

4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.05 Q 15.59

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.17 Q 24.12

-35.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.05 Q 15.62

-3.41%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.54 Q 19.33

37.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.77 Q 59.2

135.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.59 Q 65.5

14.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$11.59 Q 88.3

65.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.58 Q 27.28

-23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.52 Q 11.57

56.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.15 Q 23.98

-33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.84 Q 14.04

49.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.77 Q 13.46

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.36 Q 18.00

-24.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.74 Q 5.61

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.22 Q 9.31

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.66 Q 27.88

94.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.11 Q 61.8

-2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.59 Q 12.15

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.53 Q 19.24

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.27 Q 9.69

137.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$13.43 Q 102

118.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.19 Q 39.53

-15.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.60 Q 4.54

255.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$15.92 Q 121

85.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.08 Q 8.21

68.52%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$19.6K Q 149.6K

92.95%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$24.8K Q 189.2K

30.37%

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

$189 €166

$80.4 Q 612

135.23%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$26.23 Q 200

-15.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$48.76 Q 372

-23.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$48.46 Q 369

19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$24.54 Q 187

-15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$7.16 Q 54.5

51.82%

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

$706 €618

$249 Q 1,895

183.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,758 Q 43.9K

158.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$51.0 Q 388

75.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$53.3 Q 406

-31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$119 Q 903

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$120 Q 912

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$717 Q 5,464

120.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$429 Q 3,269

188.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,372 Q 10.5K

97.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$760 Q 5,791

168.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,016 Q 15.4K

273.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,093 Q 8,327

379.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$862 Q 6,566

174.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.9

-61.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $717 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 174% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $277 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guatemala City differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,211 including rent). Guatemala City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $717 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $249 in Guatemala City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City 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, Barcelona and Guatemala 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 Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.