Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Chiquimula

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiquimula: $829 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Chiquimula
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$829
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Chiquimula

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $829 in Chiquimula.

  • Buenos Aires $1,685
  • Chiquimula $829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,379 in Chiquimula.

  • Buenos Aires $2,742
  • Chiquimula $1,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,929 in Chiquimula.

  • Buenos Aires $3,799
  • Chiquimula $1,929

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 103% more expensive than in Chiquimula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Chiquimula is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
$8.60 Q 65.7
117.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
$52.6 Q 402
22.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
$8.85 Q 67.6
45.54%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ARS 6,029
$4.00 Q 30.56
-0.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ARS 3,103
$2.12 Q 16.24
-3.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ARS 2,349
$1.45 Q 11.11
6.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ARS 5,830
$3.93 Q 30.02
-2.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,970
$6.04 Q 46.12
-23.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ARS 2,181
$2.04 Q 15.56
-29.41%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 ARS 3,738
$3.59 Q 27.43
-31.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 ARS 2,467
$2.00 Q 15.30
-18.50%
Eggs
$2.89 ARS 4,385
$2.35 Q 17.95
22.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
$5.34 Q 40.77
99.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$13.79 Q 105
-27.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
$10.20 Q 78.0
34.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 ARS 4,166
$4.75 Q 36.29
-42.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ARS 3,300
$2.38 Q 18.15
-8.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,205
$5.24 Q 40.05
-72.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ARS 3,013
$1.58 Q 12.11
25.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ARS 1,885
$1.85 Q 14.17
-32.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$1.76 Q 13.48
-27.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 ARS 2,575
$1.30 Q 9.91
30.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 ARS 2,617
$1.37 Q 10.48
26.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ARS 6,337
$3.91 Q 29.85
6.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 ARS 8,790
$7.81 Q 59.7
-25.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,163
$2.86 Q 21.88
-26.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ARS 4,198
$3.78 Q 28.85
-26.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,132
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.62 ARS 2,451
$4.73 Q 36.14
-65.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,481
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ARS 2,058
$1.25 Q 9.52
8.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
$22.7K Q 173.7K
23.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
$21.4K Q 163.8K
61.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ARS 326.9K
$56.5 Q 432
281.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
$39.05 Q 298
-34.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
$62.1 Q 475
-49.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
$8.27 Q 63.2
26.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ARS 706.7K
$545 Q 4,163
-14.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
$14.2K Q 108.8K
-36.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 ARS 185.2K
$43.74 Q 334
179.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
$53.2 Q 406
83.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ARS 177.4K
$93.9 Q 717
24.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 ARS 211.9K
$80.6 Q 616
73.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 ARS 1.2M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 ARS 766.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Chiquimula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$954 ARS 1.4M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
0
-

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Chiquimula: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$505
Chiquimula
–
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$284
Chiquimula
–
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$279
Chiquimula
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$273
Chiquimula
–
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$214
Chiquimula
–
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Chiquimula
–
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Chiquimula
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Chiquimula. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $324, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇬🇹 Chiquimula
🕒 Local time
00:49 12:49 AM
21:49 9:49 PM
3 h behind Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
79,815
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.57 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Chiquimula 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Chiquimula

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
Buenos Aires vs Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Chiquimula?
Buenos Aires and Chiquimula differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $829 including rent). Chiquimula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Buenos Aires compared to Chiquimula?
You'd need roughly $2,528 in Buenos Aires and $1,243 in Chiquimula to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Chiquimula?
Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $545 in Chiquimula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiquimula – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $829 in Chiquimula versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chiquimula but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Chiquimula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Chiquimula?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Chiquimula safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Chiquimula are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Chiquimula?
Expats usually find Chiquimula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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