Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chimaltenango and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimaltenango: $746 a month against $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Chimaltenango
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Chimaltenango Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$746

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chimaltenango and in Guatemala City

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

A single person spends $746 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chimaltenango $746
Guatemala City $1,346

A couple spends around $1,247 per month in Chimaltenango vs $2,023 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chimaltenango $1,247
Guatemala City $2,023

A family of three spends $1,748 per month in Chimaltenango vs $2,701 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chimaltenango $1,748
Guatemala City $2,701

Chimaltenango is about 45% cheaper than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Chimaltenango sits 45% below the global median, while Guatemala City is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 Q 50.9

$6.83 Q 52.2

-2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 389

$50.3 Q 385

1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 Q 61.3

$7.83 Q 59.9

2.30%

Cappuccino

$3.43 Q 26.24

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

$1.11 Q 8.46

$1.15 Q 8.79

-3.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 Q 7.17

$0.98 Q 7.48

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 Q 25.08

$3.18 Q 24.28

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 Q 35.41

$4.68 Q 35.76

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.92

$2.03 Q 15.52

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 Q 22.82

$3.02 Q 23.06

-0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.20

$2.09 Q 16.00

1.44%

Eggs

$2.47 Q 18.92

$2.50 Q 19.09

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 Q 47.96

$6.37 Q 48.71

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 Q 72.7

$9.16 Q 70.0

3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 Q 99.5

$13.08 Q 100.0

-0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 Q 29.94

$3.98 Q 30.46

-1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Q 13.01

$1.72 Q 13.19

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 Q 22.22

$2.87 Q 21.97

1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.64 Q 12.56

0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 Q 11.89

$1.47 Q 11.21

6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 Q 16.15

$2.15 Q 16.47

-1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 Q 5.51

$0.68 Q 5.23

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 Q 8.86

$1.20 Q 9.14

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 Q 31.31

$4.16 Q 31.83

-1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 Q 61.3

$7.98 Q 61.0

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 Q 13.61

$1.74 Q 13.32

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 Q 20.07

$2.67 Q 20.45

-1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.30 Q 109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 Q 39.48

$5.11 Q 39.07

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.5

$10.27 Q 78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 Q 10.12

$1.39 Q 10.64

-5.04%

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

$27.9K Q 213.1K

$27.8K Q 212.7K

0.18%

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

$25.8K Q 197.5K

$25.5K Q 194.9K

1.34%

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

$73.6 Q 563

$71.7 Q 548

2.65%

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

$29.69 Q 227

$29.01 Q 222

2.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.28 Q 346

$46.39 Q 355

-2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 Q 305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 Q 99.0

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 Q 50.1

$6.52 Q 49.85

0.46%

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

$344 Q 2,631

$336 Q 2,565

2.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,596 Q 50.4K

$6,630 Q 50.7K

-0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 Q 384

$49.45 Q 378

1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 Q 362

$47.87 Q 366

-1.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 Q 899

$119 Q 913

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 Q 856

$114 Q 875

-2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,329

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 Q 4,130

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 Q 11.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 Q 6,273

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 Q 15.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Q 8,196

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 Q 6,602

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

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

Last update for Chimaltenango: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chimaltenango

$280 37.5%

Guatemala City

$279 20.7% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Chimaltenango

$152 20.4%

Guatemala City

$153 11.4% 0.5% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chimaltenango

$149 19.9%

Guatemala City

$147 10.9% 1% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chimaltenango

$147 19.7%

Guatemala City

$149 11.1% 1.2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chimaltenango

$13 * 1.8%

Guatemala City

$53 3.9% 303% $40

Getting Around

Chimaltenango

$5.2 * 0.7%

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8% 375% $19

Accommodation & Living

Chimaltenango

- * 0%

Guatemala City

$540 40.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chimaltenango versus $50.0 in Guatemala City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $279 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

Same time as Chimaltenango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,900

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Chimaltenango Guatemala City 33 km

From you

Chimaltenango
Guatemala 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

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

Guatemala City costs about 80% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,119 per month in Chimaltenango and $2,018 in Guatemala City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chimaltenango and $50.0 in Guatemala City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Guatemala City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Guatemala City at $1,346. In Chimaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guatemala City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $746 versus $1,346 in Guatemala City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chimaltenango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guatemala City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.