Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,352 in Guatemala, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala
Learn more

Guatemala Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China 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 China and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $1,352 in Guatemala.

China $793
Guatemala $1,352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $2,108 in Guatemala.

China $1,261
Guatemala $2,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $2,865 in Guatemala.

China $1,730
Guatemala $2,865

Living in China costs about 41% less than in Guatemala on average.

China (41% below) and Guatemala (0% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$7.87 Q 60.1

-62.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$49.36 Q 377

-53.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$8.09 Q 61.9

-33.99%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$3.60 Q 27.55

-15.56%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.37 Q 10.47

-64.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$1.15 Q 8.83

-75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$3.29 Q 25.14

-68.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$5.36 Q 41.00

-57.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$2.04 Q 15.63

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$3.29 Q 25.12

-48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$2.06 Q 15.77

-51.46%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$2.46 Q 18.83

-36.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$5.98 Q 45.76

124.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$9.92 Q 75.9

-64.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$12.39 Q 94.7

-7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$4.14 Q 31.65

-56.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$1.96 Q 14.98

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$4.37 Q 33.43

-66.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.66 Q 12.72

-21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.84 Q 14.08

-60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.15 Q 16.47

-56.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.82 Q 6.24

-25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.21 Q 9.23

-52.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$4.01 Q 30.65

-4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$8.34 Q 63.7

42.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$2.33 Q 17.81

-63.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$3.11 Q 23.79

-45.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$1.98 Q 15.16

-84.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$14.19 Q 109

57.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$5.17 Q 39.53

-71.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$1.72 Q 13.18

-77.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$10.66 Q 81.5

-34.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.33 Q 10.16

-6.77%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$21.4K Q 163.3K

-9.99%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$24.6K Q 188.1K

-29.69%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$71.0 Q 543

-23.54%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$31.74 Q 243

-73.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$51.3 Q 392

-79.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$41.40 Q 317

-2.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$15.49 Q 118

-4.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$6.60 Q 50.5

4.39%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$356 Q 2,722

28.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$7,545 Q 57.7K

165.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$47.46 Q 363

-4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$49.39 Q 378

-27.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$106 Q 811

-26.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$106 Q 812

-26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$834 Q 6,378

-53.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$504 Q 3,851

-54.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$1,578 Q 12.1K

-48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$903 Q 6,903

-49.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$2,306 Q 17.6K

98.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$1,122 Q 8,581

105.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$641 Q 4,899

69.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.62

-70.22%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

Guatemala

$504 37.3% 117% $272

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

Guatemala

$297 21.9% 40.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Guatemala

$139 10.3% 30.6% $33

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Guatemala

$168 12.4% 88.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

Guatemala

$154 11.4% 110% $81

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Guatemala

$55 4% 0.8% $0.4

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Guatemala

$36 2.7% 33.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $174 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $828 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $745 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in China.

Dining out costs 124% more in Guatemala.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 17% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇬🇹 Guatemala

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

16:06 4:06 PM

14 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

17,263,239

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Guatemala 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Guatemala

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

China vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $1,352 in Guatemala, there's a 70% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Guatemala it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Guatemala may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.