Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Chimaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimaltenango: $746 a month against $819 in Chiquimula, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. The total is higher in Chiquimula despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chimaltenango
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Chimaltenango Living Index

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Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiquimula and in Chimaltenango

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

A single person spends $819 per month in Chiquimula vs $746 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Chiquimula $819
Chimaltenango $746

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,247 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,358
Chimaltenango $1,247

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,748 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,896
Chimaltenango $1,748

Chiquimula costs about 10% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiquimula and Chimaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Chiquimula 39% lower, Chimaltenango 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 Q 69.1

$6.65 Q 50.9

35.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Q 393

$50.9 Q 389

1.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 Q 65.3

$8.01 Q 61.3

6.62%

Cappuccino

$4.03 Q 30.82

$3.43 Q 26.24

17.49%

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

$2.10 Q 16.09

$1.11 Q 8.46

89.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$0.94 Q 7.17

62.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 Q 29.07

$3.28 Q 25.08

15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 Q 44.28

$4.63 Q 35.41

25.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.56

$2.08 Q 15.92

-1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 Q 28.67

$2.99 Q 22.82

25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 Q 14.57

$2.12 Q 16.20

-9.91%

Eggs

$2.36 Q 18.05

$2.47 Q 18.92

-4.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 Q 40.59

$6.27 Q 47.96

-15.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 Q 105

$9.50 Q 72.7

44.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 Q 77.8

$13.01 Q 99.5

-21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 Q 38.39

$3.92 Q 29.94

28.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 Q 18.11

$1.70 Q 13.01

39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 Q 39.87

$2.91 Q 22.22

79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 Q 12.01

$1.65 Q 12.58

-4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 Q 14.82

$1.56 Q 11.89

24.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.23

$2.11 Q 16.15

-18.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$0.72 Q 5.51

84.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 Q 10.42

$1.16 Q 8.86

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 Q 29.61

$4.09 Q 31.31

-5.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 Q 59.1

$8.02 Q 61.3

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 Q 21.58

$1.78 Q 13.61

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 Q 28.73

$2.62 Q 20.07

43.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$5.16 Q 39.48

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.19

$1.32 Q 10.12

0.76%

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

$22.4K Q 171.5K

$27.9K Q 213.1K

-19.52%

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

$21.8K Q 166.6K

$25.8K Q 197.5K

-15.65%

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

$57.9 Q 443

$73.6 Q 563

-21.32%

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

$38.55 Q 295

$29.69 Q 227

29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 Q 475

$45.28 Q 346

37.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 Q 62.8

$6.55 Q 50.1

25.34%

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

$545 Q 4,170

$344 Q 2,631

58.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K Q 106.9K

$6,596 Q 50.4K

112.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.70 Q 334

$50.2 Q 384

-12.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 Q 411

$47.39 Q 362

13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 Q 708

$118 Q 899

-21.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 Q 610

$112 Q 856

-28.76%

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 Chiquimula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$280 37.5%

Eating Out

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$152 20.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$149 19.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$147 19.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$13 * 1.8%

Getting Around

Chiquimula

–

Chimaltenango

$5.2 * 0.7%

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 Chiquimula versus $51.0 in Chimaltenango. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Chiquimula vs $280 in Chimaltenango – so Chimaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Chimaltenango

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Chiquimula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,815

43,900

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Chiquimula Chimaltenango 140 km

From you

Chiquimula
Chimaltenango

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

Chiquimula vs Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiquimula costs about 10% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,228 per month in Chiquimula and $1,119 in Chimaltenango. 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 Chiquimula and $51.0 in Chimaltenango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chiquimula, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $819 in Chiquimula and $746 in Chimaltenango, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chimaltenango – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Chiquimula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.