Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiquimula: $819 a month against $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Guatemala City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $819 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chiquimula $819
Guatemala City $1,346

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Chiquimula vs $2,023 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,358
Guatemala City $2,023

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Chiquimula vs $2,701 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,896
Guatemala City $2,701

Chiquimula is about 39% cheaper than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiquimula sits 39% below the global median, while Guatemala City is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 Q 69.1

$6.83 Q 52.2

32.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Q 393

$50.3 Q 385

2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 Q 65.3

$7.83 Q 59.9

9.07%

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

$1.15 Q 8.79

82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$0.98 Q 7.48

56.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 Q 29.07

$3.18 Q 24.28

19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 Q 44.28

$4.68 Q 35.76

23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.56

$2.03 Q 15.52

0.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 Q 28.67

$3.02 Q 23.06

24.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 Q 14.57

$2.09 Q 16.00

-8.61%

Eggs

$2.36 Q 18.05

$2.50 Q 19.09

-5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 Q 40.59

$6.37 Q 48.71

-16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 Q 105

$9.16 Q 70.0

49.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 Q 77.8

$13.08 Q 100.0

-22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 Q 38.39

$3.98 Q 30.46

26.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 Q 18.11

$1.72 Q 13.19

37.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 Q 39.87

$2.87 Q 21.97

81.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 Q 12.01

$1.64 Q 12.56

-4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 Q 14.82

$1.47 Q 11.21

31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.23

$2.15 Q 16.47

-19.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$0.68 Q 5.23

95.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 Q 10.42

$1.20 Q 9.14

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 Q 29.61

$4.16 Q 31.83

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 Q 59.1

$7.98 Q 61.0

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 Q 21.58

$1.74 Q 13.32

62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 Q 28.73

$2.67 Q 20.45

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.30 Q 109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$5.11 Q 39.07

-7.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.19

$1.39 Q 10.64

-4.32%

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

$22.4K Q 171.5K

$27.8K Q 212.7K

-19.38%

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

$21.8K Q 166.6K

$25.5K Q 194.9K

-14.52%

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

$57.9 Q 443

$71.7 Q 548

-19.24%

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

$38.55 Q 295

$29.01 Q 222

32.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 Q 475

$46.39 Q 355

34.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 Q 305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 Q 99.0

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 Q 62.8

$6.52 Q 49.85

25.92%

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

$545 Q 4,170

$336 Q 2,565

62.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K Q 106.9K

$6,630 Q 50.7K

110.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.70 Q 334

$49.45 Q 378

-11.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 Q 411

$47.87 Q 366

12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 Q 708

$119 Q 913

-22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 Q 610

$114 Q 875

-30.32%

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 Chiquimula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$540 40.2%

Groceries & Markets

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$279 20.7%

Eating Out

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$153 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$149 11.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$53 3.9%

Getting Around

Chiquimula

–

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8%

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 $50.0 in Guatemala City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $279 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

Same time as Chiquimula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,815

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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Chiquimula Guatemala City 110 km

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Chiquimula
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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 Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guatemala City is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,228 per month in Chiquimula 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 Chiquimula 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 17% cheaper in Guatemala City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chiquimula, where all-in costs run around $819, than in Guatemala City at $1,346. In Chiquimula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guatemala City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiquimula – 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 Chiquimula. 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.