Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Panajachel

For one person, living is cheaper in Panajachel: $745 a month against $819 in Chiquimula, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. The total is higher in Chiquimula despite lower rent and utilities.

Jump to prices

Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Panajachel

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiquimula and in Panajachel

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 Panajachel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $819 per month in Chiquimula vs $745 in Panajachel, rent included.

Chiquimula $819
Panajachel $745

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,242 in Panajachel, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,360
Panajachel $1,242

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,739 in Panajachel, rent included.

Chiquimula $1,901
Panajachel $1,739

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 Q 69.4

$6.89 Q 52.6

31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 Q 400

$49.46 Q 378

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 Q 64.3

$7.91 Q 60.4

6.45%

Cappuccino

$3.98 Q 30.38

$3.42 Q 26.11

16.37%

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

$2.17 Q 16.56

$1.16 Q 8.83

87.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 Q 11.23

$0.93 Q 7.08

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 Q 30.33

$3.18 Q 24.29

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 Q 45.21

$4.72 Q 36.01

25.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.61

$2.10 Q 16.00

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 Q 27.66

$3.08 Q 23.54

17.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 Q 15.16

$2.13 Q 16.27

-7.04%

Eggs

$2.43 Q 18.54

$2.35 Q 17.92

3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 Q 40.45

$6.33 Q 48.32

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 Q 109

$9.54 Q 72.9

49.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 Q 79.7

$13.46 Q 103

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 Q 36.54

$3.78 Q 28.90

26.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 Q 17.19

$1.65 Q 12.63

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 Q 39.36

$2.84 Q 21.66

81.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.16

$1.63 Q 12.45

-2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Q 14.35

$1.53 Q 11.70

22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.46

$2.08 Q 15.89

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 Q 10.30

$0.68 Q 5.18

98.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 Q 10.07

$1.17 Q 8.90

12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 Q 29.38

$4.02 Q 30.73

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 Q 58.8

$8.24 Q 62.9

-6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 Q 21.63

$1.71 Q 13.06

65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 Q 27.75

$2.72 Q 20.78

33.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 Q 34.61

$5.18 Q 39.57

-12.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 Q 81.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 Q 9.80

$1.34 Q 10.24

-4.48%

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

$23.1K Q 176.6K

$27.1K Q 206.6K

-14.49%

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

$21.9K Q 167.5K

$25.2K Q 192.7K

-13.09%

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

$57.1 Q 436

$72.7 Q 555

-21.43%

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

$38.72 Q 296

$29.08 Q 222

33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 Q 480

$45.40 Q 347

38.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.06 Q 61.6

$6.40 Q 48.84

25.94%

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

$538 Q 4,110

$338 Q 2,582

59.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K Q 107.1K

$6,571 Q 50.2K

113.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.99 Q 344

$49.15 Q 375

-8.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 Q 414

$47.06 Q 359

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 Q 690

$115 Q 880

-21.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 Q 612

$111 Q 845

-27.57%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Panajachel: November 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Chiquimula versus $49 in Panajachel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $281 – making Panajachel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Panajachel

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

Same time as Chiquimula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,815

11,142

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiquimula Panajachel 170 km

From you

Chiquimula
Panajachel

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 Panajachel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiquimula is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,117 in Panajachel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Chiquimula and $49 in Panajachel. 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 the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Panajachel has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $745 in Panajachel to $819 in Chiquimula. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.