Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Panajachel Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Panajachel

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $808 per month in Chiquimula vs $652 in Panajachel, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,324 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,082 in Panajachel, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,841 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,511 in Panajachel, rent included.

Chiquimula costs about 24% more than Panajachel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiquimula and Panajachel are more affordable than the global median – Chiquimula 39% lower, Panajachel 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.36 Q 63.7

$4.65 Q 35.45

79.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 Q 402

$32.47 Q 248

62.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 Q 70.4

$6.48 Q 49.42

42.59%

Cappuccino

$4.00 Q 30.49

$2.67 Q 20.33

49.81%

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

$1.99 Q 15.21

$1.18 Q 8.96

68.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 Q 9.55

$0.94 Q 7.16

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 Q 30.14

$2.65 Q 20.22

49.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 Q 44.20

$4.63 Q 35.26

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 Q 14.81

$2.01 Q 15.32

-3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 Q 28.07

$1.55 Q 11.83

137.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.12

$2.09 Q 15.91

-23.92%

Eggs

$2.58 Q 19.68

$1.80 Q 13.75

43.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 Q 58.1

$7.84 Q 59.8

-2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 Q 70.8

$8.27 Q 63.0

12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 Q 77.5

$9.95 Q 75.9

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 Q 34.68

$3.58 Q 27.29

27.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 Q 16.43

$1.54 Q 11.71

40.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.03 Q 38.37

$3.17 Q 24.20

58.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.64

$1.12 Q 8.55

48.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 Q 14.40

$1.07 Q 8.15

76.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.44

$2.35 Q 17.88

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 Q 9.83

$0.67 Q 5.08

92.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$1.23 Q 9.40

8.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 Q 29.42

$3.58 Q 27.30

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 Q 66.4

$8.36 Q 63.7

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 Q 22.18

$1.68 Q 12.82

73.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 Q 28.35

$2.49 Q 19.01

49.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 Q 35.00

$5.07 Q 38.63

-9.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 Q 4.87

$0.60 Q 4.55

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 Q 120

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 Q 8.56

$1.12 Q 8.52

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

$19.9K Q 152.0K

$19.7K Q 150.4K

1.09%

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

$22.1K Q 168.1K

$24.6K Q 187.2K

-10.20%

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

$49.39 Q 377

$33.56 Q 256

47.17%

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

$40.01 Q 305

$26.47 Q 202

51.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 Q 513

$47.90 Q 365

40.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 Q 63.2

$7.31 Q 55.7

13.41%

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

$521 Q 3,974

$245 Q 1,865

113.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K Q 94.6K

$5,776 Q 44.0K

114.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.87 Q 350

$50.1 Q 382

-8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 Q 409

$52.9 Q 403

1.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 Q 779

$118 Q 901

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 Q 654

$124 Q 945

-30.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

8.9

-4.49%

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

Last update for Chiquimula: July 14, 2026

Last update for Panajachel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Chiquimula versus $32.00 in Panajachel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $247 – making Panajachel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Chiquimula and $978 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 $53.0 in Chiquimula and $32.00 in Panajachel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $808 in Chiquimula and $652 in Panajachel, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Panajachel – 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 Panajachel. 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.