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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $818 per month in Chiquimula vs $636 in Panajachel, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,330 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,073 in Panajachel, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,511 in Panajachel, rent included.

Chiquimula costs about 29% more than Panajachel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiquimula and Panajachel are more affordable than the global median – Chiquimula 39% lower, Panajachel 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 Q 64.9

$4.63 Q 35.29

83.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 Q 398

$32.07 Q 244

63.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 Q 68.8

$6.22 Q 47.38

45.18%

Cappuccino

$3.93 Q 29.91

$2.63 Q 20.06

49.43%

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

$1.99 Q 15.18

$1.23 Q 9.41

61.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Q 9.98

$0.99 Q 7.53

32.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 Q 28.84

$2.56 Q 19.51

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 Q 45.21

$4.67 Q 35.62

26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 Q 14.79

$2.06 Q 15.68

-5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 Q 27.57

$1.54 Q 11.74

135.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$2.02 Q 15.37

-18.32%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.59

$1.74 Q 13.29

40.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 Q 58.2

$7.81 Q 59.5

-2.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 Q 73.6

$8.45 Q 64.4

14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 Q 79.2

$10.03 Q 76.4

3.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 Q 34.37

$3.59 Q 27.33

25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.27

$1.52 Q 11.61

40.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 Q 38.54

$3.19 Q 24.33

58.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 Q 11.93

$1.18 Q 8.97

33.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 Q 14.92

$1.05 Q 8.01

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.45

$2.30 Q 17.53

-23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 Q 10.12

$0.62 Q 4.73

114.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 Q 10.06

$1.18 Q 8.96

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 Q 30.34

$3.56 Q 27.14

11.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 Q 70.0

$8.12 Q 61.9

13.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 Q 22.59

$1.59 Q 12.13

86.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Q 27.17

$2.42 Q 18.43

47.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 Q 36.26

$5.17 Q 39.41

-7.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

$0.64 Q 4.91

1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 Q 121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 Q 8.13

$1.06 Q 8.09

0.94%

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

$20.6K Q 156.8K

$19.3K Q 147.0K

6.70%

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

$22.7K Q 173.0K

$24.5K Q 186.7K

-7.33%

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

$48.47 Q 369

$33.22 Q 253

45.91%

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

$40.01 Q 305

$25.84 Q 197

54.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 Q 521

$47.43 Q 361

44.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 Q 66.6

$7.37 Q 56.1

18.45%

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

$526 Q 4,005

$247 Q 1,883

112.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K Q 96.7K

$5,724 Q 43.6K

121.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.39 Q 361

$50.2 Q 382

-5.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 Q 410

$52.4 Q 400

2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Q 771

$118 Q 899

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 Q 642

$123 Q 940

-31.68%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Panajachel: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Chiquimula versus $32.00 in Panajachel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $246 – 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 29%, 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 $1,227 per month in Chiquimula and $954 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 $52.0 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 25% 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 $818 in Chiquimula and $636 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.