Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Quetzaltenango Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiquimula and Quetzaltenango

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $818 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,098 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,330 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,435 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Chiquimula vs $1,772 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Chiquimula is about 26% cheaper than Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiquimula and Quetzaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Chiquimula 39% lower, Quetzaltenango 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 Q 64.9

$4.11 Q 31.29

107.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 Q 398

$34.08 Q 260

53.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 Q 68.8

$5.85 Q 44.56

54.36%

Cappuccino

$3.93 Q 29.91

$2.55 Q 19.43

54.12%

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

$1.99 Q 15.18

$0.48 Q 3.66

314.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Q 9.98

$0.49 Q 3.71

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 Q 28.84

$1.39 Q 10.56

171.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 Q 45.21

$1.95 Q 14.85

204.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 Q 14.79

$1.82 Q 13.86

6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 Q 27.57

$2.62 Q 19.98

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$2.03 Q 15.45

-18.72%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.59

$2.22 Q 16.95

9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 Q 58.2

$7.98 Q 60.8

-4.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 Q 73.6

$6.27 Q 47.77

53.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 Q 79.2

$9.23 Q 70.3

12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 Q 34.37

$2.41 Q 18.39

87.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.27

$1.53 Q 11.66

39.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 Q 38.54

$3.12 Q 23.77

62.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 Q 11.93

$1.02 Q 7.80

53.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 Q 14.92

$1.75 Q 13.31

12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.45

$1.89 Q 14.43

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 Q 10.12

$0.75 Q 5.74

77.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 Q 10.06

$1.22 Q 9.30

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 Q 30.34

$3.31 Q 25.25

20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 Q 70.0

$7.94 Q 60.5

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 Q 22.59

$1.66 Q 12.66

78.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Q 27.17

$2.44 Q 18.61

46.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Q 2.07

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 Q 36.26

$3.67 Q 27.94

29.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

$0.60 Q 4.60

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 Q 50.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 Q 8.13

$0.95 Q 7.24

12.63%

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

$20.6K Q 156.8K

$15.6K Q 119.0K

31.83%

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

$22.7K Q 173.0K

$22.7K Q 173.2K

-0.10%

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

$48.47 Q 369

$79.4 Q 605

-38.94%

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

$40.01 Q 305

$13.27 Q 101

201.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 Q 521

$47.94 Q 365

42.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.69 Q 249

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 Q 66.6

$7.39 Q 56.3

18.13%

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

$526 Q 4,005

$244 Q 1,859

115.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K Q 96.7K

$5,720 Q 43.6K

121.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.39 Q 361

$49.21 Q 375

-3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 Q 410

$54.1 Q 412

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Q 771

$112 Q 850

-9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 Q 642

$124 Q 946

-32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 Q 1,606

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 Q 3,056

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 Q 2,868

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 Q 1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

7.69

10.53%

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

Last update for Chiquimula: June 1, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Chiquimula versus $34.00 in Quetzaltenango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $239 – making Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quetzaltenango is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,647 in Quetzaltenango. 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 $34.00 in Quetzaltenango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Quetzaltenango – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $818 in Chiquimula and $1,098 in Quetzaltenango, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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