Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,909

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,909 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $1,347 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,909
Guatemala City $1,347

A couple spends around $5,280 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,028 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,280
Guatemala City $2,028

A family of three spends $6,651 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,710 in Guatemala City, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $6,651
Guatemala City $2,710

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 190% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.76 Q 59.3

160.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$49.88 Q 381

59.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.72 Q 59.0

91.32%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.31 Q 25.28

74.32%

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

$3.27 $3.27

$1.17 Q 8.98

179.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.01 Q 7.75

144.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.18 Q 24.29

123.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 $9.43

$4.71 Q 36.00

100.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.08 Q 15.88

-47.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.11 Q 23.78

29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.12 Q 16.19

126.89%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.44 Q 18.68

106.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$6.19 Q 47.28

110.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.01 $20.01

$9.64 Q 73.7

107.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.71 $21.71

$13.48 Q 103

61.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.98 Q 30.43

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.65 Q 12.58

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.83 Q 21.66

57.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.63 Q 12.48

255.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.53 Q 11.70

183.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.18 Q 16.63

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.69 Q 5.26

204.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.17 Q 8.94

62.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 $11.67

$4.01 Q 30.62

191.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$8.08 Q 61.7

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.79 Q 13.71

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.68 Q 20.46

52.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.01 Q 7.69

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 $67.7

$11.11 Q 84.9

509.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$5.17 Q 39.48

-40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.05 $32.05

$10.66 Q 81.5

200.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.37 Q 10.47

11.68%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$27.1K Q 207.4K

7.20%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.9K Q 190.7K

8.76%

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

$219 $219

$73.1 Q 559

200.18%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$29.48 Q 225

128.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$45.73 Q 349

57.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 $35.39

$38.04 Q 291

-6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 $11.80

$12.79 Q 97.8

-7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 $16.35

$6.57 Q 50.2

148.86%

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

$1,198 $1,198

$338 Q 2,582

254.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K $19.0K

$15.8K Q 120.8K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$49.96 Q 382

13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.52 $48.52

$47.37 Q 362

2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 $95.0

$119 Q 908

-20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$111 Q 845

17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 $2,429

$835 Q 6,383

190.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,415 $2,415

$538 Q 4,114

348.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,769 $3,769

$1,568 Q 12.0K

140.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,357 $3,357

$823 Q 6,292

307.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$2,041 Q 15.6K

421.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,371 $7,371

$1,099 Q 8,398

570.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,888 $4,888

$846 Q 6,463

477.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.62

-45.70%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.4K 61.8%

Guatemala City

$538 40% 77.7% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$478 12.2%

Guatemala City

$283 21% 40.8% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$359 9.2%

Guatemala City

$148 11% 58.7% $210

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$353 9%

Guatemala City

$159 11.8% 54.9% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$149 3.8%

Guatemala City

$147 10.9% 1% $1.5

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$88 2.2%

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5% 76.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$68 1.7%

Guatemala City

$51 3.8% 24.8% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,429 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $835 in Guatemala City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Costa Mesa, CA are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $50 in Guatemala City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $283 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.58 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

GTQ to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Mesa, CA Guatemala City 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
Guatemala City

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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 190% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,863 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $2,021 in Guatemala City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guatemala City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $835 there versus $2,429 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Costa Mesa, CA and $50 in Guatemala City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA and $1,347 in Guatemala City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guatemala City costs $1,347 versus $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guatemala City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.