Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala

😐 Solo nomad: Costa Rica is 30.7% more expensive than Guatemala without rent, and 27.9% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Costa Rica is 30.6% more expensive than Guatemala without rent, and 36.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.67 ₡4,570
$6.03 Q 46.21
60.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.6 ₡27.7K
$51.2 Q 393
14.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.23 ₡4,837
$6.37 Q 48.83
60.60%
Cappuccino
$3.97 ₡1,878
$3.49 Q 26.80
13.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₡1,026
$1.31 Q 10.04
65.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₡817
$1.04 Q 7.95
66.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.89 ₡1,367
$3.30 Q 25.30
-12.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 ₡2,083
$5.33 Q 40.88
-17.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ₡970
$1.92 Q 14.76
6.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 ₡1,459
$2.69 Q 20.61
14.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,186
$1.78 Q 13.64
41.01%
Eggs
$3.30 ₡1,559
$2.29 Q 17.58
44.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.16 ₡4,331
$7.59 Q 58.2
20.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 ₡4,393
$8.21 Q 62.9
13.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 ₡6,223
$9.77 Q 75.0
34.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 ₡2,117
$3.73 Q 28.63
20.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡766
$1.62 Q 12.46
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 ₡1,520
$3.33 Q 25.57
-3.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 ₡1,410
$1.44 Q 11.03
106.94%
Potato (1kg)
$3.01 ₡1,422
$1.56 Q 11.99
92.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 ₡1,345
$1.83 Q 14.07
55.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₡478
$0.81 Q 6.20
24.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 ₡1,187
$1.09 Q 8.37
130.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.94 ₡2,335
$3.88 Q 29.74
27.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.72 ₡7,434
$8.05 Q 61.8
95.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₡1,123
$1.95 Q 14.96
22.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 ₡1,282
$2.88 Q 22.07
-5.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 ₡445
$1.03 Q 7.87
-8.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.94 ₡23.1K
$13.21 Q 101
270.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.79 ₡847
$3.50 Q 26.86
-48.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 ₡950
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.82 ₡3,699
$9.94 Q 76.3
-21.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ₡715
$1.10 Q 8.47
37.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K ₡17.4M
$18.2K Q 139.8K
102.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K ₡16.4M
$22.4K Q 171.9K
55.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.8 ₡41.0K
$58.8 Q 451
47.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.69 ₡12.1K
$28.89 Q 222
-11.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8 ₡25.4K
$53.4 Q 409
0.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.9 ₡26.4K
$43.94 Q 337
27.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.78 ₡13.6K
$25.73 Q 197
11.85%
Cinema Ticket
$9.04 ₡4,276
$6.51 Q 49.91
38.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$560 ₡264.9K
$258 Q 1,979
117.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K ₡4.7M
$8,129 Q 62.4K
23.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.4 ₡34.2K
$51.1 Q 392
41.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.4 ₡25.7K
$51.6 Q 396
5.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₡55.3K
$100 Q 767
16.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 ₡48.6K
$104 Q 796
-0.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₡383.6K
$673 Q 5,161
20.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 ₡260.4K
$436 Q 3,346
26.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,482 ₡700.8K
$1,289 Q 9,887
14.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 ₡489.8K
$698 Q 5,351
48.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,301 ₡1.1M
$2,245 Q 17.2K
2.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,575 ₡744.8K
$1,116 Q 8,559
41.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,030 ₡487.0K
$577 Q 4,427
78.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.53
8.71
20.90%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: March 2, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated January 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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