Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,388 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ellensburg, WA, United States
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Ellensburg, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,388
/mo nomad
Guatemala City
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,388 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,347 in Guatemala City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $2,388
  • Guatemala City $1,347

A couple spends around $3,488 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,028 in Guatemala City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $3,488
  • Guatemala City $2,028

A family of three spends $4,589 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,710 in Guatemala City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $4,589
  • Guatemala City $2,710

Ellensburg, WA costs about 77% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.71 $14.71
$7.76 Q 59.3
89.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.9 $73.9
$49.88 Q 381
48.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.91 $11.91
$7.72 Q 59.0
54.27%
Cappuccino
$5.01 $5.01
$3.31 Q 25.28
51.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.17 Q 8.98
26.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.01 Q 7.75
25.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.96 $4.96
$3.18 Q 24.29
55.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 $6.07
$4.71 Q 36.00
28.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$2.08 Q 15.88
-51.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 $2.67
$3.11 Q 23.78
-14.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.79 $4.79
$2.12 Q 16.19
125.94%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$2.44 Q 18.68
69.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.38 $15.38
$6.19 Q 47.28
148.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$9.64 Q 73.7
-32.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.03 $14.03
$13.48 Q 103
4.08%
Apples (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$3.98 Q 30.43
19.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.65 Q 12.58
-12.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$2.83 Q 21.66
57.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.00 $4.00
$1.63 Q 12.48
145.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.53 Q 11.70
-1.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.18 Q 16.63
2.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.69 Q 5.26
195.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.17 Q 8.94
55.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.80 $9.80
$4.01 Q 30.62
144.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.06 $14.06
$8.08 Q 61.7
74.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.79 Q 13.71
3.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 $4.71
$2.68 Q 20.46
75.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.01 Q 7.69
76.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.7 $51.7
$11.11 Q 84.9
365.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.04 $5.04
$5.17 Q 39.48
-2.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 $1.70
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.88 $39.88
$10.66 Q 81.5
274.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.37 Q 10.47
-24.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$27.1K Q 207.4K
1.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$24.9K Q 190.7K
5.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 $152
$73.1 Q 559
107.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.50 $40.50
$29.48 Q 225
37.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.4 $69.4
$45.73 Q 349
51.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.37 $39.37
$38.04 Q 291
3.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$12.79 Q 97.8
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.81 $15.81
$6.57 Q 50.2
140.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,395 $1,395
$338 Q 2,582
312.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K $18.0K
$15.8K Q 120.8K
13.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.56 $34.56
$49.96 Q 382
-30.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.56 $34.56
$47.37 Q 362
-27.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$119 Q 908
-6.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.31 $39.31
$111 Q 845
-64.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,554 $1,554
$835 Q 6,383
86.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 $1,273
$538 Q 4,114
136.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,544 $2,544
$1,568 Q 12.0K
62.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,087 $2,087
$823 Q 6,292
153.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,380 $4,380
$2,041 Q 15.6K
114.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,457 $4,457
$1,099 Q 8,398
305.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ellensburg, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,803 $1,803
$846 Q 6,463
113.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
11.62
-44.06%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ellensburg, WA
$1.3K
Guatemala City
$538 57.7% $735
Groceries & Markets
Ellensburg, WA
$349
Guatemala City
$283 19% $66
Eating Out
Ellensburg, WA
$261
Guatemala City
$159 39.2% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ellensburg, WA
$261
Guatemala City
$148 43.3% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Ellensburg, WA
$99
Guatemala City
$147 48.7% $48
Getting Around
Ellensburg, WA
$72
Guatemala City
$20 * 71.9% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Ellensburg, WA
$71
Guatemala City
$51 27.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,554 in Ellensburg, WA 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 Ellensburg, WA are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Ellensburg, WA versus $50 in Guatemala City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $283 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA
🇬🇹 Guatemala City
🕒 Local time
13:01 1:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
2 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,666
2,450,212 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.55 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ellensburg, WA Guatemala City 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ellensburg, WA
  • 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
Ellensburg, WA vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ellensburg, WA or Guatemala City?
Ellensburg, WA costs about 77% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ellensburg, WA and in Guatemala City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,582 per month in Ellensburg, WA and $2,021 in Guatemala City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ellensburg, WA or Guatemala City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guatemala City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $835 there versus $1,554 in Ellensburg, WA.
How expensive is transport in Ellensburg, WA compared to Guatemala City?
Public transport costs about 79% less in Guatemala City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ellensburg, WA and in Guatemala City?
Kindergarten costs $1,395 per month in Ellensburg, WA and $338 in Guatemala City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ellensburg, WA or in Guatemala City?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,388 in Ellensburg, WA and $1,347 in Guatemala City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Guatemala City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Ellensburg, WA or to Guatemala City?
If budget matters most, go with Guatemala City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ellensburg, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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