Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ensenada and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,059 a month against $1,347 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,059

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,059 in Ensenada versus $1,347 in Guatemala City.

Ensenada $1,059
Guatemala City $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,687 in Ensenada versus $2,028 in Guatemala City.

Ensenada $1,687
Guatemala City $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,315 in Ensenada versus $2,710 in Guatemala City.

Ensenada $2,315
Guatemala City $2,710

Living in Ensenada costs roughly 21% less than in Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 MX$218

$7.76 Q 59.3

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 MX$632

$49.88 Q 381

-32.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 MX$134

$7.72 Q 59.0

-6.99%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MX$55.2

$3.31 Q 25.28

-10.88%

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

$1.17 MX$21.93

$1.17 Q 8.98

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$12.71

$1.01 Q 7.75

-32.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$48.95

$3.18 Q 24.29

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 MX$75.9

$4.71 Q 36.00

-13.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$32.47

$2.08 Q 15.88

-16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$48.15

$3.11 Q 23.78

-17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MX$31.27

$2.12 Q 16.19

-21.23%

Eggs

$2.56 MX$47.88

$2.44 Q 18.68

4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 MX$152

$6.19 Q 47.28

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 MX$125

$9.64 Q 73.7

-30.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 MX$190

$13.48 Q 103

-24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.51

$3.98 Q 30.43

-48.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.31

$1.65 Q 12.58

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MX$32.75

$2.83 Q 21.66

-38.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$1.63 Q 12.48

-9.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.50

$1.53 Q 11.70

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.78

$2.18 Q 16.63

-24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$26.00

$0.69 Q 5.26

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.97

$1.17 Q 8.94

-8.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$75.1

$4.01 Q 30.62

Wine (Bottle)

$13.21 MX$247

$8.08 Q 61.7

63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$33.04

$1.79 Q 13.71

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 MX$47.03

$2.68 Q 20.46

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.75

$1.01 Q 7.69

-21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 MX$784

$11.11 Q 84.9

277.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$5.17 Q 39.48

-46.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MX$36.21

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.75 MX$351

$10.66 Q 81.5

75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$24.61

$1.37 Q 10.47

-3.65%

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

$24.0K MX$449.2K

$27.1K Q 207.4K

-11.49%

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

$22.8K MX$427.0K

$24.9K Q 190.7K

-8.50%

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

$47.11 MX$881

$73.1 Q 559

-35.55%

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

$31.50 MX$589

$29.48 Q 225

6.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.23 MX$472

$45.73 Q 349

-44.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 MX$506

$38.04 Q 291

-28.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.72 MX$201

$12.79 Q 97.8

-16.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MX$83.2

$6.57 Q 50.2

-32.27%

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

$190 MX$3,546

$338 Q 2,582

-43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 MX$91.3K

$15.8K Q 120.8K

-69.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$1,000

$49.96 Q 382

6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.25 MX$790

$47.37 Q 362

-10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 MX$1,869

$119 Q 908

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 MX$1,081

$111 Q 845

-47.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MX$9,476

$835 Q 6,383

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MX$6,001

$538 Q 4,114

-40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.6K

$1,568 Q 12.0K

-36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.8K

$823 Q 6,292

-23.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 MX$24.7K

$2,041 Q 15.6K

-35.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$660 MX$12.3K

$1,099 Q 8,398

-39.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 MX$14.0K

$846 Q 6,463

-11.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.62

-2.75%

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

Last update for Ensenada: 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

Ensenada

$321 30.3%

Guatemala City

$538 40% 67.8% $218

Groceries & Markets

Ensenada

$248 23.4%

Guatemala City

$283 21% 14% $35

Eating Out

Ensenada

$179 16.9%

Guatemala City

$159 11.8% 11% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ensenada

$114 10.8%

Guatemala City

$147 10.9% 28.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ensenada

$104 9.8%

Guatemala City

$148 11% 42.8% $44

Getting Around

Ensenada

$58 5.4%

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5% 64.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Ensenada

$36 3.4%

Guatemala City

$51 3.8% 42.3% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Ensenada and $835 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34 in Ensenada vs $50 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $283 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

2 h ahead of Ensenada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

330,652

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ensenada Guatemala City 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ensenada
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

Ensenada vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,059 in Ensenada and $1,347 in Guatemala City, so Ensenada is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Ensenada. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $507 in Ensenada versus $835 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,059 per month in Ensenada versus $1,347 in Guatemala City – Ensenada is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Guatemala City runs roughly 73% less than in Ensenada. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ensenada gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ensenada wins on affordability, Guatemala City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.