Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Guatemala City versus $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Guatemala City versus $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 5% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 9% lower, Antigua Guatemala 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 Q 39.90

$5.19 Q 39.54

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$53.3 Q 406

-4.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 Q 47.56

$6.35 Q 48.41

-1.73%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.21

$3.42 Q 26.05

-3.22%

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

$1.22 Q 9.27

$1.19 Q 9.07

2.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$0.97 Q 7.39

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.39

$3.92 Q 29.89

-15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.17

$4.69 Q 35.72

-4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 Q 15.59

$1.91 Q 14.54

7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.13

$3.18 Q 24.20

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 Q 15.63

$1.59 Q 12.09

28.93%

Eggs

$2.54 Q 19.34

$2.53 Q 19.31

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 Q 59.2

$7.46 Q 56.9

4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 Q 65.5

$8.45 Q 64.4

1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Q 88.3

$10.18 Q 77.6

13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 Q 27.29

$3.65 Q 27.81

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.58

$1.52 Q 11.56

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.00

$3.15 Q 24.02

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.05

$1.59 Q 12.11

15.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.75 Q 13.34

1.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Q 18.01

$1.77 Q 13.47

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.61

$0.73 Q 5.59

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.31

$1.20 Q 9.15

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 Q 27.90

$3.56 Q 27.15

2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.8

$8.07 Q 61.5

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.15

$1.67 Q 12.77

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Q 19.25

$2.51 Q 19.16

0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Q 9.70

$2.05 Q 15.61

-38.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.43 Q 102

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.55

$4.71 Q 35.93

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 Q 121

$15.77 Q 120

0.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.21

$1.11 Q 8.49

-2.70%

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

$19.6K Q 149.7K

$19.4K Q 148.1K

1.07%

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

$24.8K Q 189.3K

$22.5K Q 171.5K

10.38%

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

$80.4 Q 613

$49.84 Q 380

61.24%

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

$26.23 Q 200

$26.09 Q 199

0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.76 Q 372

$49.09 Q 374

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 Q 369

$40.22 Q 307

20.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 Q 187

$27.79 Q 212

-11.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 Q 54.6

$7.24 Q 55.2

-1.10%

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

$249 Q 1,896

$249 Q 1,894

0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,758 Q 43.9K

$5,856 Q 44.6K

-1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 388

$47.36 Q 361

7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 Q 407

$54.0 Q 412

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$100 Q 764

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 912

$85.9 Q 655

39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 Q 5,467

$880 Q 6,705

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,271

$551 Q 4,199

-22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 Q 10.5K

$2,034 Q 15.5K

-32.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 Q 5,795

$1,260 Q 9,607

-39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 Q 15.4K

$3,046 Q 23.2K

-33.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 Q 8,332

$1,205 Q 9,189

-9.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 Q 6,569

$544 Q 4,144

58.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

8.5

4.71%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Guatemala City and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Guatemala City vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $266, with Antigua Guatemala cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,211 vs $1,281 including rent). Guatemala City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Guatemala City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $717 in Guatemala City versus $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Guatemala City versus $249 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.