Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Belmont, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,523 in Belmont, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guatemala City, Guatemala
Belmont, CA, United States
Guatemala City
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,347
/mo nomad
Belmont, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,523
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Belmont, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guatemala City and in Belmont, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $2,523 in Belmont, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $1,347
  • Belmont, CA $2,523

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,524 in Belmont, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $2,028
  • Belmont, CA $3,524

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $4,524 in Belmont, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $2,710
  • Belmont, CA $4,524

Guatemala City is about 47% cheaper than Belmont, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.76 Q 59.3
$19.77 $19.77
-60.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.88 Q 381
$58.9 $58.9
-15.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.72 Q 59.0
$11.82 $11.82
-34.69%
Cappuccino
$3.31 Q 25.28
$4.54 $4.54
-27.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 Q 8.98
$1.97 $1.97
-40.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 Q 7.75
$2.20 $2.20
-54.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 Q 24.29
$4.89 $4.89
-34.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 Q 36.00
$5.99 $5.99
-21.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 Q 15.88
$1.40 $1.40
48.57%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 Q 23.78
$3.36 $3.36
-7.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.12 Q 16.19
$4.48 $4.48
-52.68%
Eggs
$2.44 Q 18.68
$5.06 $5.06
-51.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.19 Q 47.28
$6.75 $6.75
-8.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.64 Q 73.7
$13.15 $13.15
-26.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.48 Q 103
$13.27 $13.27
1.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 Q 30.43
$2.15 $2.15
85.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 Q 12.58
$2.23 $2.23
-26.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 Q 21.66
$2.24 $2.24
26.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.63 Q 12.48
$2.22 $2.22
-26.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 Q 11.70
$2.50 $2.50
-38.80%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 Q 16.63
$1.92 $1.92
13.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 Q 5.26
$2.98 $2.98
-76.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 Q 8.94
$0.98 $0.98
19.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01 Q 30.62
$11.58 $11.58
-65.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 Q 61.7
$6.07 $6.07
33.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 Q 13.71
$1.70 $1.70
5.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 Q 20.46
$2.03 $2.03
32.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 Q 7.69
$2.01 $2.01
-49.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.11 Q 84.9
$59.9 $59.9
-81.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.17 Q 39.48
$2.56 $2.56
101.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.76 $1.76
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 Q 81.5
$29.97 $29.97
-64.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 Q 10.47
$1.52 $1.52
-9.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K Q 207.4K
$27.8K $27.8K
-2.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K Q 190.7K
$26.6K $26.6K
-6.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 Q 559
$284 $284
-74.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.48 Q 225
$41.84 $41.84
-29.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.73 Q 349
$76.0 $76.0
-39.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.04 Q 291
$40.15 $40.15
-5.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.79 Q 97.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 Q 50.2
$14.72 $14.72
-55.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$338 Q 2,582
$2,098 $2,098
-83.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K Q 120.8K
$30.9K $30.9K
-48.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.96 Q 382
$36.90 $36.90
35.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.37 Q 362
$34.79 $34.79
36.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 Q 908
$49.03 $49.03
142.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 Q 845
$113 $113
-1.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$835 Q 6,383
$2,235 $2,235
-62.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$538 Q 4,114
$1,251 $1,251
-56.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,568 Q 12.0K
$2,640 $2,640
-40.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$823 Q 6,292
$1,904 $1,904
-56.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,041 Q 15.6K
$3,178 $3,178
-35.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,099 Q 8,398
$2,375 $2,375
-53.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala City
Belmont, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$846 Q 6,463
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.62
6.51
78.49%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Belmont, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
$538
Belmont, CA
$1.3K 132% $713
Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
$283
Belmont, CA
$315 11.5% $33
Eating Out
Guatemala City
$159
Belmont, CA
$301 89.4% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
$148
Belmont, CA
$402 171% $253
Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
$147
Belmont, CA
$105 28.6% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
$51
Belmont, CA
$70 36% $18
Getting Around
Guatemala City
$20 *
Belmont, CA
$79 291% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $835 in Guatemala City versus $2,235 in Belmont, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $59 in Belmont, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $315 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Guatemala City
🇺🇸 Belmont, CA
🕒 Local time
16:48 4:48 PM
14:48 2:48 PM
2 h behind Guatemala City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,450,212 Capital
24,729
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.54 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guatemala City Belmont, CA 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guatemala City
  • Belmont, CA

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
Guatemala City vs Belmont, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guatemala City or Belmont, CA?
Belmont, CA costs about 87% 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 Guatemala City and in Belmont, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,021 per month in Guatemala City and $3,785 in Belmont, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Guatemala City or Belmont, CA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guatemala City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $835 there versus $2,235 in Belmont, CA.
How do childcare costs compare in Guatemala City and in Belmont, CA?
Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Guatemala City and $2,098 in Belmont, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Guatemala City or in Belmont, CA?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Belmont, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guatemala City or in Belmont, CA?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,347 in Guatemala City and $2,523 in Belmont, CA. 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Guatemala City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Guatemala City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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