Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,659 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
Learn more

Guatemala City Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
Learn more

Cathedral City, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,347 in Guatemala City versus $2,659 in Cathedral City, CA.

Guatemala City $1,347
Cathedral City, CA $2,659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Guatemala City versus $3,860 in Cathedral City, CA.

Guatemala City $2,028
Cathedral City, CA $3,860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Guatemala City versus $5,060 in Cathedral City, CA.

Guatemala City $2,710
Cathedral City, CA $5,060

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 49% less than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$19.05 $19.05

-59.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$74.3 $74.3

-32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$10.94 $10.94

-29.43%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.07 $5.07

-34.71%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$2.55 $2.55

-54.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$1.94 $1.94

-47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$6.02 $6.02

-47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$7.10 $7.10

-33.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.04 $1.04

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$3.57 $3.57

-12.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$4.18 $4.18

-49.28%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$4.23 $4.23

-42.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$12.33 $12.33

-49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$11.54 $11.54

-16.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$15.65 $15.65

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$5.04 $5.04

-21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.57 $1.57

5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.36 $4.36

-35.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$4.84 $4.84

-66.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$2.85 $2.85

-46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$2.79 $2.79

-21.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.02 $2.02

-65.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$2.13 $2.13

-45.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$9.79 $9.79

-59.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$14.23 $14.23

-43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.85 $1.85

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$3.29 $3.29

-18.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$1.99 $1.99

-49.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$59.0 $59.0

-81.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$3.58 $3.58

44.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$29.21 $29.21

-63.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$0.85 $0.85

61.18%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$29.2K $29.2K

-7.01%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

-1.60%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$184 $184

-60.35%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$51.8 $51.8

-43.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$67.1 $67.1

-31.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$43.40 $43.40

-12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$13.66 $13.66

-51.90%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,320 $1,320

-74.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$23.6K $23.6K

-33.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$50.4 $50.4

-0.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$39.35 $39.35

20.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$86.8 $86.8

36.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$112 $112

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$1,604 $1,604

-47.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$1,379 $1,379

-60.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$2,654 $2,654

-40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$2,225 $2,225

-63.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

$2,746 $2,746

-25.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

$2,470 $2,470

-55.51%

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 Cathedral City, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 51.9% 156% $841

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Cathedral City, CA

$390 14.7% 37.7% $107

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.6% 93.9% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Cathedral City, CA

$303 11.4% 105% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 4.9% 11.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$71 2.7% 38.2% $20

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Cathedral City, CA

$79 3% 288% $58

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 $835 in Guatemala City and $1,604 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Guatemala City vs $74 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $390 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

51,493

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

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).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guatemala City Cathedral City, CA 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,347 in Guatemala City and $2,659 in Cathedral City, CA, so Guatemala City is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,021 in Guatemala City and $3,989 in Cathedral City, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $835 in Guatemala City versus $1,604 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guatemala City runs roughly 81% less than in Cathedral City, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $338 in Guatemala City versus $1,320 in Cathedral City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Guatemala City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.