Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Chimaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimaltenango: $746 a month against $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Chimaltenango
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Chimaltenango Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,346

/mo nomad

Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Chimaltenango

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 Chimaltenango actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,346 per month in Guatemala City vs $746 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,346
Chimaltenango $746

A couple spends around $2,023 per month in Guatemala City vs $1,247 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,023
Chimaltenango $1,247

A family of three spends $2,701 per month in Guatemala City vs $1,748 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,701
Chimaltenango $1,748

Guatemala City costs about 80% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Guatemala City sits 0% above the global median, while Chimaltenango is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 Q 52.2

$6.65 Q 50.9

2.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 Q 385

$50.9 Q 389

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 Q 59.9

$8.01 Q 61.3

-2.25%

Cappuccino

$3.43 Q 26.24

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

$1.15 Q 8.79

$1.11 Q 8.46

3.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.48

$0.94 Q 7.17

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.28

$3.28 Q 25.08

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 Q 35.76

$4.63 Q 35.41

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.52

$2.08 Q 15.92

-2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 Q 23.06

$2.99 Q 22.82

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 Q 16.00

$2.12 Q 16.20

-1.42%

Eggs

$2.50 Q 19.09

$2.47 Q 18.92

1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Q 48.71

$6.27 Q 47.96

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 Q 70.0

$9.50 Q 72.7

-3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 Q 100.0

$13.01 Q 99.5

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.46

$3.92 Q 29.94

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.19

$1.70 Q 13.01

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.97

$2.91 Q 22.22

-1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.56

$1.65 Q 12.58

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.21

$1.56 Q 11.89

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 Q 16.47

$2.11 Q 16.15

1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 Q 5.23

$0.72 Q 5.51

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.14

$1.16 Q 8.86

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 Q 31.83

$4.09 Q 31.31

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 61.0

$8.02 Q 61.3

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.32

$1.78 Q 13.61

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 Q 20.45

$2.62 Q 20.07

1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.30 Q 109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 Q 39.07

$5.16 Q 39.48

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.6

$10.27 Q 78.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 Q 10.64

$1.32 Q 10.12

5.30%

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

$27.8K Q 212.7K

$27.9K Q 213.1K

-0.18%

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

$25.5K Q 194.9K

$25.8K Q 197.5K

-1.32%

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

$71.7 Q 548

$73.6 Q 563

-2.58%

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

$29.01 Q 222

$29.69 Q 227

-2.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.39 Q 355

$45.28 Q 346

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 Q 305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 Q 99.0

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 Q 49.85

$6.55 Q 50.1

-0.46%

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

$336 Q 2,565

$344 Q 2,631

-2.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,630 Q 50.7K

$6,596 Q 50.4K

0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.45 Q 378

$50.2 Q 384

-1.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 Q 366

$47.39 Q 362

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 913

$118 Q 899

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Q 875

$112 Q 856

2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,329

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 Q 4,130

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 Q 11.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 Q 6,273

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 Q 15.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Q 8,196

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 Q 6,602

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

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

Last update for Guatemala City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$540 40.2%

Chimaltenango

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$279 20.7%

Chimaltenango

$280 37.5% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$153 11.4%

Chimaltenango

$152 20.4% 0.5% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$149 11.1%

Chimaltenango

$147 19.7% 1.2% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Chimaltenango

$149 19.9% 1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$53 3.9%

Chimaltenango

$13 * 1.8% 75.2% $40

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8%

Chimaltenango

$5.2 * 0.7% 79% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Guatemala City versus $51.0 in Chimaltenango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $280 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Chimaltenango

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

Same time as Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

43,900

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Guatemala City Chimaltenango 33 km

From you

Guatemala City
Chimaltenango

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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City costs about 80% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,018 per month in Guatemala City and $1,119 in Chimaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Guatemala City and $51.0 in Chimaltenango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Guatemala City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Guatemala City at $1,346. In Chimaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guatemala City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $746 versus $1,346 in Guatemala City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chimaltenango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guatemala City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.