Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Chiquimula

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiquimula: $819 a month against $1,342 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Guatemala City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,342

/mo nomad

Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,342 per month in Guatemala City vs $819 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,342
Chiquimula $819

A couple spends around $2,012 per month in Guatemala City vs $1,359 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,012
Chiquimula $1,359

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Guatemala City vs $1,900 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,682
Chiquimula $1,900

Guatemala City costs about 64% more than Chiquimula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 Q 51.2

$9.04 Q 69.1

-25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 Q 384

$51.5 Q 393

-2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 Q 59.1

$8.35 Q 63.8

-7.43%

Cappuccino

$3.36 Q 25.64

$4.13 Q 31.54

-18.64%

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

$1.10 Q 8.40

$2.13 Q 16.25

-48.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 Q 7.16

$1.53 Q 11.68

-38.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 Q 25.63

$3.89 Q 29.72

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 Q 35.89

$5.83 Q 44.59

-19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 Q 15.94

$2.09 Q 15.99

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 Q 23.06

$3.70 Q 28.28

-18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 Q 15.41

$1.90 Q 14.54

6.32%

Eggs

$2.46 Q 18.79

$2.41 Q 18.39

2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 Q 47.58

$5.30 Q 40.48

17.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 Q 70.5

$14.00 Q 107

-34.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 Q 101

$10.31 Q 78.8

28.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 Q 30.30

$4.78 Q 36.54

-17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.15

$2.35 Q 17.93

-26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 Q 22.26

$5.21 Q 39.82

-44.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Q 12.29

$1.65 Q 12.62

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.72

$1.84 Q 14.09

-16.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 Q 16.52

$1.74 Q 13.29

24.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.62

$1.35 Q 10.31

-45.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 Q 8.82

$1.34 Q 10.23

-14.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 Q 30.21

$3.83 Q 29.23

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 Q 63.6

$7.68 Q 58.7

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.32

$2.81 Q 21.46

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 Q 20.21

$3.59 Q 27.43

-26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 Q 7.61

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 Q 84.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 Q 40.89

$4.71 Q 35.97

13.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 Q 79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 Q 10.25

$1.27 Q 9.72

5.51%

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

$26.9K Q 205.9K

$23.2K Q 176.9K

16.34%

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

$25.1K Q 192.0K

$21.6K Q 164.9K

16.45%

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

$73.9 Q 565

$57.0 Q 436

29.59%

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

$28.90 Q 221

$38.13 Q 291

-24.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.99 Q 351

$61.9 Q 473

-25.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 Q 283

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.17 Q 101

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 Q 48.15

$8.26 Q 63.1

-23.73%

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

$347 Q 2,651

$544 Q 4,153

-36.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,617 Q 50.6K

$14.2K Q 108.5K

-53.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.69 Q 372

$44.26 Q 338

10.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 Q 369

$54.2 Q 414

-10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 Q 903

$92.5 Q 707

27.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 849

$80.4 Q 614

38.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 Q 6,237

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 Q 4,166

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 Q 11.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 Q 6,279

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,038 Q 15.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,100 Q 8,403

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 Q 6,615

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 26, 2026

Last update for Chiquimula: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$545 40.6%

Chiquimula

–

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$280 20.8%

Chiquimula

–

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$151 11.3%

Chiquimula

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$149 11.1%

Chiquimula

–

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Chiquimula

–

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$50 3.7%

Chiquimula

–

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Chiquimula

–

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 in Guatemala City versus $51 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $326 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

Same time as Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

79,815

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Guatemala City Chiquimula 110 km

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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 Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guatemala City is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,013 per month in Guatemala City and $1,229 in Chiquimula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Guatemala City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $347 per month in Guatemala City and $544 in Chiquimula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiquimula, where all-in costs run around $819, than in Guatemala City at $1,342. In Chiquimula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guatemala City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Guatemala City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $819 in Chiquimula to $1,342 in Guatemala City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.