Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
189

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,347
Costa Mesa, CA $3,909

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $5,280 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,028
Costa Mesa, CA $5,280

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $6,651 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,710
Costa Mesa, CA $6,651

Guatemala City is about 66% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$20.22 $20.22

-61.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$79.4 $79.4

-37.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$14.77 $14.77

-47.73%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.77 $5.77

-42.63%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$3.27 $3.27

-64.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$2.47 $2.47

-59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$7.10 $7.10

-55.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$9.43 $9.43

-50.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.09 $1.09

90.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$4.02 $4.02

-22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$4.81 $4.81

-55.93%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$5.03 $5.03

-51.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$13.03 $13.03

-52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$20.01 $20.01

-51.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$21.71 $21.71

-37.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$4.98 $4.98

-20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$2.42 $2.42

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.45 $4.45

-36.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$5.80 $5.80

-71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$4.33 $4.33

-64.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$2.29 $2.29

-4.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.10 $2.10

-67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$1.90 $1.90

-38.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$11.67 $11.67

-65.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$15.15 $15.15

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.97 $1.97

-9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$4.08 $4.08

-34.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$2.02 $2.02

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$67.7 $67.7

-83.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$3.07 $3.07

68.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$32.05 $32.05

-66.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.53 $1.53

-10.46%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$29.1K $29.1K

-6.72%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.05%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$219 $219

-66.69%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$67.3 $67.3

-56.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$71.9 $71.9

-36.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$35.39 $35.39

7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

$11.80 $11.80

8.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$16.35 $16.35

-59.82%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,198 $1,198

-71.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$19.0K $19.0K

-16.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$56.6 $56.6

-11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$48.52 $48.52

-2.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$95.0 $95.0

25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$130 $130

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$2,429 $2,429

-65.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$2,415 $2,415

-77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$3,769 $3,769

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$3,357 $3,357

-75.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

$10.7K $10.7K

-80.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

$7,371 $7,371

-85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 Q 6,463

$4,888 $4,888

-82.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.31

84.15%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.4K 61.8% 349% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Costa Mesa, CA

$478 12.2% 69% $195

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Costa Mesa, CA

$353 9% 122% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Costa Mesa, CA

$359 9.2% 142% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Costa Mesa, CA

$149 3.8% 1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Costa Mesa, CA

$68 1.7% 33% $17

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Costa Mesa, CA

$88 2.2% 332% $67

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 $2,429 in Costa Mesa, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Costa Mesa, CA are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $79 in Costa Mesa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $478 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

109,960

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 8.58 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guatemala City Costa Mesa, CA 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 190% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,021 per month in Guatemala City and $5,863 in Costa Mesa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guatemala City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $835 there versus $2,429 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City and $79 in Costa Mesa, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,347 in Guatemala City and $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guatemala City costs $1,347 versus $3,909 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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