Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Dana Point, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $4,362 in Dana Point, CA, rent and utilities included – about $36,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guatemala City, Guatemala
Dana Point, CA, United States
Guatemala City
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,347
/mo nomad
Dana Point, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $4,362 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $1,347
  • Dana Point, CA $4,362

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $6,034 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $2,028
  • Dana Point, CA $6,034

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $7,707 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

  • Guatemala City $2,710
  • Dana Point, CA $7,707

Guatemala City is about 69% cheaper than Dana Point, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.76 Q 59.3
$25.41 $25.41
-69.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.88 Q 381
$101 $101
-50.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.72 Q 59.0
$14.38 $14.38
-46.31%
Cappuccino
$3.31 Q 25.28
$5.96 $5.96
-44.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 Q 8.98
$3.74 $3.74
-68.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 Q 7.75
$2.65 $2.65
-61.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 Q 24.29
$7.95 $7.95
-60.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 Q 36.00
$9.84 $9.84
-52.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 Q 15.88
$1.28 $1.28
62.50%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 Q 23.78
$4.86 $4.86
-36.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.12 Q 16.19
$4.72 $4.72
-55.08%
Eggs
$2.44 Q 18.68
$3.91 $3.91
-37.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.19 Q 47.28
$11.01 $11.01
-43.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.64 Q 73.7
$13.09 $13.09
-26.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.48 Q 103
$15.25 $15.25
-11.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 Q 30.43
$5.14 $5.14
-22.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 Q 12.58
$2.27 $2.27
-27.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 Q 21.66
$3.51 $3.51
-19.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.63 Q 12.48
$5.36 $5.36
-69.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 Q 11.70
$3.02 $3.02
-49.34%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 Q 16.63
$2.89 $2.89
-24.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 Q 5.26
$1.93 $1.93
-64.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 Q 8.94
$2.55 $2.55
-54.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01 Q 30.62
$11.93 $11.93
-66.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 Q 61.7
$14.93 $14.93
-45.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 Q 13.71
$2.96 $2.96
-39.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 Q 20.46
$2.69 $2.69
-0.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 Q 7.69
$1.94 $1.94
-47.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.11 Q 84.9
$51.4 $51.4
-78.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.17 Q 39.48
$3.57 $3.57
44.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.19 $2.19
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 Q 81.5
$38.44 $38.44
-72.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 Q 10.47
$1.31 $1.31
4.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K Q 207.4K
$32.4K $32.4K
-16.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K Q 190.7K
$27.0K $27.0K
-7.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 Q 559
$248 $248
-70.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.48 Q 225
$79.3 $79.3
-62.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.73 Q 349
$77.7 $77.7
-41.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.04 Q 291
$40.66 $40.66
-6.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.79 Q 97.8
$20.30 $20.30
-37.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 Q 50.2
$18.54 $18.54
-64.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$338 Q 2,582
$1,715 $1,715
-80.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K Q 120.8K
$35.2K $35.2K
-55.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.96 Q 382
$67.2 $67.2
-25.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.37 Q 362
$53.1 $53.1
-10.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 Q 908
$112 $112
6.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 Q 845
$174 $174
-36.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$835 Q 6,383
$2,941 $2,941
-71.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$538 Q 4,114
$2,796 $2,796
-80.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,568 Q 12.0K
$5,250 $5,250
-70.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$823 Q 6,292
$4,207 $4,207
-80.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,041 Q 15.6K
$2,828 $2,828
-27.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,099 Q 8,398
$2,374 $2,374
-53.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala City
Dana Point, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$846 Q 6,463
$7,541 $7,541
-88.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.62
6.56
77.13%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dana Point, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
$538
Dana Point, CA
$2.8K 419% $2.3K
Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
$283
Dana Point, CA
$423 49.7% $141
Eating Out
Guatemala City
$159
Dana Point, CA
$403 153% $244
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
$148
Dana Point, CA
$405 173% $257
Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
$147
Dana Point, CA
$183 24.2% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
$51
Dana Point, CA
$78 51.9% $27
Getting Around
Guatemala City
$20 *
Dana Point, CA
$74 263% $53

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 $2,941 in Dana Point, 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 Dana Point, CA are about 8.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $101 in Dana Point, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $423 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Guatemala City
🇺🇸 Dana Point, CA
🕒 Local time
14:24 2:24 PM
12:24 12:24 PM
2 h behind Guatemala City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,450,212 Capital
33,351
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 Dana Point, CA 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Guatemala City
  • Dana Point, 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 Dana Point, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guatemala City cheaper than Dana Point, CA?
Yes – Dana Point, CA is pricier by about 224%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,021 per month in Guatemala City and $6,542 in Dana Point, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guatemala City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $835 there versus $2,941 in Dana Point, CA.
What are total monthly expenses in Guatemala City and in Dana Point, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,347 in Guatemala City and $4,362 in Dana Point, CA. That makes Guatemala City about 69% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 78% less in Guatemala City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Guatemala City or in Dana Point, CA?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,347 in Guatemala City and $4,362 in Dana Point, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Guatemala City or Dana Point, CA more family-friendly?
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 the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Guatemala City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dana Point, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Guatemala City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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