Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and El Centro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,722 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
130

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $2,722 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,347
El Centro, CA $2,722

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,943 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,028
El Centro, CA $3,943

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $5,164 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,710
El Centro, CA $5,164

Guatemala City is about 51% cheaper than El Centro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$14.78 $14.78

-47.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$49.04 $49.04

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$11.60 $11.60

-33.45%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.64 $5.64

-41.31%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$2.79 $2.79

-58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$1.99 $1.99

-49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$6.84 $6.84

-53.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$8.87 $8.87

-46.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.16 $1.16

79.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$5.81 $5.81

-46.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$4.37 $4.37

-51.49%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$5.06 $5.06

-51.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$12.30 $12.30

-49.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$20.81 $20.81

-53.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$14.12 $14.12

-4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$5.66 $5.66

-29.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.71 $1.71

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.09 $4.09

-30.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$6.58 $6.58

-75.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$3.55 $3.55

-56.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$3.52 $3.52

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.36 $2.36

-70.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$2.21 $2.21

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$11.75 $11.75

-65.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$15.19 $15.19

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.71 $1.71

4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$3.83 $3.83

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$2.04 $2.04

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$68.5 $68.5

-83.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$4.63 $4.63

11.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$36.13 $36.13

-70.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.64 $1.64

-16.46%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-3.36%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-4.18%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$212 $212

-65.44%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$70.1 $70.1

-57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$68.6 $68.6

-33.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$42.87 $42.87

-11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$11.82 $11.82

-44.42%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,867 $1,867

-81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$35.2K $35.2K

-55.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$74.1 $74.1

-32.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$41.48 $41.48

14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$80.6 $80.6

47.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$163 $163

-32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$1,486 $1,486

-43.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$1,282 $1,282

-58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$2,758 $2,758

-43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$2,139 $2,139

-61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

$2,642 $2,642

-22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

$2,647 $2,647

-58.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 Q 6,463

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 El Centro, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 47.1% 138% $743

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

El Centro, CA

$479 17.6% 69.3% $196

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

El Centro, CA

$292 10.7% 83.5% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

El Centro, CA

$350 12.9% 136% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

El Centro, CA

$162 5.9% 10% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

El Centro, CA

$67 2.4% 30% $15

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

El Centro, CA

$91 3.3% 347% $70

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 $1,486 in El Centro, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $49 in El Centro, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Guatemala City vs $479 in El Centro, CA – so Guatemala City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

44,322

💱 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 El Centro, CA 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,347 in Guatemala City, $2,722 in El Centro, CA – Guatemala City comes out roughly 51% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,021 per month in Guatemala City and $4,082 in El Centro, 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 $1,486 in El Centro, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,347 in Guatemala City and $2,722 in El Centro, CA. That makes Guatemala City about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Guatemala City and $1,867 in El Centro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,347 in Guatemala City and $2,722 in El Centro, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.