Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Ellensburg, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,388 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Ellensburg, WA

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

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $2,388 in Ellensburg, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,347
Ellensburg, WA $2,388

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,488 in Ellensburg, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,028
Ellensburg, WA $3,488

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $4,589 in Ellensburg, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,710
Ellensburg, WA $4,589

Guatemala City is about 44% cheaper than Ellensburg, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$14.71 $14.71

-47.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$73.9 $73.9

-32.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$11.91 $11.91

-35.18%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.01 $5.01

-33.93%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$1.48 $1.48

-20.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$1.27 $1.27

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$4.96 $4.96

-35.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$6.07 $6.07

-22.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.00 $1.00

108.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$2.67 $2.67

16.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$4.79 $4.79

-55.74%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$4.14 $4.14

-41.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$15.38 $15.38

-59.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$6.47 $6.47

49.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$14.03 $14.03

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$4.76 $4.76

-16.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.45 $1.45

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.47 $4.47

-36.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$4.00 $4.00

-59.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$1.51 $1.51

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$2.23 $2.23

-2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.04 $2.04

-66.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$1.82 $1.82

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$9.80 $9.80

-59.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$14.06 $14.06

-42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.86 $1.86

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$4.71 $4.71

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$1.78 $1.78

-43.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$51.7 $51.7

-78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$5.04 $5.04

2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$39.88 $39.88

-73.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$27.6K $27.6K

-1.82%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

-5.30%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$152 $152

-51.80%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$40.50 $40.50

-27.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$69.4 $69.4

-34.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$39.37 $39.37

-3.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$15.81 $15.81

-58.44%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,395 $1,395

-75.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$18.0K $18.0K

-12.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$34.56 $34.56

44.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$34.56 $34.56

37.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$111 $111

6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$39.31 $39.31

181.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$1,554 $1,554

-46.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$1,273 $1,273

-57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$2,544 $2,544

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$2,087 $2,087

-60.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

$4,380 $4,380

-53.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

$4,457 $4,457

-75.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 Q 6,463

$1,803 $1,803

-53.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.5

78.77%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 53.3% 137% $735

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Ellensburg, WA

$349 14.6% 23.5% $66

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Ellensburg, WA

$261 11% 64.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Ellensburg, WA

$261 11% 76.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Ellensburg, WA

$99 4.1% 32.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Ellensburg, WA

$71 3% 38.7% $20

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Ellensburg, WA

$72 3% 257% $52

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 $1,554 in Ellensburg, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ellensburg, WA are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $74 in Ellensburg, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $349 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

13:10 1:10 PM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

18,666

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 9, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.55 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Guatemala City Ellensburg, WA 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Ellensburg, WA

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 Ellensburg, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ellensburg, WA costs about 77% more than Guatemala City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,582 in Ellensburg, WA. 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 $1,554 in Ellensburg, WA.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Guatemala City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Guatemala City and $1,395 in Ellensburg, WA. 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 $2,388 in Ellensburg, WA. 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.

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