Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Federal Way, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $3,306 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 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
159

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Federal Way, 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 Federal Way, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,306 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,347
Federal Way, WA $3,306

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $4,315 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,028
Federal Way, WA $4,315

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $5,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,710
Federal Way, WA $5,324

Guatemala City is about 59% cheaper than Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$25.25 $25.25

-69.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$76.1 $76.1

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$12.63 $12.63

-38.88%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.59 $5.59

-40.79%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$2.82 $2.82

-58.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$1.69 $1.69

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$6.87 $6.87

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$6.96 $6.96

-32.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.10 $1.10

89.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$4.10 $4.10

-24.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$3.12 $3.12

-32.05%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$5.04 $5.04

-51.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$16.40 $16.40

-62.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$10.62 $10.62

-9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$18.97 $18.97

-28.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$4.97 $4.97

-19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.62 $1.62

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.12 $4.12

-31.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$4.66 $4.66

-65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$2.70 $2.70

-43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$2.41 $2.41

-9.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.19 $2.19

-68.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$2.60 $2.60

-55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$12.26 $12.26

-67.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$14.80 $14.80

-45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.70 $1.70

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$4.78 $4.78

-43.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$2.66 $2.66

-62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$2.65 $2.65

95.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$30.11 $30.11

-64.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.41 $1.41

-2.84%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-3.27%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

-6.07%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$159 $159

-53.93%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$77.7 $77.7

-62.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$86.6 $86.6

-47.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$13.09 $13.09

190.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$11.87 $11.87

-44.65%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,458 $1,458

-76.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$14.4K $14.4K

9.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$45.81 $45.81

9.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$44.03 $44.03

7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$83.8 $83.8

41.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$102 $102

8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$1,994 $1,994

-58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$2,009 $2,009

-73.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$2,816 $2,816

-44.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$2,419 $2,419

-65.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 Q 6,463

$4,489 $4,489

-81.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.64

75.00%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Federal Way, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.8% 273% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Federal Way, WA

$419 12.7% 48.1% $136

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.3% 135% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Federal Way, WA

$323 9.8% 118% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.8% 15.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 28% $14

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 8% $1.6

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 $1,994 in Federal Way, 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 Federal Way, WA are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $76 in Federal Way, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $419 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

101,030

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 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 = 8.52 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guatemala City Federal Way, WA 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Federal Way, 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 Federal Way, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,021 per month in Guatemala City and $4,959 in Federal Way, 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 $1,994 in Federal Way, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,347 in Guatemala City and $3,306 in Federal Way, WA. That makes Guatemala City about 59% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Guatemala City and $1,458 in Federal Way, 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 $3,306 in Federal Way, 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, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.