Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Garden Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $1,414 in Garden Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. The total is higher in Garden Grove, CA despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
Learn more

Garden Grove, CA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,347 per month in Guatemala City vs $1,414 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $1,347
Garden Grove, CA $1,414

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Guatemala City vs $2,266 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,028
Garden Grove, CA $2,266

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Guatemala City vs $3,117 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Guatemala City $2,710
Garden Grove, CA $3,117

Guatemala City is about 5% cheaper than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$25.19 $25.19

-69.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$76.9 $76.9

-35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$11.35 $11.35

-31.98%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$5.55 $5.55

-40.36%

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

$2.06 $2.06

-50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$7.21 $7.21

-55.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$9.60 $9.60

-50.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.14 $1.14

82.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$5.22 $5.22

-40.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$4.30 $4.30

-50.70%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$5.03 $5.03

-51.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$12.63 $12.63

-50.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$9.04 $9.04

6.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$13.74 $13.74

-1.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$4.78 $4.78

-16.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.80 $1.80

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$4.01 $4.01

-29.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$5.64 $5.64

-71.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$3.65 $3.65

-58.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$3.15 $3.15

-30.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$2.07 $2.07

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$2.23 $2.23

-47.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$11.55 $11.55

-65.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$14.98 $14.98

-46.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$1.75 $1.75

2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$3.81 $3.81

-29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$4.93 $4.93

-79.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$70.0 $70.0

-84.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$4.62 $4.62

11.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$35.92 $35.92

-70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.59 $1.59

-13.84%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$27.5K $27.5K

-1.20%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

-5.91%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$214 $214

-65.80%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$71.4 $71.4

-58.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$70.8 $70.8

-35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$15.07 $15.07

152.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

$20.18 $20.18

-36.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$14.94 $14.94

-56.02%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$1,182 $1,182

-71.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$12.8K $12.8K

23.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$63.8 $63.8

-21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$41.31 $41.31

14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$78.9 $78.9

50.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$104 $104

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$2,163 $2,163

-61.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$3,490 $3,490

-55.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

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

$4,658 $4,658

-81.84%

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 Garden Grove, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Garden Grove, CA

$403 28.5% 42.4% $120

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$377 26.7% 137% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Garden Grove, CA

$356 25.2% 140% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Garden Grove, CA

$130 9.2% 11.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 12.2% $6.2

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Garden Grove, CA

$104 7.4% 412% $84

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 $2,163 in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, CA are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guatemala City versus $77 in Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $403 – making Guatemala City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

170,883

💱 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 Garden Grove, CA 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garden Grove, CA costs about 5% 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 $2,121 in Garden Grove, 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 $2,163 in Garden Grove, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,347 in Guatemala City and $1,414 in Garden Grove, CA. That makes Guatemala City about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Guatemala City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,347 in Guatemala City and $1,414 in Garden Grove, 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.

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