Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Guatemala City versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Guatemala City versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guatemala City is 9% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 Q 39.90

$13.07 MX$229

-59.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$53.8 MX$943

-5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 Q 47.56

$9.68 MX$170

-35.54%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.21

$3.74 MX$65.6

-11.50%

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

$1.22 Q 9.27

$1.62 MX$28.34

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$1.16 MX$20.37

-19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.39

$3.23 MX$56.6

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.17

$4.74 MX$83.1

-5.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 Q 15.59

$1.65 MX$28.89

24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.13

$2.75 MX$48.30

15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 Q 15.63

$1.87 MX$32.87

9.63%

Eggs

$2.54 Q 19.34

$2.50 MX$43.86

1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 Q 59.2

$10.20 MX$179

-23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 Q 65.5

$8.25 MX$145

4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Q 88.3

$11.82 MX$207

-1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 Q 27.29

$3.01 MX$52.8

18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.58

$1.81 MX$31.77

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.00

$2.00 MX$35.07

57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.05

$2.00 MX$35.00

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$2.08 MX$36.56

-14.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Q 18.01

$2.27 MX$39.85

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.61

$1.46 MX$25.55

-49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.31

$1.08 MX$18.88

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 Q 27.90

$4.35 MX$76.3

-15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.8

$16.99 MX$298

-52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.15

$1.73 MX$30.40

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Q 19.25

$3.58 MX$62.7

-29.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Q 9.70

$0.39 MX$6.79

225.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.43 Q 102

$18.69 MX$328

-28.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.55

$1.33 MX$23.25

290.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.55

$0.28 MX$4.91

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 Q 121

$5.25 MX$92.1

203.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.21

$1.34 MX$23.44

-19.40%

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

$19.6K Q 149.7K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

1.16%

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

$24.8K Q 189.3K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

4.22%

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

$80.4 Q 613

$40.69 MX$714

97.49%

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

$26.23 Q 200

$26.87 MX$471

-2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.76 Q 372

$30.51 MX$535

59.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 Q 369

$52.8 MX$926

-8.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 Q 187

$26.65 MX$467

-7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 Q 54.6

$6.51 MX$114

9.98%

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

$249 Q 1,896

$428 MX$7,508

-41.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,758 Q 43.9K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-45.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 388

$57.3 MX$1,004

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 Q 407

$45.50 MX$798

17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$104 MX$1,825

13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 912

$108 MX$1,891

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 Q 5,467

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,271

$623 MX$10.9K

-31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 Q 10.5K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 Q 5,795

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-37.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 Q 15.4K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-48.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 Q 8,332

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-46.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 Q 6,569

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-16.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

11.34

-21.52%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Guatemala City and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Guatemala City vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $292 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $717 in Guatemala City versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.