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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $736 in Mixco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Guatemala City versus $1,224 in Mixco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Guatemala City versus $1,711 in Mixco.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 65% more expensive than in Mixco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 9% lower, Mixco 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 Q 39.90

$3.29 Q 25.08

58.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$32.69 Q 249

55.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 Q 47.56

$5.91 Q 45.05

5.58%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.21

$2.42 Q 18.43

36.78%

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

$1.22 Q 9.27

$0.63 Q 4.83

93.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$0.37 Q 2.84

151.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.39

$1.93 Q 14.68

72.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.17

$2.56 Q 19.51

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 Q 15.59

$1.02 Q 7.78

100.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.13

$1.79 Q 13.63

77.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 Q 15.63

$1.02 Q 7.77

100.98%

Eggs

$2.54 Q 19.34

$1.97 Q 14.99

28.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 Q 59.2

$2.68 Q 20.40

189.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 Q 65.5

$3.56 Q 27.17

141.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Q 88.3

$4.18 Q 31.88

177.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 Q 27.29

$1.28 Q 9.79

179.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.58

$0.89 Q 6.82

70.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.00

$0.75 Q 5.70

320.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.05

$1.32 Q 10.04

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.28 Q 9.77

38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Q 18.01

$1.53 Q 11.64

54.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.61

$1.06 Q 8.05

-30.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.31

$0.53 Q 4.06

130.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 Q 27.90

$3.28 Q 25.03

11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.8

$8.97 Q 68.4

-9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.15

$1.97 Q 15.05

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Q 19.25

$3.30 Q 25.15

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Q 9.70

$0.63 Q 4.79

101.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.43 Q 102

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.55

$4.71 Q 35.89

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.55

$0.61 Q 4.65

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 Q 121

$6.61 Q 50.4

140.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.21

$1.13 Q 8.58

-4.42%

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

$19.6K Q 149.7K

$20.0K Q 152.7K

-1.97%

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

$24.8K Q 189.3K

$19.9K Q 151.9K

24.66%

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

$80.4 Q 613

$39.59 Q 302

102.98%

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

$26.23 Q 200

$38.95 Q 297

-32.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.76 Q 372

$19.40 Q 148

151.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 Q 369

$45.20 Q 345

7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 Q 187

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 Q 54.6

$5.75 Q 43.83

24.52%

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

$249 Q 1,896

$45.24 Q 345

449.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,758 Q 43.9K

$12.4K Q 94.5K

-53.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 388

$47.27 Q 360

7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 Q 407

$39.92 Q 304

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$99.5 Q 758

19.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 912

$85.0 Q 648

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 Q 5,467

$325 Q 2,475

120.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,271

$198 Q 1,509

116.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 Q 10.5K

$579 Q 4,413

136.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 Q 5,795

$458 Q 3,488

66.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 Q 15.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 Q 8,332

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 Q 6,569

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

8.5

4.71%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mixco: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Guatemala City and $325 in Mixco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Guatemala City vs $33.00 in Mixco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $152 per month, with Mixco 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 Mixco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mixco wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mixco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,817 in Guatemala City and $1,104 in Mixco to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $717 in Guatemala City versus $325 in Mixco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Guatemala City versus $45.24 in Mixco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mixco – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $51.0 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Mixco versus $1,211 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mixco but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Mixco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mixco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mixco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mixco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.