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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,234 in Guatemala City versus $1,098 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,935 in Guatemala City versus $1,435 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,637 in Guatemala City versus $1,772 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 12% more expensive than Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 8% lower, Quetzaltenango 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 Q 40.68

$4.11 Q 31.29

29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 Q 376

$34.08 Q 260

44.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 Q 49.54

$5.85 Q 44.56

11.11%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 25.96

$2.55 Q 19.43

33.73%

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

$1.17 Q 8.89

$0.48 Q 3.66

143.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 Q 7.34

$0.49 Q 3.71

95.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 Q 25.58

$1.39 Q 10.56

141.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 Q 34.24

$1.95 Q 14.85

130.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.87

$1.82 Q 13.86

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 Q 23.89

$2.62 Q 19.98

19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Q 16.11

$2.03 Q 15.45

3.94%

Eggs

$2.56 Q 19.53

$2.22 Q 16.95

15.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 Q 60.5

$7.98 Q 60.8

-0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 Q 65.9

$6.27 Q 47.77

37.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 Q 88.6

$9.23 Q 70.3

26.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 Q 28.00

$2.41 Q 18.39

52.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.60

$1.53 Q 11.66

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 Q 22.93

$3.12 Q 23.77

-3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.40

$1.02 Q 7.80

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Q 13.03

$1.75 Q 13.31

-2.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Q 17.28

$1.89 Q 14.43

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.62

$0.75 Q 5.74

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Q 9.42

$1.22 Q 9.30

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 Q 27.63

$3.31 Q 25.25

9.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 Q 61.9

$7.94 Q 60.5

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.13

$1.66 Q 12.66

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 Q 18.95

$2.44 Q 18.61

2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Q 9.82

$0.27 Q 2.07

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.64 Q 104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 Q 40.39

$3.67 Q 27.94

44.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 Q 4.51

$0.60 Q 4.60

-1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 Q 118

$6.61 Q 50.3

134.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.20

$0.95 Q 7.24

13.68%

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

$19.7K Q 150.5K

$15.6K Q 119.0K

26.50%

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

$24.6K Q 187.6K

$22.7K Q 173.2K

8.31%

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

$81.7 Q 623

$79.4 Q 605

2.92%

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

$26.82 Q 204

$13.27 Q 101

102.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 Q 376

$47.94 Q 365

3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 Q 375

$32.69 Q 249

50.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 Q 188

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 Q 56.2

$7.39 Q 56.3

-0.27%

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

$247 Q 1,885

$244 Q 1,859

1.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,695 Q 43.4K

$5,720 Q 43.6K

-0.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 Q 387

$49.21 Q 375

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 408

$54.1 Q 412

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 881

$112 Q 850

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 932

$124 Q 946

-1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 Q 5,452

$211 Q 1,606

239.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,270

$401 Q 3,056

7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 Q 10.5K

$376 Q 2,868

265.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 Q 5,868

$260 Q 1,981

196.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,024 Q 15.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,096 Q 8,352

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 Q 6,534

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

7.69

15.73%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: May 30, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Guatemala City and $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $34.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $239 per month, with Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetzaltenango wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quetzaltenango the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,850 in Guatemala City and $1,647 in Quetzaltenango 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: $716 in Guatemala City versus $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $247 in Guatemala City versus $244 in Quetzaltenango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $49.00 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,098 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,234 in Guatemala City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quetzaltenango delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,098 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quetzaltenango hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Quetzaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.