Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and San Miguel Dueñas Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and San Miguel Dueñas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,234 in Guatemala City versus $697 in San Miguel Dueñas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,935 in Guatemala City versus $1,049 in San Miguel Dueñas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,637 in Guatemala City versus $1,402 in San Miguel Dueñas.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 77% more expensive than San Miguel Dueñas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 8% lower, San Miguel Dueñas 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 Q 40.68

$5.20 Q 39.60

2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 Q 376

$16.17 Q 123

205.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 Q 49.54

$4.53 Q 34.49

43.49%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 25.96

$3.19 Q 24.33

6.90%

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

$1.17 Q 8.89

$0.68 Q 5.20

72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 Q 7.34

$0.40 Q 3.06

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 Q 25.58

$1.28 Q 9.77

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 Q 34.24

$1.16 Q 8.81

287.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.87

$1.53 Q 11.68

35.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 Q 23.89

$0.75 Q 5.73

317.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Q 16.11

$1.69 Q 12.88

24.85%

Eggs

$2.56 Q 19.53

$1.60 Q 12.19

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 Q 60.5

$7.15 Q 54.5

10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 Q 65.9

$4.92 Q 37.48

75.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 Q 88.6

$9.36 Q 71.4

24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 Q 28.00

$1.17 Q 8.91

213.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.60

$1.41 Q 10.76

7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 Q 22.93

$1.48 Q 11.29

103.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.40

$1.17 Q 8.93

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Q 13.03

$0.81 Q 6.14

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Q 17.28

$0.84 Q 6.43

170.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.62

$0.68 Q 5.15

8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Q 9.42

$0.82 Q 6.23

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 Q 27.63

$3.68 Q 28.05

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 Q 61.9

$8.16 Q 62.2

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.13

$1.34 Q 10.20

18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 Q 18.95

$1.07 Q 8.16

132.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Q 9.82

$0.12 Q 0.93

975.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.64 Q 104

$3.82 Q 29.08

257.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 Q 40.39

$1.32 Q 10.03

301.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 Q 4.51

$0.60 Q 4.58

-1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 Q 118

$15.96 Q 122

-2.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.20

$1.12 Q 8.54

-3.57%

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

$19.7K Q 150.5K

$17.1K Q 130.4K

15.42%

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

$24.6K Q 187.6K

$18.3K Q 139.2K

34.74%

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

$81.7 Q 623

$55.8 Q 425

46.47%

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

$26.82 Q 204

$26.21 Q 200

2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 Q 376

$48.78 Q 372

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 Q 375

$19.87 Q 151

147.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 Q 188

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 Q 56.2

$5.99 Q 45.64

23.04%

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

$247 Q 1,885

$245 Q 1,870

0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,695 Q 43.4K

$5,704 Q 43.5K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 Q 387

$50.4 Q 384

0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 408

$52.9 Q 403

1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 881

$92.7 Q 706

24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 932

$46.07 Q 351

165.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 Q 5,452

$157 Q 1,195

356.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,270

$128 Q 975

235.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 Q 10.5K

$259 Q 1,971

431.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 Q 5,868

$198 Q 1,512

288.02%

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

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

Last update for Guatemala City: May 30, 2026

Last update for San Miguel Dueñas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Guatemala City and $157 in San Miguel Dueñas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $16.00 in San Miguel Dueñas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $178 per month, with San Miguel Dueñas 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 San Miguel Dueñas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Miguel Dueñas wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Miguel Dueñas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,850 in Guatemala City and $1,045 in San Miguel Dueñas 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 $157 in San Miguel Dueñas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Miguel Dueñas – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $49.00 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,234 per month in Guatemala City versus $697 in San Miguel Dueñas – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $697 in San Miguel Dueñas versus $1,234 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Miguel Dueñas but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes San Miguel Dueñas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Miguel Dueñas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $697 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Miguel Dueñas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Miguel Dueñas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.