Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $4,376 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $36,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
210

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
Learn more

Santa Cruz, CA Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,347 in Guatemala City versus $4,376 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Guatemala City $1,347
Santa Cruz, CA $4,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Guatemala City versus $6,212 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Guatemala City $2,028
Santa Cruz, CA $6,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Guatemala City versus $8,047 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Guatemala City $2,710
Santa Cruz, CA $8,047

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 69% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Q 59.3

$24.80 $24.80

-68.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 Q 381

$98.3 $98.3

-49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$14.96 $14.96

-48.40%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.28

$6.25 $6.25

-47.04%

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

$1.17 Q 8.98

$4.27 $4.27

-72.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 Q 7.75

$3.36 $3.36

-69.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$7.84 $7.84

-59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 Q 36.00

$8.19 $8.19

-42.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.56 $1.56

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 Q 23.78

$7.16 $7.16

-56.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.19

$7.81 $7.81

-72.86%

Eggs

$2.44 Q 18.68

$6.41 $6.41

-61.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 Q 47.28

$31.16 $31.16

-80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 Q 73.7

$16.73 $16.73

-42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 Q 103

$17.61 $17.61

-23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.43

$13.39 $13.39

-70.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$3.25 $3.25

-49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.66

$9.94 $9.94

-71.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.48

$8.87 $8.87

-81.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$4.42 $4.42

-65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Q 16.63

$4.49 $4.49

-51.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$4.93 $4.93

-86.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.94

$4.71 $4.71

-75.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.62

$11.75 $11.75

-65.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$25.37 $25.37

-68.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.71

$2.07 $2.07

-13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.46

$3.40 $3.40

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 Q 7.69

$2.03 $2.03

-50.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.11 Q 84.9

$65.3 $65.3

-82.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.48

$4.04 $4.04

27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$36.33 $36.33

-70.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 Q 10.47

$1.63 $1.63

-15.95%

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

$27.1K Q 207.4K

$31.0K $31.0K

-12.59%

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

$24.9K Q 190.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

-4.78%

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

$73.1 Q 559

$374 $374

-80.43%

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

$29.48 Q 225

$57.9 $57.9

-49.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 Q 349

$88.3 $88.3

-48.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 Q 291

$105 $105

-63.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

$12.79 $12.79

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 Q 50.2

$16.69 $16.69

-60.64%

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

$338 Q 2,582

$2,491 $2,491

-86.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K Q 120.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

-40.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 Q 382

$66.0 $66.0

-24.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 Q 362

$63.2 $63.2

-25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 908

$90.0 $90.0

32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$154 $154

-28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 Q 6,383

$3,227 $3,227

-74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 Q 4,114

$2,348 $2,348

-77.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 Q 12.0K

$4,447 $4,447

-64.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 Q 6,292

$3,702 $3,702

-77.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 Q 15.6K

$8,791 $8,791

-76.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 Q 8,398

$10.2K $10.2K

-89.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 Q 6,463

$5,700 $5,700

-85.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.47

79.60%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$538 40%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.3K 53.6% 336% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21%

Santa Cruz, CA

$711 16.3% 151% $428

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$159 11.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$404 9.2% 154% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$148 11%

Santa Cruz, CA

$520 11.9% 250% $371

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Santa Cruz, CA

$168 3.8% 14.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$51 3.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$138 3.2% 171% $87

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$87 2% 328% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $835 in Guatemala City and $3,227 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Guatemala City vs $98 in Santa Cruz, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $711 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

05:02 5:02 AM

2 h behind Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

64,220

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guatemala City Santa Cruz, CA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 85% lower in Guatemala 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: $835 in Guatemala City versus $3,227 in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 $50 versus $98 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,347 per month in Guatemala City versus $4,376 in Santa Cruz, CA – Guatemala City is about 69% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Guatemala City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value at $1,347 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 69% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.