Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Guatemala City versus $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,955 in Guatemala City versus $1,084 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,695 in Guatemala City versus $1,520 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 87% more expensive than Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 9% lower, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 Q 39.64

$2.59 Q 19.77

100.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 Q 384

$15.92 Q 122

215.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 Q 49.40

$6.28 Q 48.00

3.03%

Cappuccino

$3.35 Q 25.59

$3.33 Q 25.46

0.60%

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

$1.21 Q 9.25

$1.21 Q 9.27

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.48

$0.99 Q 7.58

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 Q 24.37

$3.34 Q 25.55

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 Q 35.44

$4.52 Q 34.55

2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.55

$1.02 Q 7.81

99.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.22

$1.60 Q 12.19

98.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Q 15.93

$0.53 Q 4.07

292.45%

Eggs

$2.52 Q 19.24

$1.61 Q 12.28

56.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 Q 60.3

$7.69 Q 58.8

2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 Q 64.7

$8.33 Q 63.6

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 Q 88.5

$8.70 Q 66.5

33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 Q 26.78

$3.48 Q 26.56

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Q 12.04

$1.52 Q 11.64

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 Q 23.95

$3.18 Q 24.26

-1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.07

$1.17 Q 8.91

57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 Q 12.85

$1.47 Q 11.26

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Q 17.43

$1.12 Q 8.56

103.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.26

$0.54 Q 4.16

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.35

$0.76 Q 5.78

60.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 Q 28.40

$3.56 Q 27.18

4.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 Q 60.8

$8.34 Q 63.7

-4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Q 12.83

$1.61 Q 12.34

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 Q 18.53

$2.40 Q 18.31

1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.66 Q 104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 Q 40.25

$5.15 Q 39.37

2.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.59

$0.59 Q 4.53

1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.86 Q 121

$15.47 Q 118

2.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.25

$1.06 Q 8.13

1.89%

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

$19.8K Q 151.1K

$19.7K Q 150.2K

0.61%

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

$24.5K Q 187.4K

$24.3K Q 185.5K

1.04%

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

$79.9 Q 610

$79.7 Q 609

0.20%

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

$26.75 Q 204

$26.35 Q 201

1.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.47 Q 378

$26.32 Q 201

87.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 Q 378

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 Q 183

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 Q 54.2

$7.00 Q 53.5

1.29%

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

$248 Q 1,895

$106 Q 812

133.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,879 Q 44.9K

$5,881 Q 44.9K

-0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 Q 387

$50.5 Q 385

0.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 Q 401

$53.7 Q 411

-2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 Q 880

$115 Q 882

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 920

$122 Q 933

-1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 Q 5,649

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 Q 3,269

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 Q 10.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 Q 5,790

$180 Q 1,379

319.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 Q 15.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 Q 8,238

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$851 Q 6,499

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Guatemala City and $0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Guatemala City vs $16 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $218 per month, with Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Lucía Milpas Altas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,822 in Guatemala City and $972 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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.

Childcare runs $248 in Guatemala City versus $106 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $50.0 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,215 in Guatemala City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucía Milpas Altas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Lucía Milpas Altas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $648 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Lucía Milpas Altas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guatemala City and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santa Lucía Milpas Altas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.