Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $1,334 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,334

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Santiago

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 Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,334 in Guatemala City versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Guatemala City $1,334
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Guatemala City versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Guatemala City $2,040
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,746 in Guatemala City versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Guatemala City $2,746
Santiago $2,564

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guatemala City is 0% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 Q 52.2

$10.19 CLP 9,954

-32.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.83 Q 381

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

-4.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 59.0

$8.54 CLP 8,342

-9.60%

Cappuccino

$3.24 Q 24.80

$3.19 CLP 3,122

1.57%

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

$1.11 Q 8.46

$1.68 CLP 1,641

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.49

$1.22 CLP 1,194

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 Q 24.59

$4.21 CLP 4,110

-23.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 Q 37.30

$4.66 CLP 4,550

4.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 Q 16.11

$1.32 CLP 1,286

59.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 Q 23.22

$1.80 CLP 1,760

68.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.96

$1.58 CLP 1,547

32.28%

Eggs

$2.51 Q 19.15

$4.25 CLP 4,151

-40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 Q 47.10

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 Q 73.0

$6.75 CLP 6,596

41.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 Q 103

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

26.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 Q 30.54

$2.04 CLP 1,995

96.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 Q 13.05

$1.53 CLP 1,500

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Q 21.63

$1.59 CLP 1,553

77.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.61

$1.75 CLP 1,712

-5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 Q 11.37

$1.08 CLP 1,054

37.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 Q 16.21

$1.51 CLP 1,480

40.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 Q 5.20

$1.17 CLP 1,148

-41.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.16

$1.07 CLP 1,043

12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 Q 31.39

$5.14 CLP 5,027

-20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.9

$5.88 CLP 5,745

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.30

$1.55 CLP 1,516

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Q 20.83

$2.27 CLP 2,223

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Q 9.88

$0.85 CLP 831

51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.31 Q 109

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

-65.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 Q 39.46

$0.39 CLP 383

1223.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 Q 79.9

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

-12.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.17

$1.50 CLP 1,470

-11.33%

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

$27.3K Q 208.8K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

50.95%

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

$25.3K Q 193.6K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

17.21%

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

$73.2 Q 559

$151 CLP 147.7K

-51.57%

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

$28.62 Q 219

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

137.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.27 Q 346

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

139.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 Q 307

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.22 Q 101

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

12.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 Q 50.5

$7.37 CLP 7,202

-10.45%

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

$334 Q 2,554

$434 CLP 424.3K

-23.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,809 Q 52.0K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

-38.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.72 Q 380

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

-2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 Q 368

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

65.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 Q 916

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

77.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 Q 857

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 Q 6,396

$555 CLP 542.0K

50.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 Q 4,082

$372 CLP 364.0K

43.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 Q 11.7K

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 Q 6,139

$779 CLP 760.9K

3.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,071 Q 15.8K

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

-22.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 Q 8,344

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 Q 6,425

$791 CLP 773.5K

6.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.39

115.58%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: October 4, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$534 39.8%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 30.3% $162

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$283 21.1%

Santiago

$236 20% 16.4% $46

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$151 11.3%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 24.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$148 11.1%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 31% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$147 11%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 23.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$53 4%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 9.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 101% $25

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 $837 in Guatemala City and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guatemala City vs $52.0 in Santiago. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $236, with Santiago cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

3 h ahead of Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.57 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guatemala City Santiago 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Santiago

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 Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Guatemala City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $837 in Guatemala City versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $50.0 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,334 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,206 in Santiago – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,334 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.