Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,358 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guatemala
Australia
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,358
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guatemala and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,358 per month in Guatemala vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

  • Guatemala $1,358
  • Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $2,099 per month in Guatemala vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

  • Guatemala $2,099
  • Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $2,840 per month in Guatemala vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

  • Guatemala $2,840
  • Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Guatemala ($743–$1,342), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Guatemala is roughly 48% lower than in Australia on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 Q 61.8
$17.65 A$25.08
-54.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.2 Q 391
$85.2 A$121
-39.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.97 Q 60.9
$11.09 A$15.76
-28.13%
Cappuccino
$3.58 Q 27.37
$3.90 A$5.54
-8.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 Q 10.90
$2.85 A$4.05
-49.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 Q 8.69
$2.31 A$3.29
-50.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 Q 25.51
$7.53 A$10.70
-55.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.28 Q 40.34
$8.59 A$12.20
-38.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 Q 16.03
$1.76 A$2.50
19.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.34 Q 25.52
$2.81 A$3.99
18.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 Q 15.53
$2.24 A$3.19
-9.38%
Eggs
$2.44 Q 18.64
$5.02 A$7.14
-51.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.08 Q 46.46
$9.87 A$14.02
-38.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.95 Q 76.0
$9.32 A$13.24
6.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Q 93.2
$14.86 A$21.13
-17.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.04 Q 30.85
$3.82 A$5.42
5.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 Q 15.39
$2.92 A$4.16
-31.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.46 Q 34.08
$3.13 A$4.46
42.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.71 Q 13.04
$4.81 A$6.83
-64.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 Q 14.45
$2.80 A$3.98
-32.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 Q 16.50
$2.38 A$3.38
-9.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 Q 5.77
$2.37 A$3.37
-68.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 Q 9.37
$1.65 A$2.35
-25.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 Q 29.44
$39.13 A$55.6
-90.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.28 Q 63.3
$13.93 A$19.80
-40.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Q 17.85
$4.96 A$7.05
-52.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 Q 24.82
$5.17 A$7.35
-37.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.29 Q 9.87
$2.42 A$3.44
-46.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.89 Q 83.2
$94.6 A$134
-88.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.33 Q 40.71
$3.49 A$4.97
52.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 Q 13.08
$1.60 A$2.27
6.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.49 Q 80.1
$39.84 A$56.6
-73.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 Q 10.44
$1.39 A$1.97
-1.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K Q 163.4K
$30.0K A$42.7K
-28.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K Q 187.1K
$25.8K A$36.6K
-4.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$70.2 Q 537
$205 A$291
-65.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.89 Q 244
$28.33 A$40.27
12.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4 Q 393
$58.8 A$83.5
-12.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.60 Q 295
$55.7 A$79.1
-30.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 Q 117
$19.57 A$27.82
-21.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 Q 50.9
$15.38 A$21.86
-56.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$350 Q 2,671
$2,145 A$3,049
-83.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,517 Q 57.4K
$18.3K A$26.1K
-59.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.37 Q 354
$78.3 A$111
-40.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6 Q 387
$56.3 A$80.0
-10.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 Q 808
$115 A$164
-8.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 Q 824
$123 A$175
-12.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$828 Q 6,327
$1,591 A$2,261
-47.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$515 Q 3,939
$1,293 A$1,837
-60.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,558 Q 11.9K
$2,524 A$3,588
-38.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$880 Q 6,728
$2,005 A$2,850
-56.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 Q 17.5K
$8,751 A$12.4K
-73.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,158 Q 8,849
$6,260 A$8,898
-81.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$660 Q 5,040
$3,984 A$5,663
-83.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.62
5.93
95.95%

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

Last update for Guatemala: October 27, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$515
Australia
$1.3K 151% $777
Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$298
Australia
$374 25.6% $76
Eating Out
Guatemala
$169
Australia
$297 75.4% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$154
Australia
$292 90.3% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$140
Australia
$168 20.1% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$52
Australia
$86 66.4% $34
Getting Around
Guatemala
$30
Australia
$116 287% $86

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $698 in Guatemala vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $816 in Guatemala City and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $741 in Guatemala vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 98% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 65% more in Australia.

Public transport is 664% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Guatemala
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
21:25 9:25 PM
14:25 2:25 PM
17 h ahead of Guatemala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,263,239
26,473,055
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.53 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guatemala Australia 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guatemala
  • Australia

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 vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Guatemala?
Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 48% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $698 in Guatemala.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Guatemala – part of why living there is about 48% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Australia or in Guatemala?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Guatemala?
Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Guatemala vs other spots: cost of living compared

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