Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Guatemala versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Guatemala versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,826 in Guatemala versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Guatemala is roughly 17% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guatemala 39% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 Q 60.6

$2.90 ¥19.44

173.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.57 Q 378

$22.13 ¥148

123.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 Q 60.9

$5.31 ¥35.61

50.28%

Cappuccino

$3.59 Q 27.40

$2.99 ¥20.06

20.07%

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

$1.51 Q 11.49

$0.48 ¥3.21

214.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 Q 8.64

$0.30 ¥2.03

276.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 Q 24.83

$1.02 ¥6.83

218.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 Q 39.79

$2.21 ¥14.83

136.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.53

$1.74 ¥11.67

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 Q 23.61

$1.68 ¥11.24

83.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 Q 14.84

$0.96 ¥6.43

103.13%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 18.97

$1.54 ¥10.35

61.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 Q 55.9

$13.51 ¥90.7

-45.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 Q 77.3

$3.48 ¥23.35

191.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Q 92.2

$11.34 ¥76.1

6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 Q 30.78

$1.88 ¥12.59

114.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 Q 17.21

$1.29 ¥8.68

75.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 Q 33.64

$1.52 ¥10.18

190.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 Q 12.97

$1.27 ¥8.54

33.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Q 13.94

$0.72 ¥4.84

154.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Q 17.08

$0.88 ¥5.90

154.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Q 6.05

$0.61 ¥4.06

29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.27

$0.55 ¥3.72

121.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 Q 29.18

$3.73 ¥25.04

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 60.9

$11.87 ¥79.6

-32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Q 17.94

$0.90 ¥6.04

161.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 Q 23.53

$1.68 ¥11.28

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 Q 12.59

$0.29 ¥1.94

468.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.13 Q 108

$22.23 ¥149

-36.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 Q 39.75

$1.52 ¥10.18

242.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 Q 13.28

$0.37 ¥2.49

370.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.53 Q 80.3

$7.33 ¥49.17

43.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 Q 9.01

$1.22 ¥8.20

-3.28%

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

$21.3K Q 162.4K

$19.3K ¥129.5K

10.25%

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

$24.6K Q 187.8K

$17.1K ¥114.9K

43.77%

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

$68.5 Q 522

$53.8 ¥361

27.38%

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

$33.49 Q 255

$8.71 ¥58.5

284.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 Q 404

$10.93 ¥73.3

384.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.03 Q 328

$40.74 ¥273

5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 Q 120

$14.53 ¥97.5

8.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 Q 47.98

$6.55 ¥43.93

-3.97%

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

$357 Q 2,721

$457 ¥3,066

-21.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,656 Q 58.4K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-60.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.40 Q 339

$45.62 ¥306

-2.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 Q 385

$35.90 ¥241

40.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 Q 780

$76.1 ¥511

34.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Q 868

$76.4 ¥513

48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 Q 6,569

$385 ¥2,582

123.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 Q 4,158

$239 ¥1,603

128.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 Q 12.3K

$840 ¥5,634

92.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 Q 6,945

$484 ¥3,246

88.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 Q 17.4K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-50.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 Q 8,807

$2,266 ¥15.2K

-49.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 Q 4,773

$1,065 ¥7,147

-41.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

3.47

234.87%

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

Last update for Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $177 in Guatemala, $294 in China. Capital cities: $828 in Guatemala City vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $691 in Guatemala, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 66% higher in China.

Dining out costs 119% more in Guatemala.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 25% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $677 in Guatemala, there's a 26% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guatemala: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Guatemala across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.