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: $787 in Guatemala versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Guatemala versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,707 in Guatemala versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Guatemala is roughly 11% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guatemala 41% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Guatemala: monthly costs span $112 to $1,267, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Guatemala.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 Q 45.37

$2.81 ¥18.98

111.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$23.30 ¥158

118.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 Q 49.29

$5.01 ¥33.87

29.14%

Cappuccino

$3.52 Q 26.83

$3.01 ¥20.38

16.94%

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

$1.31 Q 10.01

$0.45 ¥3.03

191.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 Q 7.63

$0.29 ¥1.97

244.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 Q 24.95

$0.95 ¥6.41

244.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 Q 40.02

$2.05 ¥13.87

156.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.44

$1.76 ¥11.87

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 Q 20.43

$1.62 ¥10.98

65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 Q 13.92

$0.95 ¥6.45

92.63%

Eggs

$2.26 Q 17.22

$1.56 ¥10.55

44.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 Q 56.3

$13.06 ¥88.3

-43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 Q 61.9

$3.28 ¥22.17

147.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 Q 73.2

$10.65 ¥72.0

-9.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 Q 27.12

$1.78 ¥12.03

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Q 12.33

$1.24 ¥8.42

30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 Q 24.89

$1.50 ¥10.12

118.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.57

$1.15 ¥7.79

32.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 Q 11.40

$0.75 ¥5.07

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 Q 14.09

$0.86 ¥5.81

115.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Q 6.00

$0.62 ¥4.17

27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Q 8.43

$0.56 ¥3.81

98.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 Q 29.40

$3.51 ¥23.76

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 Q 63.2

$11.66 ¥78.9

-28.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Q 14.32

$0.80 ¥5.40

135.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Q 21.92

$1.66 ¥11.25

73.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 Q 7.77

$0.43 ¥2.93

137.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.81 Q 97.6

$20.86 ¥141

-38.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 Q 26.99

$1.37 ¥9.26

158.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 Q 77.4

$6.63 ¥44.82

53.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 Q 8.15

$1.14 ¥7.69

-6.14%

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

$18.1K Q 137.8K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

-5.74%

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

$22.4K Q 170.8K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

33.69%

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

$58.7 Q 447

$51.2 ¥346

14.70%

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

$28.61 Q 218

$10.16 ¥68.7

181.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 Q 400

$11.51 ¥77.9

355.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.54 Q 339

$40.53 ¥274

9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 Q 198

$15.05 ¥102

72.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 Q 48.26

$6.10 ¥41.26

3.77%

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

$262 Q 1,995

$402 ¥2,719

-34.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,973 Q 60.8K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-54.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 Q 395

$45.57 ¥308

13.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 Q 390

$33.26 ¥225

53.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 Q 741

$72.6 ¥491

33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Q 788

$74.5 ¥503

38.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 Q 5,071

$429 ¥2,903

54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 Q 3,321

$257 ¥1,739

69.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 Q 10.0K

$895 ¥6,055

47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 Q 5,293

$541 ¥3,660

28.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,252 Q 17.2K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-55.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,126 Q 8,582

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 Q 4,438

$1,055 ¥7,132

-44.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.71

4.06

114.53%

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

Last update for Guatemala: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $218 in Guatemala, $286 in China. Capital cities: $716 in Guatemala City vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $698 in Guatemala, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in China.

Dining out costs 62% more in Guatemala.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 23% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $690 in Guatemala, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Guatemala is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.