Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $824 per month in Guatemala vs $1,676 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,316 per month in Guatemala vs $2,636 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,807 per month in Guatemala vs $3,595 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Guatemala is roughly 51% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Guatemala sits 40% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 Q 61.1

$11.06 ₡4,916

-27.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.31 Q 376

$56.5 ₡25.1K

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 Q 58.9

$10.92 ₡4,855

-29.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 Q 26.84

$4.48 ₡1,992

-21.43%

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

$1.43 Q 10.91

$2.34 ₡1,042

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 Q 8.13

$1.90 ₡843

-43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 Q 25.15

$3.31 ₡1,471

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 Q 40.35

$4.44 ₡1,975

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 Q 16.20

$2.43 ₡1,081

-12.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 Q 24.52

$3.65 ₡1,621

-11.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 Q 15.78

$2.85 ₡1,268

-27.37%

Eggs

$2.51 Q 19.12

$4.15 ₡1,844

-39.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 Q 46.50

$10.13 ₡4,504

-39.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 Q 76.1

$10.55 ₡4,690

-5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 Q 93.0

$13.81 ₡6,136

-11.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 Q 30.03

$5.12 ₡2,278

-23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Q 15.01

$1.72 ₡763

14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 Q 32.91

$3.71 ₡1,649

16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$3.40 ₡1,511

-51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Q 14.48

$3.46 ₡1,536

-45.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Q 17.06

$3.11 ₡1,384

-27.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 Q 6.22

$1.14 ₡509

-28.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.21

$2.77 ₡1,231

-56.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 Q 29.19

$5.47 ₡2,429

-29.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 Q 64.0

$16.31 ₡7,249

-48.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 Q 17.18

$2.69 ₡1,196

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 Q 24.74

$3.33 ₡1,480

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 Q 15.31

$1.12 ₡500

79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.08 Q 107

$65.7 ₡29.2K

-78.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 Q 39.22

$2.19 ₡971

135.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 Q 12.73

$2.07 ₡922

-19.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 Q 78.5

$9.41 ₡4,181

9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 Q 9.61

$1.56 ₡692

-19.23%

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

$21.5K Q 163.7K

$33.9K ₡15.1M

-36.75%

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

$24.4K Q 186.3K

$37.4K ₡16.6M

-34.66%

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

$69.4 Q 529

$96.4 ₡42.8K

-27.99%

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

$33.74 Q 257

$31.48 ₡14.0K

7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 Q 399

$59.5 ₡26.4K

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.74 Q 318

$65.9 ₡29.3K

-36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 Q 119

$22.45 ₡9,978

-30.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 Q 50.6

$8.90 ₡3,957

-25.39%

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

$357 Q 2,720

$748 ₡332.4K

-52.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,374 Q 56.2K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-42.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.94 Q 335

$76.9 ₡34.2K

-42.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 Q 380

$56.8 ₡25.2K

-12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Q 764

$133 ₡59.2K

-24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 Q 819

$107 ₡47.7K

0.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 Q 6,220

$873 ₡388.1K

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 Q 3,876

$650 ₡288.9K

-21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 Q 12.3K

$1,779 ₡790.8K

-9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 Q 6,953

$1,193 ₡530.0K

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,255 Q 17.2K

$2,452 ₡1.1M

-8.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,147 Q 8,746

$1,642 ₡729.8K

-30.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 Q 4,950

$1,059 ₡470.5K

-38.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

9.56

21.55%

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

Last update for Guatemala: September 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $176 in Guatemala vs $833 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $836 in Guatemala City and $965 in San Jose.

Average salary: $737 in Guatemala vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 373% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 15% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1500% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 49% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guatemala.

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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 129% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Guatemala, contributing to the overall 129% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.