For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,352 a month against $1,804 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,352 in Guatemala versus $1,804 in Italy.
Guatemala $1,352
Italy $1,804
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,108 in Guatemala versus $2,778 in Italy.
Guatemala $2,108
Italy $2,778
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,865 in Guatemala versus $3,752 in Italy.
Guatemala $2,865
Italy $3,752
🌍
Living in Guatemala costs about 25% less than in Italy on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Guatemala 0% above, Italy 34% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.87Q 60.1
$19.89€17.70
-60.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.36Q 377
$77.0€68.5
-35.89%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.09Q 61.9
$11.00€9.78
-26.45%
Cappuccino
$3.60Q 27.55
$1.99€1.77
80.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37Q 10.47
$2.96€2.63
-53.72%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15Q 8.83
$1.41€1.25
-18.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.29Q 25.14
$5.60€4.98
-41.25%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36Q 41.00
$5.67€5.05
-5.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.04Q 15.63
$1.61€1.43
26.71%
White Bread(500g)
$3.29Q 25.12
$2.30€2.05
43.04%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.06Q 15.77
$2.99€2.66
-31.10%
Eggs
$2.46Q 18.83
$4.06€3.61
-39.41%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.98Q 45.76
$17.23€15.33
-65.29%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.92Q 75.9
$12.68€11.28
-21.77%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.39Q 94.7
$20.36€18.11
-39.15%
Apples(1kg)
$4.14Q 31.65
$2.54€2.26
62.99%
Banana(1kg)
$1.96Q 14.98
$2.15€1.91
-8.84%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.37Q 33.43
$2.56€2.28
70.70%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.66Q 12.72
$3.22€2.86
-48.45%
Potato(1kg)
$1.84Q 14.08
$1.92€1.70
-4.17%
Onion(1kg)
$2.15Q 16.47
$1.84€1.64
16.85%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.82Q 6.24
$1.51€1.34
-45.70%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21Q 9.23
$0.55€0.49
120.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01Q 30.65
$6.81€6.06
-41.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.34Q 63.7
$8.03€7.15
3.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33Q 17.81
$1.72€1.53
35.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11Q 23.79
$2.37€2.11
31.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.98Q 15.16
$1.88€1.67
5.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$14.19Q 109
$43.31€38.52
-67.24%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.17Q 39.53
$5.57€4.95
-7.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.72Q 13.18
$1.63€1.45
5.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.66Q 81.5
$33.78€30.04
-68.44%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33Q 10.16
$2.04€1.81
-34.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4KQ 163.3K
$35.6K€31.7K
-40.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6KQ 188.1K
$35.4K€31.5K
-30.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$71.0Q 543
$222€198
-68.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.74Q 243
$11.43€10.17
177.69%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.3Q 392
$30.65€27.26
67.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.40Q 317
$52.7€46.89
-21.47%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.49Q 118
$23.82€21.19
-34.97%
Cinema Ticket
$6.60Q 50.5
$10.51€9.35
-37.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$356Q 2,722
$541€481
-34.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,545Q 57.7K
$11.7K€10.4K
-35.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.46Q 363
$90.0€80.0
-47.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.39Q 378
$39.08€34.76
26.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$106Q 811
$101€90.2
4.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106Q 812
$132€117
-19.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$834Q 6,378
$805€716
3.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$504Q 3,851
$619€550
-18.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,578Q 12.1K
$1,388€1,235
13.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$903Q 6,903
$1,050€934
-14.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,306Q 17.6K
$3,623€3,223
-36.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,122Q 8,581
$2,229€1,983
-49.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$641Q 4,899
$1,889€1,680
-66.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.62
3.56
226.40%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026
Last update for Italy: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$504 37.3%
Italy
$619 34.3% ↑ 22.8%$115
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$297 21.9%
Italy
$347 19.2% ↑ 17%$50
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$168 12.4%
Italy
$273 15.1% ↑ 62.7%$105
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$154 11.4%
Italy
$265 14.7% ↑ 71.7%$110
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$139 10.3%
Italy
$163 9% ↑ 17.3%$24
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$55 4%
Italy
$74 4.1% ↑ 35.1%$19
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$36 2.7%
Italy
$65 3.6% ↑ 79.7%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$903 31.5%
Italy
$1K 28% ↑ 16.3%$147
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$688 24%
Italy
$821 21.9% ↑ 19.3%$133
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$578 20.2%
Italy
$939 25% ↑ 62.5%$361
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$186 6.5%
Italy
$276 7.4% ↑ 48.5%$90
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$309 10.8%
Italy
$362 9.7% ↑ 17.3%$53
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$125 4.4%
Italy
$171 4.6% ↑ 37.4%$47
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$76 2.7%
Italy
$133 3.5% ↑ 75.3%$57
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $174 in Guatemala, $721 in Italy. Capital cities: $828 in Guatemala City vs $1,222 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $745 in Guatemala, $1,888 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 314% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 55% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 4000% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 153% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Guatemala or Italy?
At $1,352 per month in Guatemala and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 33% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Guatemala or Italy?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Guatemala: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Guatemala and Italy?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $721 in Italy and $174 in Guatemala. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in Guatemala compared to Italy?
In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Guatemala and in Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.