Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $787 in Guatemala versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Guatemala versus $1,791 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,707 in Guatemala versus $2,461 in Mexico.

Living in Guatemala costs about 30% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guatemala 41% lower, Mexico 16% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $701 to $2,382, compared to $112–$1,267 in Guatemala. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 Q 45.37

$10.51 MX$182

-43.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$41.93 MX$725

21.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 Q 49.29

$7.84 MX$136

-17.47%

Cappuccino

$3.52 Q 26.83

$3.42 MX$59.2

2.92%

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

$1.31 Q 10.01

$1.32 MX$22.83

-0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 Q 7.63

$0.98 MX$16.98

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 Q 24.95

$2.36 MX$40.81

38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 Q 40.02

$4.27 MX$73.8

22.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.44

$1.51 MX$26.15

34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 Q 20.43

$2.66 MX$45.95

0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 Q 13.92

$1.70 MX$29.46

7.65%

Eggs

$2.26 Q 17.22

$2.35 MX$40.66

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 Q 56.3

$8.40 MX$145

-12.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 Q 61.9

$7.55 MX$131

7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 Q 73.2

$10.84 MX$187

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 Q 27.12

$2.72 MX$47.13

30.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Q 12.33

$1.51 MX$26.08

7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 Q 24.89

$1.92 MX$33.26

70.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.57

$1.80 MX$31.14

-15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 Q 11.40

$2.03 MX$35.07

-26.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 Q 14.09

$1.99 MX$34.49

-7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Q 6.00

$1.31 MX$22.71

-39.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Q 8.43

$1.06 MX$18.26

4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 Q 29.40

$4.26 MX$73.7

-9.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 Q 63.2

$11.56 MX$200

-28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Q 14.32

$1.58 MX$27.25

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Q 21.92

$3.03 MX$52.3

-4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 Q 7.77

$0.61 MX$10.48

67.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.81 Q 97.6

$26.28 MX$455

-51.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 Q 26.99

$2.69 MX$46.54

31.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MX$33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 Q 77.4

$10.64 MX$184

-4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 Q 8.15

$1.32 MX$22.91

-18.94%

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

$18.1K Q 137.8K

$20.1K MX$346.9K

-9.86%

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

$22.4K Q 170.8K

$23.4K MX$405.5K

-4.39%

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

$58.7 Q 447

$62.4 MX$1,080

-5.98%

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

$28.61 Q 218

$23.27 MX$403

22.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 Q 400

$28.56 MX$494

83.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.54 Q 339

$34.68 MX$600

28.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 Q 198

$18.65 MX$323

39.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 Q 48.26

$4.69 MX$81.1

34.97%

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

$262 Q 1,995

$249 MX$4,308

5.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,973 Q 60.8K

$5,774 MX$99.9K

38.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 Q 395

$52.3 MX$904

-0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 Q 390

$40.31 MX$697

26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 Q 741

$93.0 MX$1,609

4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Q 788

$87.6 MX$1,515

18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 Q 5,071

$639 MX$11.1K

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 Q 3,321

$448 MX$7,743

-2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 Q 10.0K

$1,226 MX$21.2K

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 Q 5,293

$870 MX$15.0K

-20.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,252 Q 17.2K

$2,628 MX$45.5K

-14.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,126 Q 8,582

$1,563 MX$27.0K

-27.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 Q 4,438

$825 MX$14.3K

-29.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.71

11.45

-23.93%

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

Last update for Guatemala: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $218 in Guatemala, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $716 in Guatemala City vs $1,022 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $698 in Guatemala, $772 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 143% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 15% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 11% higher in Mexico, giving Guatemala 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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $690 per month in Guatemala and $1,542 in Mexico, there's a 124% 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 Mexico 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 Mexico, 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; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.