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: $842 in Guatemala versus $1,260 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Guatemala versus $2,019 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,826 in Guatemala versus $2,777 in Mexico.

Living in Guatemala costs about 33% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guatemala 39% lower, Mexico 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 Q 60.6

$11.94 MX$203

-33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.57 Q 378

$46.71 MX$793

6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 Q 60.9

$10.16 MX$173

-21.46%

Cappuccino

$3.59 Q 27.40

$3.88 MX$65.9

-7.47%

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

$1.51 Q 11.49

$1.58 MX$26.90

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 Q 8.64

$1.11 MX$18.79

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 Q 24.83

$2.92 MX$49.56

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 Q 39.79

$4.82 MX$81.8

8.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.53

$1.77 MX$30.11

15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 Q 23.61

$3.04 MX$51.7

1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 Q 14.84

$1.93 MX$32.82

1.04%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 18.97

$2.69 MX$45.61

-7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 Q 55.9

$9.76 MX$166

-24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 Q 77.3

$8.70 MX$148

16.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Q 92.2

$12.54 MX$213

-3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 Q 30.78

$3.12 MX$53.0

29.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 Q 17.21

$1.75 MX$29.78

29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 Q 33.64

$2.22 MX$37.73

98.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 Q 12.97

$2.14 MX$36.31

-20.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Q 13.94

$2.20 MX$37.29

-16.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Q 17.08

$2.09 MX$35.55

7.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Q 6.05

$1.53 MX$26.00

-48.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.27

$1.23 MX$20.83

-0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 Q 29.18

$4.72 MX$80.2

-18.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 60.9

$11.54 MX$196

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Q 17.94

$1.82 MX$30.99

29.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 Q 23.53

$3.45 MX$58.6

-10.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 Q 12.59

$0.69 MX$11.78

139.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.13 Q 108

$29.26 MX$497

-51.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 Q 39.75

$2.88 MX$48.83

80.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 Q 13.28

$2.87 MX$48.73

-39.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.53 Q 80.3

$11.76 MX$200

-10.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 Q 9.01

$1.49 MX$25.26

-20.81%

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

$21.3K Q 162.4K

$22.4K MX$381.1K

-5.15%

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

$24.6K Q 187.8K

$26.1K MX$442.9K

-5.59%

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

$68.5 Q 522

$74.6 MX$1,267

-8.21%

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

$33.49 Q 255

$25.21 MX$428

32.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 Q 404

$31.40 MX$533

68.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.03 Q 328

$39.89 MX$678

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 Q 120

$19.08 MX$324

-17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 Q 47.98

$5.62 MX$95.4

11.92%

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

$357 Q 2,721

$282 MX$4,787

26.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,656 Q 58.4K

$6,767 MX$114.9K

13.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.40 Q 339

$60.5 MX$1,027

-26.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 Q 385

$44.67 MX$759

12.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 Q 780

$105 MX$1,782

-2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Q 868

$97.9 MX$1,663

16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 Q 6,569

$766 MX$13.0K

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 Q 4,158

$494 MX$8,386

10.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 Q 12.3K

$1,413 MX$24.0K

14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 Q 6,945

$954 MX$16.2K

-4.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 Q 17.4K

$2,695 MX$45.8K

-15.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 Q 8,807

$1,570 MX$26.7K

-26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 Q 4,773

$835 MX$14.2K

-25.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

11.43

1.66%

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

Last update for Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $177 in Guatemala, $672 in Mexico. Capital cities: $828 in Guatemala City vs $1,134 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $691 in Guatemala, $784 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 280% higher in Mexico.

Public transport is 1200% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 13% higher in Mexico, 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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $677 per month in Guatemala and $1,836 in Mexico, there's a 171% 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 Mexico 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 Mexico 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; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.