For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,358 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,358 in Guatemala versus $1,775 in Spain.
Guatemala $1,358
Spain $1,775
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,099 in Guatemala versus $2,606 in Spain.
Guatemala $2,099
Spain $2,606
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,840 in Guatemala versus $3,438 in Spain.
Guatemala $2,840
Spain $3,438
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $931 to $2,610, compared to $743–$1,342 in Guatemala. City choice carries more weight in Spain.
🌍
Living in Guatemala costs about 24% less than in Spain on average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09Q 61.8
$16.69€14.95
-51.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.2Q 391
$55.7€49.88
-8.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.97Q 60.9
$11.37€10.18
-29.90%
Cappuccino
$3.58Q 27.37
$2.42€2.16
47.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43Q 10.90
$2.68€2.40
-46.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14Q 8.69
$1.79€1.60
-36.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.34Q 25.51
$3.42€3.07
-2.34%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.28Q 40.34
$3.88€3.47
36.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.10Q 16.03
$1.20€1.07
75.00%
White Bread(500g)
$3.34Q 25.52
$1.48€1.33
125.68%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.03Q 15.53
$1.67€1.50
21.56%
Eggs
$2.44Q 18.64
$3.42€3.06
-28.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.08Q 46.46
$14.17€12.69
-57.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.95Q 76.0
$8.33€7.46
19.45%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.19Q 93.2
$16.20€14.51
-24.75%
Apples(1kg)
$4.04Q 30.85
$2.45€2.20
64.90%
Banana(1kg)
$2.01Q 15.39
$2.03€1.82
-0.99%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.46Q 34.08
$2.08€1.86
114.42%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.71Q 13.04
$2.58€2.31
-33.72%
Potato(1kg)
$1.89Q 14.45
$1.83€1.64
3.28%
Onion(1kg)
$2.16Q 16.50
$2.00€1.79
8.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.75Q 5.77
$1.31€1.17
-42.75%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23Q 9.37
$0.77€0.69
59.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85Q 29.44
$6.36€5.70
-39.47%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.28Q 63.3
$5.64€5.05
46.81%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34Q 17.85
$1.30€1.17
80.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25Q 24.82
$2.09€1.87
55.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.29Q 9.87
$1.64€1.47
-21.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.89Q 83.2
$32.91€29.48
-66.91%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.33Q 40.71
$4.43€3.96
20.32%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71Q 13.08
$1.47€1.31
16.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.49Q 80.1
$24.98€22.38
-58.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.37Q 10.44
$1.77€1.59
-22.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4KQ 163.4K
$35.5K€31.8K
-39.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5KQ 187.1K
$30.6K€27.4K
-20.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$70.2Q 537
$149€134
-52.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.89Q 244
$17.67€15.83
80.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4Q 393
$31.88€28.55
61.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$38.60Q 295
$44.24€39.62
-12.75%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29Q 117
$15.29€13.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.67Q 50.9
$9.66€8.65
-30.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$350Q 2,671
$544€487
-35.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,517Q 57.4K
$10.6K€9,499
-29.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.37Q 354
$84.9€76.0
-45.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6Q 387
$37.11€33.24
36.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$106Q 808
$89.2€79.9
18.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108Q 824
$106€94.7
1.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$828Q 6,327
$1,056€946
-21.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$515Q 3,939
$808€723
-36.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,558Q 11.9K
$1,621€1,452
-3.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$880Q 6,728
$1,246€1,116
-29.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,295Q 17.5K
$4,135€3,704
-44.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,158Q 8,849
$2,633€2,358
-56.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$660Q 5,040
$1,999€1,790
-67.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.62
3.3
252.12%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Guatemala: October 27, 2026
Last update for Spain: October 24, 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
$515 38%
Spain
$808 45.5% ↑ 56.7%$292
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$298 21.9%
Spain
$272 15.3% ↓ 8.8%$26
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$169 12.5%
Spain
$239 13.5% ↑ 41.6%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$154 11.3%
Spain
$199 11.2% ↑ 29.5%$45
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$140 10.3%
Spain
$143 8% ↑ 2.1%$2.9
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$52 3.8%
Spain
$64 3.6% ↑ 22.4%$12
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$30 2.2%
Spain
$51 2.9% ↑ 71.1%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$880 31%
Spain
$1.2K 36.3% ↑ 41.5%$366
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$691 24.3%
Spain
$646 18.8% ↓ 6.5%$45
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$591 20.8%
Spain
$763 22.2% ↑ 29.3%$173
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$185 6.5%
Spain
$217 6.3% ↑ 16.8%$31
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$311 10.9%
Spain
$317 9.2% ↑ 2.1%$6.4
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$119 4.2%
Spain
$142 4.1% ↑ 19.5%$23
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$62 2.2%
Spain
$106 3.1% ↑ 69.3%$43
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $698 in Guatemala, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $816 in Guatemala City vs $1,508 in Madrid.
💰National salary averages: $741 in Guatemala, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 32% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 12% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 182% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are about 2.7 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Guatemala or Spain?
At $1,358 per month in Guatemala and $1,775 in Spain, Guatemala comes out about 24% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between Guatemala and Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $698 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 Spain?
In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain 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 Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Guatemala wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.