Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,352 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala
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Guatemala Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,352

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,352 in Guatemala versus $2,701 in the United States.

Guatemala $1,352
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,108 in Guatemala versus $3,980 in the United States.

Guatemala $2,108
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,865 in Guatemala versus $5,258 in the United States.

Guatemala $2,865
United States $5,258

Living in Guatemala costs about 50% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Guatemala 0% above, the United States 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 Q 60.1

$19.92 $19.92

-60.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.36 Q 377

$81.0 $81.0

-39.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 Q 61.9

$12.07 $12.07

-32.97%

Cappuccino

$3.60 Q 27.55

$5.55 $5.55

-35.14%

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

$1.37 Q 10.47

$2.67 $2.67

-48.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Q 8.83

$2.09 $2.09

-44.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 Q 25.14

$5.96 $5.96

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 Q 41.00

$7.76 $7.76

-30.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.63

$1.05 $1.05

94.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 Q 25.12

$3.55 $3.55

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 Q 15.77

$4.64 $4.64

-55.60%

Eggs

$2.46 Q 18.83

$4.18 $4.18

-41.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.98 Q 45.76

$12.76 $12.76

-53.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 Q 75.9

$12.63 $12.63

-21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.39 Q 94.7

$17.22 $17.22

-28.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 Q 31.65

$5.15 $5.15

-19.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 Q 14.98

$1.64 $1.64

19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 Q 33.43

$4.46 $4.46

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.72

$4.98 $4.98

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.08

$2.84 $2.84

-35.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 Q 16.47

$3.09 $3.09

-30.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 Q 6.24

$2.19 $2.19

-62.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.23

$2.27 $2.27

-46.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.65

$10.61 $10.61

-62.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 Q 63.7

$14.71 $14.71

-43.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Q 17.81

$2.10 $2.10

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 Q 23.79

$3.82 $3.82

-18.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 Q 15.16

$2.35 $2.35

-15.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.19 Q 109

$64.1 $64.1

-77.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 Q 39.53

$3.57 $3.57

44.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 Q 13.18

$1.85 $1.85

-7.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.5

$30.19 $30.19

-64.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$1.07 $1.07

24.30%

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

$21.4K Q 163.3K

$35.3K $35.3K

-39.47%

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

$24.6K Q 188.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

-5.03%

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

$71.0 Q 543

$217 $217

-67.22%

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

$31.74 Q 243

$61.4 $61.4

-48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 Q 392

$74.4 $74.4

-31.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 Q 317

$45.08 $45.08

-8.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 Q 118

$23.07 $23.07

-32.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 Q 50.5

$14.79 $14.79

-55.38%

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

$356 Q 2,722

$1,480 $1,480

-75.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,545 Q 57.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-70.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.46 Q 363

$53.0 $53.0

-10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.39 Q 378

$42.75 $42.75

15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 Q 811

$94.3 $94.3

12.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 Q 812

$115 $115

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 Q 6,378

$1,678 $1,678

-50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 Q 3,851

$1,313 $1,313

-61.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 Q 12.1K

$2,649 $2,649

-40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 Q 6,903

$2,183 $2,183

-58.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 Q 17.6K

$3,374 $3,374

-31.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,122 Q 8,581

$2,661 $2,661

-57.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 Q 4,899

$4,404 $4,404

-85.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.55

77.40%

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

Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala

$504 37.3%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 161% $810

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala

$297 21.9%

United States

$411 15.2% 38.5% $114

Eating Out

Guatemala

$168 12.4%

United States

$327 12.1% 94.7% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala

$154 11.4%

United States

$352 13% 129% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala

$139 10.3%

United States

$137 5.1% 1.2% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala

$55 4%

United States

$75 2.8% 36.7% $20

Getting Around

Guatemala

$36 2.7%

United States

$86 3.2% 140% $50

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $174 in Guatemala, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $828 in Guatemala City vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $745 in Guatemala, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 825% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 60% more in the United States.

Public transport is 2600% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 508% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h ahead of Guatemala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,263,239

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

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Between locations

Guatemala United States 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,352 per month in Guatemala and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 100% 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 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $174 in Guatemala. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.