Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Antigua Guatemala

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,269 in Antigua Guatemala, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Antigua Guatemala
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Antigua Guatemala Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Antigua Guatemala

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Antigua Guatemala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lima and in Antigua Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,269 in Antigua Guatemala.

Lima $996
Antigua Guatemala $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,123 in Antigua Guatemala.

Lima $1,594
Antigua Guatemala $2,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,977 in Antigua Guatemala.

Lima $2,191
Antigua Guatemala $2,977

Living in Lima costs roughly 22% less than in Antigua Guatemala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Antigua Guatemala 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$6.63 Q 50.7

-33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$51.7 Q 395

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$7.64 Q 58.4

-10.47%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$3.41 Q 26.08

-4.11%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$1.15 Q 8.81

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.93 Q 7.14

-30.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$3.23 Q 24.69

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$4.63 Q 35.41

-3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$2.04 Q 15.60

-22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$3.11 Q 23.78

-17.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.93 Q 14.76

-29.53%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.44 Q 18.65

20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$5.48 Q 41.88

66.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$9.20 Q 70.3

-36.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$10.54 Q 80.6

-6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$3.79 Q 28.97

-46.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.64 Q 12.55

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$2.83 Q 21.62

-51.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.67 Q 12.75

-11.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.53 Q 11.67

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.74 Q 13.27

-51.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.67 Q 5.16

31.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.19 Q 9.10

-26.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$3.86 Q 29.49

52.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$8.02 Q 61.3

9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.74 Q 13.30

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.58 Q 19.74

24.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.58 Q 19.75

-73.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$4.56 Q 34.81

-16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$10.49 Q 80.2

-31.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.28 Q 9.82

28.91%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$22.8K Q 174.4K

-2.81%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$21.8K Q 166.8K

17.60%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$57.0 Q 436

28.07%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$28.77 Q 220

-43.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$45.71 Q 349

-39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$41.18 Q 315

-19.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$28.13 Q 215

-30.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$6.51 Q 49.73

13.52%

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

$182 PEN 624

$338 Q 2,585

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$6,808 Q 52.0K

95.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$43.44 Q 332

20.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$48.13 Q 368

-28.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$92.1 Q 704

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$79.5 Q 608

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$884 Q 6,757

-18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$518 Q 3,960

-34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$1,900 Q 14.5K

-37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$1,195 Q 9,129

-46.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$2,963 Q 22.6K

-17.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,198 Q 9,155

14.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$609 Q 4,655

7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.62

-23.06%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Antigua Guatemala

$518 41.3% 52.4% $178

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Antigua Guatemala

$267 21.2% 17.8% $40

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Antigua Guatemala

$151 12% 21.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Antigua Guatemala

$132 10.5% 12.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Antigua Guatemala

$118 9.4% 5.5% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Antigua Guatemala

$54 4.3% 13.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Antigua Guatemala

$15 * 1.2% 65.8% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $884 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $267 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

46,054

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.56 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Antigua Guatemala 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Antigua Guatemala

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

Lima vs Antigua Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,269 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $884 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $338 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,269 in Antigua Guatemala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lima and Antigua Guatemala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.