Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $2,416 in Los Banos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,416

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Banos, CA and in Guatemala City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,347 in Guatemala City.

Los Banos, CA $2,416
Guatemala City $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,028 in Guatemala City.

Los Banos, CA $3,466
Guatemala City $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,516 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,710 in Guatemala City.

Los Banos, CA $4,516
Guatemala City $2,710

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 $14.83

$7.76 Q 59.3

91.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$49.88 Q 381

101.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.72 Q 59.0

27.98%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.31 Q 25.28

55.59%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.17 Q 8.98

117.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.01 Q 7.75

93.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.18 Q 24.29

146.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.71 Q 36.00

74.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.08 Q 15.88

-50.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.11 Q 23.78

4.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.12 Q 16.19

43.40%

Eggs

$1.68 $1.68

$2.44 Q 18.68

-31.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$6.19 Q 47.28

33.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$9.64 Q 73.7

-21.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$13.48 Q 103

-7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.98 Q 30.43

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.65 Q 12.58

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.83 Q 21.66

-0.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.63 Q 12.48

68.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.53 Q 11.70

86.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.18 Q 16.63

13.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.69 Q 5.26

230.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.17 Q 8.94

118.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$4.01 Q 30.62

173.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.08 Q 61.7

71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.79 Q 13.71

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.68 Q 20.46

-49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.01 Q 7.69

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 $52.4

$11.11 Q 84.9

372.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$5.17 Q 39.48

-49.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 $35.57

$10.66 Q 81.5

233.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.37 Q 10.47

3.65%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$27.1K Q 207.4K

13.21%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.9K Q 190.7K

7.18%

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

$217 $217

$73.1 Q 559

197.15%

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

$44.11 $44.11

$29.48 Q 225

49.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 $87.3

$45.73 Q 349

90.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 $44.88

$38.04 Q 291

17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 Q 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$6.57 Q 50.2

125.88%

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

$2,511 $2,511

$338 Q 2,582

643.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$15.8K Q 120.8K

65.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.84 $23.84

$49.96 Q 382

-52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.35 $22.35

$47.37 Q 362

-52.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.0 $52.0

$119 Q 908

-56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.1 $61.1

$111 Q 845

-44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$835 Q 6,383

91.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$538 Q 4,114

134.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 $2,744

$1,568 Q 12.0K

74.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 $1,924

$823 Q 6,292

133.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,823 $2,823

$2,041 Q 15.6K

38.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,367 $2,367

$1,099 Q 8,398

115.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,492 $6,492

$846 Q 6,463

667.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

11.62

-44.32%

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

Last update for Los Banos, CA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 52.2%

Guatemala City

$538 40% 57.3% $724

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Banos, CA

$349 14.4%

Guatemala City

$148 11% 57.5% $200

Groceries & Markets

Los Banos, CA

$305 12.6%

Guatemala City

$283 21% 7.2% $22

Eating Out

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.7%

Guatemala City

$159 11.8% 43.9% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Los Banos, CA

$75 3.1%

Guatemala City

$51 3.8% 31.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Los Banos, CA

$72 3%

Guatemala City

$147 10.9% 105% $75

Getting Around

Los Banos, CA

$71 2.9%

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5% 71.3% $51

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 $1,598 in Los Banos, CA and $835 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Los Banos, CA vs $50 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $283 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

2 h ahead of Los Banos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,972

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.54 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

GTQ to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Los Banos, CA Guatemala City 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Banos, CA
Guatemala City

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

Los Banos, CA vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Los Banos, CA is about 7.7 times higher, 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: $1,598 in Los Banos, CA versus $835 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $50 versus $100 in Los Banos, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,416 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,347 in Guatemala City – Guatemala City is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Guatemala City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.