Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,234 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,935 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,637 in Guatemala City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 19% more expensive than Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Guatemala City is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.34 Q 40.67

146.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$49.37 Q 376

9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.50 Q 49.52

44.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.41 Q 25.95

4.11%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.17 Q 8.89

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.96 Q 7.33

15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.36 Q 25.57

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.49 Q 34.23

3.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.08 Q 15.86

-18.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$3.13 Q 23.88

-13.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.11 Q 16.11

-9.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.56 Q 19.53

-0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.93 Q 60.4

26.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.65 Q 65.9

-6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.63 Q 88.6

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.67 Q 27.99

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.52 Q 11.60

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.01 Q 22.92

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.76 Q 13.39

15.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.71 Q 13.03

23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.27 Q 17.27

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.74 Q 5.62

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.24 Q 9.41

-8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.63 Q 27.62

17.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.12 Q 61.9

91.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.59 Q 12.13

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.49 Q 18.94

44.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.29 Q 9.81

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$13.64 Q 104

40.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$5.30 Q 40.37

-73.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.59 Q 4.51

-52.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$15.50 Q 118

-64.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.08 Q 8.19

20.37%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$19.7K Q 150.4K

-5.38%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$24.6K Q 187.5K

-6.02%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$81.7 Q 622

-49.99%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.82 Q 204

-0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$49.40 Q 376

-39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$49.18 Q 375

5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$24.66 Q 188

8.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.37 Q 56.1

-14.52%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$247 Q 1,884

76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$5,695 Q 43.4K

82.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$50.8 Q 387

11.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$53.6 Q 408

-17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$116 Q 881

-10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$122 Q 931

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$716 Q 5,451

42.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$429 Q 3,269

47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,376 Q 10.5K

55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$770 Q 5,866

61.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,024 Q 15.4K

92.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,096 Q 8,349

88.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$857 Q 6,531

30.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.9

27.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $716 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $49.00 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $278 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 30% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $716 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 $49.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,234 in Guatemala City – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,234 in Guatemala City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,234 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.