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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Guatemala City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.23 Q 39.87

149.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$50.9 Q 388

5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.24 Q 47.54

55.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.31 Q 25.19

12.99%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.22 Q 9.26

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.93 Q 7.09

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.33 Q 25.37

-3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.48 Q 34.15

5.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.05 Q 15.59

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.17 Q 24.12

-13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.05 Q 15.62

-8.78%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.54 Q 19.33

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.77 Q 59.2

31.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.59 Q 65.5

-3.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.59 Q 88.3

1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.58 Q 27.28

-15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.52 Q 11.57

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.15 Q 23.98

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.84 Q 14.04

8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.77 Q 13.46

17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.36 Q 18.00

-3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.74 Q 5.61

97.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.22 Q 9.31

-11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.66 Q 27.88

18.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.11 Q 61.8

109.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.59 Q 12.15

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.53 Q 19.24

41.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.27 Q 9.69

-69.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$13.43 Q 102

39.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$5.19 Q 39.53

-74.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.60 Q 4.54

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$15.92 Q 121

-67.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.08 Q 8.21

24.07%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.6K Q 149.6K

-1.15%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$24.8K Q 189.2K

-4.05%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$80.4 Q 612

-49.37%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$26.23 Q 200

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$48.76 Q 372

-37.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$48.46 Q 369

8.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$24.54 Q 187

8.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.16 Q 54.5

-9.08%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$249 Q 1,895

72.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,758 Q 43.9K

82.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$51.0 Q 388

12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$53.3 Q 406

-14.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$119 Q 903

-12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$120 Q 912

-9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$717 Q 5,464

39.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$429 Q 3,269

45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,372 Q 10.5K

53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$760 Q 5,791

60.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,016 Q 15.4K

92.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,093 Q 8,327

85.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$862 Q 6,566

20.42%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $717 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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 $51.0 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $277 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 20% 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.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $717 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 $51.0 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 $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Guatemala City – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,456 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 $1,211 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 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.