Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olympia, WA and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $3,013 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Olympia, WA, United States
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Olympia, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,013
/mo nomad
Guatemala City
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olympia, WA 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 Olympia, WA and in Guatemala City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,013 in Olympia, WA versus $1,347 in Guatemala City.

  • Olympia, WA $3,013
  • Guatemala City $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,176 in Olympia, WA versus $2,028 in Guatemala City.

  • Olympia, WA $4,176
  • Guatemala City $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,338 in Olympia, WA versus $2,710 in Guatemala City.

  • Olympia, WA $5,338
  • Guatemala City $2,710

Living in Olympia, WA is roughly 124% more expensive than in Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.45 $25.45
$7.76 Q 59.3
227.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 $68.3
$49.88 Q 381
36.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.33 $12.33
$7.72 Q 59.0
59.72%
Cappuccino
$6.35 $6.35
$3.31 Q 25.28
91.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.17 Q 8.98
143.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.01 Q 7.75
66.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.20 $7.20
$3.18 Q 24.29
126.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 $6.84
$4.71 Q 36.00
45.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$2.08 Q 15.88
-47.60%
White Bread (500g)
$4.56 $4.56
$3.11 Q 23.78
46.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.12 Q 16.19
45.75%
Eggs
$5.11 $5.11
$2.44 Q 18.68
109.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.82 $17.82
$6.19 Q 47.28
187.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.44 $10.44
$9.64 Q 73.7
8.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$13.48 Q 103
21.14%
Apples (1kg)
$5.24 $5.24
$3.98 Q 30.43
31.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.65 Q 12.58
-1.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.08 $4.08
$2.83 Q 21.66
44.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$1.63 Q 12.48
181.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.53 Q 11.70
71.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.18 Q 16.63
13.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$0.69 Q 5.26
252.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.17 Q 8.94
117.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.41 $12.41
$4.01 Q 30.62
209.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.84 $14.84
$8.08 Q 61.7
83.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$1.79 Q 13.71
39.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$2.68 Q 20.46
-13.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.01 Q 7.69
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$11.11 Q 84.9
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.03 $5.03
$5.17 Q 39.48
-2.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 $2.62
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.6 $52.6
$10.66 Q 81.5
393.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.37 Q 10.47
8.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K $28.3K
$27.1K Q 207.4K
4.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$24.9K Q 190.7K
6.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 $160
$73.1 Q 559
118.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.1 $70.1
$29.48 Q 225
137.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$94.1 $94.1
$45.73 Q 349
105.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.8 $60.8
$38.04 Q 291
59.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.12 $5.12
$12.79 Q 97.8
-59.97%
Cinema Ticket
$12.19 $12.19
$6.57 Q 50.2
85.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,454 $1,454
$338 Q 2,582
330.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K $14.3K
$15.8K Q 120.8K
-9.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.82 $45.82
$49.96 Q 382
-8.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.4 $54.4
$47.37 Q 362
14.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.4 $89.4
$119 Q 908
-24.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 $100
$111 Q 845
-9.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,644 $1,644
$835 Q 6,383
96.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,652 $1,652
$538 Q 4,114
206.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,008 $3,008
$1,568 Q 12.0K
91.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,357 $2,357
$823 Q 6,292
186.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,416 $3,416
$2,041 Q 15.6K
67.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,072 $3,072
$1,099 Q 8,398
179.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Olympia, WA
Guatemala City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,877 $4,877
$846 Q 6,463
476.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
11.62
-41.39%

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

Last update for Olympia, WA: November 3, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Olympia, WA
$1.7K
Guatemala City
$538 67.4% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Olympia, WA
$419
Guatemala City
$283 32.5% $136
Eating Out
Olympia, WA
$385
Guatemala City
$159 58.6% $226
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olympia, WA
$324
Guatemala City
$148 54.3% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Olympia, WA
$130
Guatemala City
$147 12.7% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Olympia, WA
$85
Guatemala City
$51 39.9% $34
Getting Around
Olympia, WA
$18 *
Guatemala City
$20 * 11.8% $2.1

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 $1,644 in Olympia, WA and $835 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olympia, WA pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Olympia, WA vs $50 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $283 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Olympia, WA
🇬🇹 Guatemala City
🕒 Local time
14:59 2:59 PM
16:59 4:59 PM
2 h ahead of Olympia, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,605
2,450,212 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Olympia, WA Guatemala City 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Olympia, WA
  • 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
Olympia, WA vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Olympia, WA or Guatemala City?
Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Olympia, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Olympia, WA or in Guatemala City?
Average pay in Olympia, WA is about 5.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Olympia, WA compared to Guatemala City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,644 in Olympia, WA versus $835 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Olympia, WA and in Guatemala City?
Childcare runs $1,454 in Olympia, WA versus $338 in Guatemala City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Olympia, WA and in Guatemala City?
Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $50 versus $68 in Olympia, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Olympia, WA or in Guatemala City?
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.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Guatemala City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Olympia, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Olympia, WA or to Guatemala City?
It comes down to priorities – Guatemala City wins on affordability, Olympia, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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