Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panajachel and Chiquimula

For one person, living is cheaper in Panajachel: $745 a month against $819 in Chiquimula, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. The total is higher in Chiquimula despite lower rent and utilities.

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Panajachel

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$745

/mo nomad

Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panajachel and in Chiquimula

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

A single person spends $745 per month in Panajachel vs $819 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Panajachel $745
Chiquimula $819

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Panajachel vs $1,360 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Panajachel $1,242
Chiquimula $1,360

A family of three spends $1,739 per month in Panajachel vs $1,901 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Panajachel $1,739
Chiquimula $1,901

Panajachel is about 9% cheaper than Chiquimula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panajachel and Chiquimula are more affordable than the global median – Panajachel 45% lower, Chiquimula 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 Q 52.6

$9.09 Q 69.5

-24.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 Q 378

$52.4 Q 400

-5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 Q 60.4

$8.42 Q 64.3

-6.06%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.13

$3.98 Q 30.41

-14.07%

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

$1.16 Q 8.84

$2.17 Q 16.57

-46.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$1.47 Q 11.24

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.30

$3.97 Q 30.35

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 Q 36.03

$5.92 Q 45.25

-20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 Q 16.01

$2.04 Q 15.62

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 Q 23.56

$3.62 Q 27.68

-14.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.28

$1.98 Q 15.17

7.58%

Eggs

$2.35 Q 17.94

$2.43 Q 18.55

-3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 Q 48.35

$5.30 Q 40.48

19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 Q 72.9

$14.22 Q 109

-32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 Q 103

$10.44 Q 79.7

28.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Q 28.92

$4.79 Q 36.57

-21.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.64

$2.25 Q 17.21

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 Q 21.68

$5.15 Q 39.39

-44.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.46

$1.59 Q 12.17

2.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.70

$1.88 Q 14.36

-18.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 Q 15.90

$1.76 Q 13.47

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 Q 5.19

$1.35 Q 10.31

-49.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Q 8.91

$1.32 Q 10.08

-11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 Q 30.75

$3.85 Q 29.40

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 Q 63.0

$7.70 Q 58.8

7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 Q 13.07

$2.83 Q 21.65

-39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Q 20.80

$3.63 Q 27.77

-25.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 Q 39.60

$4.53 Q 34.63

14.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 Q 81.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 Q 10.25

$1.28 Q 9.81

4.69%

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

$27.1K Q 206.7K

$23.1K Q 176.8K

16.95%

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

$25.2K Q 192.9K

$21.9K Q 167.6K

15.06%

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

$72.7 Q 555

$57.1 Q 436

27.27%

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

$29.08 Q 222

$38.72 Q 296

-24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.40 Q 347

$62.9 Q 480

-27.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 Q 48.88

$8.06 Q 61.6

-20.60%

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

$338 Q 2,584

$538 Q 4,113

-37.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,571 Q 50.2K

$14.0K Q 107.2K

-53.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 Q 376

$44.99 Q 344

9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.06 Q 360

$54.2 Q 414

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 Q 881

$90.4 Q 691

27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 846

$80.2 Q 613

38.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

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

Last update for Panajachel: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiquimula: November 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Panajachel versus $52 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $326 – making Panajachel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Panajachel

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

Same time as Panajachel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,142

79,815

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Panajachel Chiquimula 170 km

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Panajachel
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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

Panajachel vs Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiquimula is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,117 per month in Panajachel and $1,228 in Chiquimula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Panajachel and $52 in Chiquimula. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chiquimula, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Panajachel has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $745 in Panajachel to $819 in Chiquimula. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.