Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasadena, CA and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,347 a month against $3,658 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
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Pasadena, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,658

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,658 in Pasadena, CA versus $1,347 in Guatemala City.

Pasadena, CA $3,658
Guatemala City $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,156 in Pasadena, CA versus $2,028 in Guatemala City.

Pasadena, CA $5,156
Guatemala City $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,654 in Pasadena, CA versus $2,710 in Guatemala City.

Pasadena, CA $6,654
Guatemala City $2,710

Living in Pasadena, CA is roughly 172% more expensive than in Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$7.76 Q 59.3

133.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$49.88 Q 381

52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 $10.04

$7.72 Q 59.0

30.05%

Cappuccino

$4.77 $4.77

$3.31 Q 25.28

44.11%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$1.17 Q 8.98

145.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.01 Q 7.75

54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.18 Q 24.29

56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.71 Q 36.00

24.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.08 Q 15.88

-34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.11 Q 23.78

22.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.12 Q 16.19

39.15%

Eggs

$5.21 $5.21

$2.44 Q 18.68

113.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$6.19 Q 47.28

119.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$9.64 Q 73.7

41.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$13.48 Q 103

-9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.98 Q 30.43

13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.65 Q 12.58

35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.83 Q 21.66

54.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.63 Q 12.48

206.13%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.53 Q 11.70

198.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.18 Q 16.63

14.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.69 Q 5.26

179.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.17 Q 8.94

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$4.01 Q 30.62

197.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 $10.92

$8.08 Q 61.7

35.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.79 Q 13.71

-9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.68 Q 20.46

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.01 Q 7.69

76.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 $52.6

$11.11 Q 84.9

373.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$5.17 Q 39.48

-21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$7.34 $7.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.65 $23.65

$10.66 Q 81.5

121.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.37 Q 10.47

16.79%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.1K Q 207.4K

2.18%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.9K Q 190.7K

4.06%

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

$251 $251

$73.1 Q 559

243.11%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$29.48 Q 225

110.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$45.73 Q 349

40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$38.04 Q 291

-34.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.75 $34.75

$12.79 Q 97.8

171.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 $12.15

$6.57 Q 50.2

84.93%

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

$3,827 $3,827

$338 Q 2,582

1032.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$15.8K Q 120.8K

156.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.86 $30.86

$49.96 Q 382

-38.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 $34.32

$47.37 Q 362

-27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 $73.1

$119 Q 908

-38.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$111 Q 845

23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,001 $3,001

$835 Q 6,383

259.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,327 $2,327

$538 Q 4,114

332.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,829 $4,829

$1,568 Q 12.0K

207.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,724 $3,724

$823 Q 6,292

352.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,139 $9,139

$2,041 Q 15.6K

347.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,980 $8,980

$1,099 Q 8,398

717.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,298 $5,298

$846 Q 6,463

526.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

11.62

-45.52%

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

Last update for Pasadena, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasadena, CA

$2.3K 63.6%

Guatemala City

$538 40% 76.9% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$394 10.8%

Guatemala City

$283 21% 28.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$377 10.3%

Guatemala City

$148 11% 60.7% $229

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$287 7.8%

Guatemala City

$159 11.8% 44.5% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$124 3.4%

Guatemala City

$147 10.9% 18.9% $23

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$100 2.8%

Guatemala City

$20 * 1.5% 79.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$49 1.3%

Guatemala City

$51 3.8% 4.3% $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 $3,001 in Pasadena, CA and $835 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasadena, CA pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Pasadena, CA vs $50 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $283 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

2 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.58 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

GTQ to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA Guatemala City 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, 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

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

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA is about 6.3 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: $3,001 in Pasadena, 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 $76 in Pasadena, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,658 per month in Pasadena, CA versus $1,347 in Guatemala City – Guatemala City is about 63% 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 work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value at $1,347 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 63% less than in Pasadena, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.