Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetzaltenango: $1,148 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Quetzaltenango
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Quetzaltenango Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Quetzaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,148

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quetzaltenango and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Quetzaltenango $1,148
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Quetzaltenango versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Quetzaltenango $1,444
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Quetzaltenango versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Quetzaltenango $1,741
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Quetzaltenango costs roughly 57% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quetzaltenango is 15% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 Q 51.9

$20.77 $20.77

-67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.64 Q 380

$84.6 $84.6

-41.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 Q 58.6

$12.32 $12.32

-37.82%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Q 24.91

$5.63 $5.63

-42.10%

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

$1.15 Q 8.77

$3.72 $3.72

-69.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 Q 6.97

$2.50 $2.50

-63.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 Q 25.60

$8.05 $8.05

-58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 Q 35.65

$9.01 $9.01

-48.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 Q 15.36

$1.12 $1.12

79.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 Q 20.33

$3.75 $3.75

-29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.30

$3.26 $3.26

-34.66%

Eggs

$2.51 Q 19.16

$4.17 $4.17

-39.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 Q 49.23

$12.90 $12.90

-50.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 Q 60.9

$14.16 $14.16

-43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 Q 98.3

$16.22 $16.22

-20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 Q 21.90

$4.33 $4.33

-33.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Q 13.02

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 Q 22.30

$4.51 $4.51

-35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.55

$4.34 $4.34

-62.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 Q 11.81

$2.58 $2.58

-39.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Q 16.71

$2.35 $2.35

-6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.31

$1.78 $1.78

-61.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.10

$2.22 $2.22

-46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 Q 25.64

$9.88 $9.88

-66.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 Q 61.9

$15.08 $15.08

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Q 13.18

$2.92 $2.92

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 Q 20.70

$3.46 $3.46

-21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 Q 39.38

$2.73 $2.73

88.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 Q 13.22

$1.66 $1.66

4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.56 Q 80.8

$35.30 $35.30

-70.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 Q 10.57

$0.95 $0.95

45.26%

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

$27.5K Q 210.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.60%

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

$25.3K Q 193.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.64%

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

$72.7 Q 556

$229 $229

-68.23%

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

$13.06 Q 99.9

$59.4 $59.4

-78.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.29 Q 354

$69.9 $69.9

-33.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.89 Q 251

$57.2 $57.2

-42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 Q 48.54

$14.28 $14.28

-55.53%

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

$342 Q 2,611

$1,506 $1,506

-77.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,757 Q 51.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-68.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 Q 382

$52.8 $52.8

-5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 Q 356

$43.82 $43.82

6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Q 844

$84.8 $84.8

30.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 Q 857

$103 $103

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 Q 3,037

$1,907 $1,907

-79.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 Q 3,046

$1,274 $1,274

-68.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

6.79

71.13%

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

Last update for Quetzaltenango: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quetzaltenango

$398 34.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 220% $876

Groceries & Markets

Quetzaltenango

$264 23%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 53.5% $141

Eating Out

Quetzaltenango

$151 13.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 135% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Quetzaltenango

$144 12.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 10.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quetzaltenango

$132 11.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 171% $226

Sport & Entertainment

Quetzaltenango

$46 4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 88.2% $40

Getting Around

Quetzaltenango

$14 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 325% $45

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 $397 in Quetzaltenango and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Quetzaltenango vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $405 per month, with Quetzaltenango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

1 h ahead of Quetzaltenango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

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Between locations

Quetzaltenango Austin, TX 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Quetzaltenango
Austin, TX

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

Quetzaltenango vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetzaltenango wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quetzaltenango the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,722 in Quetzaltenango and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $397 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quetzaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.