Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,146 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,038 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,441 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,721 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,736 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,403 in Colima.

Living in Quetzaltenango is roughly 10% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quetzaltenango 17% lower, Colima 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 Q 52.7

$7.97 MX$135

-13.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.00 Q 374

$35.99 MX$612

36.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 Q 60.0

$7.61 MX$129

3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.48 Q 26.51

$2.40 MX$40.76

45.00%

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

$1.11 Q 8.46

$1.12 MX$19.07

-0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 Q 6.91

$0.96 MX$16.27

-5.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 Q 24.41

$2.28 MX$38.79

40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 Q 36.80

$2.67 MX$45.35

80.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 Q 15.81

$1.53 MX$26.00

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 Q 19.63

$2.88 MX$48.86

-10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 Q 15.49

$1.53 MX$26.01

32.68%

Eggs

$2.57 Q 19.57

$2.58 MX$43.79

-0.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 Q 47.32

$9.09 MX$154

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 Q 61.6

$9.03 MX$154

-10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 Q 98.6

$11.00 MX$187

17.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 Q 21.74

$3.14 MX$53.4

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.19

$1.65 MX$27.99

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 Q 21.39

$2.48 MX$42.06

13.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Q 12.25

$2.74 MX$46.62

-41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 Q 11.42

$2.48 MX$42.07

-39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 Q 15.98

$2.62 MX$44.47

-19.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.65

$1.54 MX$26.09

-51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.15

$1.18 MX$20.05

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 Q 24.52

$3.94 MX$67.0

-18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 Q 61.3

$8.69 MX$148

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.29

$1.69 MX$28.73

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 Q 20.52

$1.98 MX$33.60

35.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$12.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.00 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 Q 40.19

$2.73 MX$46.36

93.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 Q 13.35

$2.97 MX$50.4

-41.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 Q 81.2

$17.40 MX$296

-38.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 Q 9.64

$1.49 MX$25.28

-15.44%

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

$27.4K Q 208.8K

$22.4K MX$381.4K

21.99%

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

$25.3K Q 192.8K

$24.0K MX$407.5K

5.46%

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

$75.1 Q 572

$71.1 MX$1,208

5.61%

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

$13.24 Q 101

$22.15 MX$376

-40.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.12 Q 352

$32.84 MX$558

40.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.25 Q 246

$38.89 MX$661

-17.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 MX$401

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 Q 49.81

$4.98 MX$84.6

31.12%

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

$345 Q 2,631

$160 MX$2,720

115.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,776 Q 51.7K

$2,716 MX$46.1K

149.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.66 Q 363

$46.85 MX$796

1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.43 Q 362

$30.98 MX$526

53.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 Q 831

$83.6 MX$1,421

30.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 Q 865

$108 MX$1,839

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 Q 2,977

$281 MX$4,778

38.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 Q 3,014

$289 MX$4,915

36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$6,816

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 MX$5,282

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

11.3

2.83%

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

Last update for Quetzaltenango: August 30, 2026

Last update for Colima: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Quetzaltenango and $281 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Quetzaltenango vs $36.00 in Colima. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $278, with Quetzaltenango cheaper for home cooking.

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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetzaltenango and Colima differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,146 vs $1,038 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,720 in Quetzaltenango and $1,557 in Colima 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: $390 in Quetzaltenango versus $281 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in Quetzaltenango versus $160 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Colima – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $49.00 in Quetzaltenango. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Colima versus $1,146 in Quetzaltenango, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Quetzaltenango. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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.

Safety-wise, Quetzaltenango and Colima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Quetzaltenango. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.