Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetzaltenango: $1,138 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Lisbon, Portugal
Quetzaltenango
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,138
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quetzaltenango and in Lisbon

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Quetzaltenango $1,138
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,443 in Quetzaltenango versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Quetzaltenango $1,443
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,747 in Quetzaltenango versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Quetzaltenango $1,747
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Quetzaltenango costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quetzaltenango is 16% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.77 Q 51.7
$16.65 €14.96
-59.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.9 Q 389
$61.7 €55.5
-17.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.68 Q 58.7
$11.36 €10.20
-32.39%
Cappuccino
$3.36 Q 25.68
$2.97 €2.67
13.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 Q 8.40
$2.29 €2.06
-51.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 Q 7.43
$1.74 €1.56
-44.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 Q 25.44
$3.40 €3.06
-2.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 Q 35.26
$3.31 €2.97
39.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 Q 16.01
$1.16 €1.04
81.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 Q 19.63
$1.91 €1.72
34.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 Q 15.68
$1.51 €1.36
35.76%
Eggs
$2.36 Q 18.05
$4.02 €3.61
-41.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.37 Q 48.68
$12.94 €11.62
-50.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.92 Q 60.5
$7.77 €6.99
1.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 Q 100
$17.76 €15.96
-26.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 Q 22.58
$2.30 €2.07
28.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 Q 13.14
$1.73 €1.56
-0.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.92 Q 22.33
$1.86 €1.67
56.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 Q 12.20
$2.59 €2.33
-38.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 Q 11.73
$1.82 €1.64
-15.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 Q 16.78
$1.97 €1.77
11.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 Q 5.65
$1.47 €1.32
-49.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 Q 8.90
$0.72 €0.65
61.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 Q 25.60
$6.58 €5.92
-49.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.04 Q 61.4
$5.61 €5.04
43.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 Q 13.57
$1.36 €1.22
30.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 Q 19.84
$2.14 €1.92
21.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.10
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.14
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.12 Q 39.11
$3.85 €3.46
32.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 Q 13.15
$1.07 €0.96
60.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.34 Q 79.0
$16.46 €14.79
-37.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 Q 10.14
$2.20 €1.98
-39.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K Q 210.6K
$34.2K €30.7K
-19.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K Q 197.5K
$38.7K €34.8K
-33.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.2 Q 551
$161 €145
-55.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.97 Q 99.1
$18.41 €16.54
-29.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.36 Q 354
$32.74 €29.41
41.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.27 Q 254
$44.55 €40.03
-25.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.16
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.34 Q 48.45
$9.60 €8.62
-33.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$342 Q 2,612
$668 €600
-48.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,808 Q 52.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
-61.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.78 Q 373
$102 €91.7
-52.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.81 Q 365
$44.46 €39.95
7.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Q 839
$98.5 €88.5
11.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 Q 853
$124 €111
-9.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$399 Q 3,051
$1,608 €1,445
-75.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$389 Q 2,970
$1,190 €1,069
-67.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,812 €2,527
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,013 €1,809
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,043
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,111
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quetzaltenango
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,415
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.62
3.85
201.82%

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

Last update for Quetzaltenango: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quetzaltenango
$389
Lisbon
$1.2K 206% $801
Groceries & Markets
Quetzaltenango
$263
Lisbon
$272 3.5% $9.1
Eating Out
Quetzaltenango
$152
Lisbon
$243 59.9% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Quetzaltenango
$143
Lisbon
$166 15.9% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quetzaltenango
$131
Lisbon
$212 61.5% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Quetzaltenango
$46
Lisbon
$64 38.7% $18
Getting Around
Quetzaltenango
$14 *
Lisbon
$63 360% $49

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 $399 in Quetzaltenango and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51 in Quetzaltenango vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $272 per month, with Quetzaltenango cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
08:04 8:04 AM
14:04 2:04 PM
6 h ahead of Quetzaltenango
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
500,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.5 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.118 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quetzaltenango Lisbon 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quetzaltenango
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Quetzaltenango and in Lisbon?
Quetzaltenango and Lisbon differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,138 vs $2,210 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Quetzaltenango compared to Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $1,707 in Quetzaltenango and $3,315 in Lisbon 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Quetzaltenango and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $399 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Quetzaltenango or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,138 per month in Quetzaltenango versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Quetzaltenango is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Quetzaltenango and Lisbon?
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.

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