Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Dulce and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Dulce and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Rio Dulce versus $1,271 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Rio Dulce versus $2,116 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,477 in Rio Dulce versus $2,961 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Rio Dulce costs roughly 47% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio Dulce 50% lower, Antigua Guatemala 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 Q 18.10

$5.13 Q 39.06

-53.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.61 Q 378

$52.8 Q 402

-5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 Q 48.49

$6.19 Q 47.10

2.91%

Cappuccino

$3.27 Q 24.90

$3.26 Q 24.82

0.31%

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

$0.62 Q 4.76

$1.17 Q 8.87

-47.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.47

$0.93 Q 7.12

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 Q 25.29

$3.77 Q 28.68

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 Q 35.11

$4.54 Q 34.56

1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.55

$1.95 Q 14.84

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 Q 7.77

$3.15 Q 24.01

-67.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 Q 9.98

$1.65 Q 12.58

-20.61%

Eggs

$1.92 Q 14.61

$2.48 Q 18.91

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 Q 58.6

$7.51 Q 57.2

2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 Q 63.2

$8.63 Q 65.7

-3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 Q 68.9

$10.29 Q 78.4

-12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 Q 27.68

$3.57 Q 27.15

1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 Q 4.81

$1.53 Q 11.65

-58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 Q 7.17

$3.17 Q 24.15

-70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 Q 10.08

$1.66 Q 12.61

-20.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 Q 8.04

$1.72 Q 13.10

-38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 Q 8.12

$1.70 Q 12.92

-37.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 Q 5.05

$0.73 Q 5.56

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.03

$1.23 Q 9.34

-3.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 Q 27.97

$3.57 Q 27.17

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 Q 63.8

$8.11 Q 61.7

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.60 Q 12.16

3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Q 18.42

$2.49 Q 18.95

-2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 Q 5.04

$1.97 Q 15.00

-66.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 Q 40.04

$4.57 Q 34.83

15.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.79 Q 120

$15.71 Q 120

0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.45

$1.11 Q 8.47

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

$19.7K Q 150.2K

$19.2K Q 146.4K

2.65%

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

$24.8K Q 188.5K

$22.0K Q 167.2K

12.74%

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

$22.28 Q 170

$48.52 Q 369

-54.08%

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

$26.12 Q 199

$26.44 Q 201

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 Q 363

$48.79 Q 372

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.44 Q 316

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.23 Q 215

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 Q 54.9

$7.25 Q 55.2

-0.69%

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

$249 Q 1,897

$242 Q 1,841

3.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,897 Q 44.9K

$5,916 Q 45.1K

-0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 Q 385

$46.82 Q 357

8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 408

$52.9 Q 402

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 Q 871

$98.7 Q 752

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 915

$86.0 Q 655

39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 Q 6,804

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.0 Q 587

$543 Q 4,138

-85.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 Q 15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 Q 9,735

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,067 Q 23.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 Q 9,266

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$547 Q 4,162

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

8.5

4.71%

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

Last update for Rio Dulce: June 8, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Rio Dulce vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $267 per month, with Rio Dulce cheaper across the board.

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

Rio Dulce vs Antigua Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio Dulce and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($678 vs $1,271 including rent). Rio Dulce is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,016 in Rio Dulce and $1,907 in Antigua Guatemala 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.

Childcare runs $249 in Rio Dulce versus $242 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio Dulce – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Rio Dulce versus $1,271 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rio Dulce but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Dulce 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, Rio Dulce and Antigua Guatemala 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 Rio Dulce gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.