Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,285 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,084 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,127 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,520 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,969 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas costs roughly 50% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 51% lower, Antigua Guatemala 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 Q 19.68

$5.23 Q 39.90

-50.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.61 Q 119

$52.8 Q 402

-70.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 Q 47.10

$6.47 Q 49.32

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$3.40 Q 25.92

$3.39 Q 25.84

0.29%

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

$1.23 Q 9.39

$1.22 Q 9.33

0.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 Q 6.90

$0.93 Q 7.13

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 Q 25.57

$3.91 Q 29.80

-14.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 Q 34.26

$4.66 Q 35.50

-3.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Q 8.11

$1.91 Q 14.57

-44.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 Q 11.87

$3.08 Q 23.46

-49.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.50 Q 3.78

$1.62 Q 12.36

-69.14%

Eggs

$1.60 Q 12.21

$2.58 Q 19.64

-37.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 Q 60.4

$7.35 Q 56.1

7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 Q 63.6

$8.47 Q 64.6

-1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 Q 65.6

$10.40 Q 79.3

-17.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Q 25.69

$3.63 Q 27.67

-7.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.66

$1.51 Q 11.49

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.01

$3.14 Q 23.90

0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 Q 8.67

$1.58 Q 12.04

-27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 Q 10.78

$1.78 Q 13.55

-20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 Q 8.60

$1.76 Q 13.43

-35.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Q 4.05

$0.69 Q 5.24

-23.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Q 5.79

$1.23 Q 9.37

-38.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 Q 27.04

$3.67 Q 28.00

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 Q 61.5

$8.16 Q 62.2

-1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 Q 12.21

$1.63 Q 12.40

-1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 Q 19.07

$2.40 Q 18.32

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 Q 14.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 Q 40.25

$4.56 Q 34.78

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.62 Q 119

$15.86 Q 121

-1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 Q 8.54

$1.12 Q 8.56

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

$19.8K Q 150.7K

$19.2K Q 146.3K

3.01%

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

$25.1K Q 191.1K

$22.7K Q 173.3K

10.31%

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

$81.3 Q 620

$49.19 Q 375

65.32%

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

$26.01 Q 198

$26.48 Q 202

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.67 Q 196

$48.70 Q 371

-47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 Q 311

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.94 Q 213

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 Q 53.6

$7.21 Q 55.0

-2.50%

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

$105 Q 804

$244 Q 1,860

-56.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,756 Q 43.9K

$5,850 Q 44.6K

-1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 Q 383

$47.53 Q 362

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 Q 410

$52.4 Q 400

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 Q 892

$99.5 Q 758

17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 914

$85.0 Q 648

41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 Q 6,645

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 Q 4,250

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 Q 15.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 Q 1,413

$1,245 Q 9,495

-85.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,997 Q 22.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 Q 9,091

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$555 Q 4,234

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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: July 27, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $16.00 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $266 per month, with Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs Antigua Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($648 vs $1,285 including rent). Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $972 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $1,927 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 $105 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $244 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,285 in Antigua Guatemala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.