Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chimaltenango Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chimaltenango

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $756 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $755 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,240 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,248 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,724 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,741 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chimaltenango have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chimaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 45% lower, Chimaltenango 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 Q 53.1

$6.88 Q 52.4

1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 Q 384

$48.56 Q 370

3.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 Q 60.6

$7.87 Q 60.0

1.02%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.03

$3.35 Q 25.50

2.09%

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

$1.11 Q 8.45

$1.14 Q 8.70

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 Q 6.42

$0.83 Q 6.33

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 Q 24.61

$3.36 Q 25.58

-3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 Q 35.44

$4.78 Q 36.41

-2.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 Q 16.08

$2.03 Q 15.51

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 Q 21.85

$2.81 Q 21.43

2.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.23

$2.11 Q 16.05

0.95%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 18.98

$2.58 Q 19.68

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Q 47.92

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 Q 70.1

$9.17 Q 69.9

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 Q 103

$13.16 Q 100

2.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 Q 30.54

$4.02 Q 30.68

-0.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.66

$1.66 Q 12.62

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.90

$2.92 Q 22.29

-1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.53

$1.61 Q 12.24

1.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 Q 11.70

$1.50 Q 11.42

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.94

$2.09 Q 15.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Q 5.68

$0.68 Q 5.20

10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.24

$1.20 Q 9.16

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 Q 31.39

$4.00 Q 30.50

3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.5

$8.30 Q 63.2

-2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Q 13.10

$1.81 Q 13.79

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.70

$2.65 Q 20.16

-2.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 Q 40.29

$5.31 Q 40.48

-0.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 Q 80.1

$10.40 Q 79.3

1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 Q 9.32

$1.21 Q 9.25

0.83%

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

$27.8K Q 212.0K

$27.8K Q 211.9K

0.06%

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

$25.3K Q 192.9K

$25.1K Q 191.3K

0.81%

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

$75.6 Q 576

$75.3 Q 574

0.46%

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

$29.40 Q 224

$29.05 Q 221

1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.14 Q 352

$46.31 Q 353

-0.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 Q 49.26

$6.45 Q 49.17

0.16%

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

$347 Q 2,645

$335 Q 2,556

3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Q 50.3K

$6,800 Q 51.8K

-2.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 Q 359

$46.59 Q 355

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 Q 357

$47.52 Q 362

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Q 847

$111 Q 846

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$115 Q 875

-3.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $49.00 in Chimaltenango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $278 – making Chimaltenango the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,133 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $1,132 in Chimaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $49.00 in Chimaltenango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $755 in Chimaltenango, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chimaltenango – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chimaltenango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.