Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,288 in Santiago versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,020 in Santiago versus $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,752 in Santiago versus $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Santiago is roughly 1% more expensive than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 4% lower, Antigua Guatemala 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 CLP 9,983

$5.19 Q 39.54

106.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

$53.3 Q 406

2.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,601

$6.35 Q 48.41

28.50%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 2,941

$3.42 Q 26.05

-7.60%

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

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$1.19 Q 9.07

49.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,162

$0.97 Q 7.39

28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 3,086

$3.92 Q 29.89

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 CLP 3,946

$4.69 Q 35.72

-9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,101

$1.91 Q 14.54

-38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 CLP 1,429

$3.18 Q 24.20

-51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,031

$1.59 Q 12.09

37.11%

Eggs

$4.19 CLP 3,898

$2.53 Q 19.31

65.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 CLP 9,913

$7.46 Q 56.9

42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 CLP 6,135

$8.45 Q 64.4

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

$10.18 Q 77.6

9.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 CLP 1,947

$3.65 Q 27.81

-42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,440

$1.52 Q 11.56

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CLP 1,923

$3.15 Q 24.02

-34.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,730

$1.59 Q 12.11

16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,820

$1.75 Q 13.34

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,514

$1.77 Q 13.47

-7.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,194

$0.73 Q 5.59

75.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,160

$1.20 Q 9.15

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 CLP 5,359

$3.56 Q 27.15

61.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 CLP 6,051

$8.07 Q 61.5

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,452

$1.67 Q 12.77

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CLP 2,308

$2.51 Q 19.16

-1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 788

$2.05 Q 15.61

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 477

$4.71 Q 35.93

-89.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CLP 1,351

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

$15.77 Q 120

-28.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CLP 1,290

$1.11 Q 8.49

25.23%

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

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

$19.4K Q 148.1K

0.61%

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

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

$22.5K Q 171.5K

0.26%

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

$134 CLP 124.6K

$49.84 Q 380

168.40%

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

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

$26.09 Q 199

-47.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

$49.09 Q 374

-55.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

$40.22 Q 307

-13.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

$27.79 Q 212

-23.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 CLP 5,857

$7.24 Q 55.2

-13.12%

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

$436 CLP 406.4K

$249 Q 1,894

75.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

$5,856 Q 44.6K

49.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

$47.36 Q 361

16.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

$54.0 Q 412

-40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

$100 Q 764

-22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

$85.9 Q 655

-0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 CLP 479.3K

$880 Q 6,705

-41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 CLP 430.1K

$551 Q 4,199

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 920.7K

$2,034 Q 15.5K

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 856.6K

$1,260 Q 9,607

-27.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

$3,046 Q 23.2K

-5.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

$1,205 Q 9,189

128.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$803 CLP 747.6K

$544 Q 4,144

47.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

8.5

-39.06%

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

Last update for Santiago: July 11, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Santiago and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Santiago vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $266, with Santiago 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

Santiago vs Antigua Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,288 vs $1,281 including rent). Antigua Guatemala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Santiago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Santiago versus $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $249 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 Antigua Guatemala – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $55.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,288 in Santiago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Antigua Guatemala but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Antigua Guatemala 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, Santiago 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 Antigua Guatemala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.