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: $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,341 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,947 in Santiago versus $2,199 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Santiago versus $3,057 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 8% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 10% lower, Antigua Guatemala 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

$6.98 Q 53.2

54.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 CLP 49.2K

$51.7 Q 394

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 CLP 8,516

$7.71 Q 58.8

18.68%

Cappuccino

$3.38 CLP 3,149

$3.44 Q 26.21

-1.74%

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

$1.74 CLP 1,619

$1.11 Q 8.50

56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,221

$0.85 Q 6.48

54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 CLP 4,005

$3.29 Q 25.13

30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CLP 4,599

$4.84 Q 36.93

2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,272

$2.02 Q 15.38

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CLP 1,727

$2.92 Q 22.31

-36.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,572

$1.64 Q 12.51

3.05%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,848

$2.53 Q 19.30

63.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 CLP 10.6K

$5.50 Q 41.98

107.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,312

$9.14 Q 69.7

-25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 10.6K

$10.28 Q 78.4

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 CLP 1,868

$3.93 Q 29.97

-48.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,533

$1.69 Q 12.90

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,624

$2.81 Q 21.44

-37.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$1.59 Q 12.16

11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CLP 1,041

$1.53 Q 11.66

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CLP 1,499

$1.72 Q 13.10

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 CLP 1,229

$0.74 Q 5.66

78.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,047

$1.15 Q 8.75

-2.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 CLP 5,224

$4.00 Q 30.52

40.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 CLP 5,833

$8.05 Q 61.4

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CLP 1,488

$1.81 Q 13.78

-11.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CLP 2,335

$2.68 Q 20.47

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 777

$2.04 Q 15.59

-59.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 CLP 39.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 CLP 384

$4.57 Q 34.88

-91.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 CLP 828

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 CLP 11.3K

$10.38 Q 79.2

17.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CLP 1,478

$1.21 Q 9.26

31.40%

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

$18.3K CLP 17.1M

$23.0K Q 175.6K

-20.31%

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

$22.5K CLP 20.9M

$21.7K Q 165.7K

3.45%

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

$155 CLP 144.1K

$63.5 Q 484

144.08%

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

$13.12 CLP 12.2K

$29.10 Q 222

-54.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 CLP 19.4K

$44.90 Q 343

-53.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 CLP 32.5K

$51.1 Q 390

-31.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 CLP 11.6K

$27.29 Q 208

-54.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 CLP 7,151

$6.23 Q 47.51

23.43%

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

$456 CLP 424.0K

$337 Q 2,573

35.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CLP 10.6M

$6,794 Q 51.8K

67.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CLP 49.5K

$44.45 Q 339

19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 CLP 28.1K

$47.21 Q 360

-36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 CLP 65.2K

$93.0 Q 709

-24.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 CLP 79.4K

$90.1 Q 687

-5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 516.8K

$908 Q 6,924

-38.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 CLP 361.7K

$570 Q 4,349

-31.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CLP 1.0M

$2,002 Q 15.3K

-45.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 CLP 760.8K

$1,266 Q 9,659

-35.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 CLP 2.5M

$2,968 Q 22.6K

-9.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,689 CLP 2.5M

$1,183 Q 9,027

127.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$836 CLP 777.9K

$540 Q 4,122

54.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.62

-53.61%

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

Last update for Santiago: August 30, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $908 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Santiago vs $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $263, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,233 vs $1,341 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $555 in Santiago versus $908 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Santiago versus $337 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 Santiago – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,341 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago 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 Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.