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: $1,270 in Santiago versus $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santiago versus $2,111 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Santiago versus $2,955 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs are close between Santiago and Antigua Guatemala; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 5% lower, Antigua Guatemala 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 CLP 9,698

$5.12 Q 39.04

113.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

$53.2 Q 405

-0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 7,367

$6.49 Q 49.49

27.89%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CLP 2,762

$3.40 Q 25.90

-8.53%

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

$1.79 CLP 1,587

$1.22 Q 9.31

46.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CLP 1,144

$0.92 Q 6.98

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 CLP 2,829

$3.87 Q 29.46

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 CLP 3,897

$4.60 Q 35.08

-4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,061

$1.94 Q 14.79

-38.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 CLP 1,409

$3.08 Q 23.47

-48.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 1,931

$1.64 Q 12.52

32.93%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,671

$2.55 Q 19.45

62.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 CLP 9,456

$7.65 Q 58.3

39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 CLP 5,748

$8.47 Q 64.6

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 CLP 9,579

$10.28 Q 78.3

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,779

$3.65 Q 27.85

-45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,450

$1.56 Q 11.91

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 CLP 1,891

$3.08 Q 23.47

-30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,630

$1.65 Q 12.59

11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,734

$1.76 Q 13.39

10.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CLP 1,487

$1.73 Q 13.15

-2.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 CLP 1,147

$0.74 Q 5.65

74.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$1.23 Q 9.34

-3.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 CLP 4,935

$3.61 Q 27.50

54.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 CLP 6,010

$7.98 Q 60.8

-15.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,365

$1.69 Q 12.87

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CLP 2,195

$2.42 Q 18.48

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 754

$1.97 Q 15.03

-56.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 445

$4.67 Q 35.60

-89.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

$15.37 Q 117

-23.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,215

$1.12 Q 8.52

22.32%

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

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

$19.6K Q 149.4K

0.16%

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

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

$22.1K Q 168.2K

2.35%

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

$133 CLP 118.4K

$48.43 Q 369

175.45%

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

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

$26.09 Q 199

-47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

$48.90 Q 373

-55.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

$40.38 Q 308

-16.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

$27.77 Q 212

-24.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 CLP 5,817

$7.31 Q 55.7

-10.40%

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

$436 CLP 387.1K

$246 Q 1,878

77.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

$5,834 Q 44.5K

47.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

$46.64 Q 355

17.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

$53.6 Q 409

-38.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

$101 Q 771

-24.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

$83.8 Q 639

-0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 CLP 460.6K

$879 Q 6,701

-40.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 CLP 415.5K

$556 Q 4,237

-15.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

$2,010 Q 15.3K

-49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CLP 787.7K

$1,247 Q 9,503

-28.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

$2,985 Q 22.8K

-3.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

$1,222 Q 9,312

137.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 CLP 784.5K

$539 Q 4,104

64.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Santiago and $879 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53.0 in Santiago vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $267 per month, with Santiago 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

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

Santiago pays 64% more on average, 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: $519 in Santiago versus $879 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $246 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santiago pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,270 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.

It comes down to priorities – Antigua Guatemala wins on affordability, Santiago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.