Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Guatemala

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,352 a month against $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,453
/mo nomad
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,352
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Guatemala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in the United Kingdom versus $1,352 in Guatemala.

  • United Kingdom $2,453
  • Guatemala $1,352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in the United Kingdom versus $2,108 in Guatemala.

  • United Kingdom $3,548
  • Guatemala $2,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,643 in the United Kingdom versus $2,865 in Guatemala.

  • United Kingdom $4,643
  • Guatemala $2,865

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 82% more expensive than in Guatemala on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 82% above, Guatemala 0% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 £15.62
$7.87 Q 60.1
164.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.3 £64.7
$49.36 Q 377
74.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.76 £8.07
$8.09 Q 61.9
33.00%
Cappuccino
$4.87 £3.65
$3.60 Q 27.55
35.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 £1.91
$1.37 Q 10.47
86.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 £1.39
$1.15 Q 8.83
60.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.75 £5.06
$3.29 Q 25.14
105.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.49 £4.87
$5.36 Q 41.00
21.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.23
$2.04 Q 15.63
-19.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 £1.24
$3.29 Q 25.12
-49.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.63
$2.06 Q 15.77
5.34%
Eggs
$4.02 £3.01
$2.46 Q 18.83
63.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.40 £7.05
$5.98 Q 45.76
57.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.99 £6.74
$9.92 Q 75.9
-9.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.55 £10.92
$12.39 Q 94.7
17.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 £2.17
$4.14 Q 31.65
-29.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.96 Q 14.98
-18.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 £2.08
$4.37 Q 33.43
-36.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$1.66 Q 12.72
104.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 £1.34
$1.84 Q 14.08
-3.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$2.15 Q 16.47
-24.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 £0.92
$0.82 Q 6.24
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$1.21 Q 9.23
37.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$4.01 Q 30.65
490.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.67 £8.00
$8.34 Q 63.7
27.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.30
$2.33 Q 17.81
31.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.50
$3.11 Q 23.79
7.07%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.34 £2.51
$1.98 Q 15.16
68.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 £77.1
$14.19 Q 109
623.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.44 £4.08
$5.17 Q 39.53
5.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.36 £1.77
$1.72 Q 13.18
37.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.17 £19.63
$10.66 Q 81.5
145.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.46
$1.33 Q 10.16
46.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.5K
$21.4K Q 163.3K
77.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$24.6K Q 188.1K
65.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £236
$71.0 Q 543
343.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.41
$31.74 Q 243
-43.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.77 £32.09
$51.3 Q 392
-16.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.93 £33.71
$41.40 Q 317
8.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.98 £13.49
$15.49 Q 118
16.07%
Cinema Ticket
$13.06 £9.80
$6.60 Q 50.5
97.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,753 £1,315
$356 Q 2,722
392.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.5K £16.9K
$7,545 Q 57.7K
198.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.4 £67.8
$47.46 Q 363
90.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.49 £34.13
$49.39 Q 378
-7.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 £75.9
$106 Q 811
-4.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.4
$106 Q 812
-4.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,339 £1,005
$834 Q 6,378
60.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,096 £822
$504 Q 3,851
117.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 £1,615
$1,578 Q 12.1K
36.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 £1,275
$903 Q 6,903
88.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,551 £4,165
$2,306 Q 17.6K
140.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,374 £3,282
$1,122 Q 8,581
289.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Guatemala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,324 £2,494
$641 Q 4,899
418.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
11.62
-54.22%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Guatemala
$504 54.1% $593
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$375
Guatemala
$154 58.9% $221
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$322
Guatemala
$168 47.9% $154
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$303
Guatemala
$297 2.2% $6.8
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$153
Guatemala
$139 8.8% $13
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$133
Guatemala
$36 73.1% $97
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$71
Guatemala
$55 23.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,252 in the United Kingdom, $174 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $2,869 in London vs $828 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $3,228 in the United Kingdom, $745 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 620% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 77% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 8600% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 333% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇬🇹 Guatemala
🕒 Local time
02:03 2:03 AM
19:03 7:03 PM
7 h behind the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
17,263,239
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United Kingdom Guatemala 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United Kingdom
  • Guatemala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
United Kingdom vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Guatemala or the United Kingdom?
At $1,352 per month in Guatemala and $2,453 in the United Kingdom, there's a 82% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Guatemala or the United Kingdom?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Guatemala: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Guatemala and the United Kingdom?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,252 in the United Kingdom and $174 in Guatemala. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in Guatemala compared to the United Kingdom?
In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Guatemala and in the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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