In short: Monthly car rental in Guatemala is something you ask for, not something you can book online. Of the four rental companies whose own sites we read on 23 September 2026, Tabarini is the only one that publishes a monthly price: US$1,418 a month for a Kia Rio (taxes, insurance and unlimited mileage included, according to its rates page). That is 18.5% less than 30 daily rates, not the 30-40% often quoted. Three things break at the one-month mark: a 6,000 km monthly cap at one company, the 31-day limit on Visa’s rental-car cover, and your licence, which is only valid while your immigration status is.
This page is about renting for a month or more: what that costs, what changes compared with a short rental, and what to get in writing. It does not repeat the rest of the site:
- For a short trip, including counter tactics, which cars to pick and the rent-or-Uber calculation, see How to Save on Car Rental in Guatemala.
- For 8-day prices across 71 cars at the airport, see our June 2026 rental price data.
- For the licence question in depth, including the 1949 Geneva permit, see Driving in Guatemala on a US licence.
- For insurance law (what the Ley de Tránsito requires and what was repealed in 2025), see Car insurance in Guatemala.
Who publishes a monthly rate, and who makes you ask
| Company | Monthly rate published? | What its own site says | Mileage | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabarini Rent a Car | Yes — hour, day, week and month columns | Rates page: “Taxes and Insurance are includes in this Rates” | “Rates in US$ Unlimited Mileage” | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Guatemala Renta Autos | No — its Month column says only Contact Us | Day and week prices published; “RATES INCLUDE: DAILY RATE, THIRD PART INSURANCE AND TAX. (NO HIDDEN CHARGES)” | 300 km/day, 6,000 km/month max, Q1.00 per extra km | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Europcar Guatemala | No — advertises “Daily, weekly or monthly” | “Europcar Guatemala offers you final prices with insurance, taxes and mileage included” | Included, per that line | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Ahorrent | No — lists monthly rentals as a service | Requirements and mileage in its FAQ | “free mileage on all vehicles” | 23 Sep 2026 |
The practical meaning: for anything past a few weeks you will be emailing or phoning for a quote. Tabarini’s published table is the only public benchmark to hold that quote against.
Tabarini’s monthly table, and what the discount really is
Rates as listed on tabarini.com, retrieved 23 September 2026. All figures are US dollars. The “30 × day” and “per day” columns are our own arithmetic from the published numbers.
| Vehicle | Day | Week | Month | 30 × day | Monthly discount | Monthly rate per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Rio (manual) | 58.00 | 359.00 | 1,418.00 | 1,740.00 | 18.5% | 47.27 |
| Kia Rio LX Sedan Automatic | 66.00 | 408.00 | 1,515.00 | 1,980.00 | 23.5% | 50.50 |
| Mazda BT50 4x4 (pickup) | 85.00 | 526.00 | 2,071.00 | 2,550.00 | 18.8% | 69.03 |
| Kia Sportage | 86.00 | 529.00 | 2,076.00 | 2,580.00 | 19.5% | 69.20 |
| Hyundai H1 SVX (12-seat van) | 89.99 | 539.99 | 2,199.99 | 2,699.70 | 18.5% | 73.33 |
Three caveats before you use these numbers:
- The site contradicts itself on insurance. The rates page says insurance is included. Tabarini’s home page shows the same cars with an insurance line headed “Daily Rate Obligatory”: US$11.31 a day for the Kia Rio, US$14.13 for the BT50 and Sportage, US$14.99 for the H1. If that daily charge is added for 30 days, a Kia Rio month rises by US$339.30, to US$1,757.30. That would be more than 30 daily rates. Ask which reading applies, and get the all-in monthly total in writing.
- The page is undated. Nothing on it says when the rates were set, and the home page labels the H1 a 2019 model. Treat the table as a published reference point, not a quote.
- Deductibles are not small. On the same home page, the Kia Rio’s deductible is US$1,583.00. Paying the optional extra daily rate (another US$11.31 a day) brings it down to US$792.00. Tabarini’s insurance page explains that choosing the reduced deductible “will rise your insurance daily rate”. Over a month, that optional charge comes to US$339.30.
What this means for the “ask for the monthly rate” advice: it is still right, but the published saving is about one-fifth, not one-third. At Tabarini, a month costs about the same as 23 to 24 daily rates.
What changes when you rent for a month
1. The kilometre cap
Guatemala Renta Autos’ rental policy says: “The rental for one day includes 300 km per day and a monthly maximum of 6,000 km”, and each extra km “has a price of Q1.00”. For a month, the monthly cap is the one that matters. Tabarini (“Unlimited Mileage”), Ahorrent (“free mileage on all vehicles”) and Europcar (mileage “included”) say they have no cap. If you plan long drives, ask the company to confirm this in the contract.
2. Your card’s rental cover probably ends before the month does
This is the most expensive trap on this page. If you plan to decline the rental company’s collision waiver and rely on a credit card’s rental cover, read the card’s terms first. Visa’s published Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver terms say:
- “Rental periods of fifteen (15) consecutive days within Your country of residence, and thirty-one (31) consecutive days outside it, are both covered. (Longer rental periods, however, are not covered.)”
- Among the exclusions: “Rental periods that either exceed, or are intended to exceed, fifteen (15) consecutive days, within Your country of residence, or thirty-one (31) days outside Your country of residence”
- Also excluded: “Leases and mini leases”
Read the words “or are intended to exceed” carefully. If you book 45 days, you are not covered for the first 31 and uninsured after that. The rental is excluded from day one. And if Guatemala becomes your country of residence, the limit is 15 days, not 31.
When the benefit does apply, Visa says it is primary outside your country of residence. It also works only if you decline the rental company’s collision waiver: accepting it “will cancel out Your benefit”. Visa lists Israel, Jamaica and the Republic of Ireland/Northern Ireland as exceptions, not Guatemala. The document we read is Visa’s generic terms, dated effective 4/1/17. Your card issuer publishes its own guide, and that guide is the one that binds you.
The workable pattern for a long stay: either buy the rental company’s own coverage for the full term, or split the rental into contracts of 31 days or fewer. If you split it, return the car and sign a new agreement each time; don’t extend the old one. Ask your card’s benefit administrator in writing whether back-to-back contracts count as separate rentals before you rely on this.
3. Your licence lasts as long as your immigration status
Article 24 of Guatemala’s Reglamento de Tránsito (Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98) says foreign licence holders may drive “vehículos para los cuales están habilitados por la misma y sólo hasta que esté vigente su autorización migratoria”. In plain terms: the vehicle classes your own licence covers, for as long as your immigration status is valid. There is no 30-day rule. For most visitors the limit is the CA-4 tourist stay of up to 90 days, which can be extended once.
The same article continues: “En caso de residencia en el país, es obligatorio el traspaso de su licencia extranjera a una nacional, del mismo tipo o inferior, pero nunca superior.” Once you become a resident, you must convert to a Guatemalan licence. For the International Driving Permit, see our US licence page.
For a monthly renter, this means a month that runs past your permitted stay also runs past your permission to drive. If you extend your stay with an IGM prórroga, keep the extension document in the car along with your passport.
4. Deposits, age and who must sign
| Requirement | Guatemala Renta Autos (rental policy) | Ahorrent (FAQ) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | “The driver must be at least 25 years of age.” Extra insurance available for drivers 21-24 | 25; younger drivers must present “a letter of responsibility for the vehicle” |
| Card and deposit | Credit card only: “We do not accept personal checks or cash.” Deposit hold of US$1,000 for sedans, US$1,200 for pickups, US$1,800 for vans and US$1,800-3,000 for 4x4s | “Have a credit card with a minimum credit amount of Q 7,000 / $1,000.00” |
| ID | “The driver must show his/her identity card and passport.” | “Present DPI or passport if you are a foreigner.” |
| Who signs | “The Credit Card Holder has to be present to sign the rental agreement to take the car.” | Not stated |
| Collision deductible (sedan) | US$1,200 for an accident, US$2,000 for a total loss, plus 12% tax | Not published |
| Third-party cover | “The insurance covers property damages, damages to a third party up to $6,500” | Not published |
The deposit hold stays on your card for the whole month. A US$1,000-3,000 hold for 30 days reduces your available credit for everything else. Put it on a card you are not using for daily spending.
5. Seasons and border runs
Guatemala Renta Autos lists its high season as November 15 to January 15, Easter Week, and July 1 to August 31. It also says that between December 20 and January 3 “the minimum rent is for one week”. If your month overlaps those dates, book early. Its policy allows border crossings only to El Salvador and Honduras. You need a legal letter from the company’s attorney, costing US$20, plus international insurance at US$7 a day, and “The insurances do not cover you in any other country.” If your month includes a drive to San Salvador, add those costs to the budget.
Decision: rent monthly, rent in pieces, or don’t rent at all
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Staying 1-4 weeks, relying on a Visa card’s collision cover | One contract of 31 days or less | Stays inside the card’s 31-day limit outside your country of residence |
| Staying 5+ weeks, want one car throughout | Monthly quote with the rental company’s own collision cover, all-in price in writing | The card benefit excludes rentals “intended to exceed” 31 days |
| Long drives (Petén, Izabal, repeated coast trips) | A company that states unlimited mileage in writing | Avoids a 6,000 km/month cap charged at Q1.00/km |
| Resident, or about to become one | Convert your licence first, then rent or buy | Article 24 makes the traspaso obligatory on residence; card cover drops to 15 days in your country of residence |
| Based in one town, mostly local trips | Don’t rent; use Uber, shuttles and the occasional day rental | See Do you need a car in Guatemala? and Uber vs rental car |
To compare several suppliers’ quotes for a long booking at the airport, you can run your exact dates through DiscoverCars’ Guatemala search. This is an affiliate link: if you book, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Before paying, check the mileage cap, the deposit and whether your card’s cover applies to the full rental.
Questions to put in the email before you book a month
- What is the all-in monthly total, including insurance and 12% IVA? Is insurance included, or charged per day?
- Is mileage unlimited, or capped per month? What does each extra km cost?
- What is the deductible, and what does lowering it cost per day?
- How much is the deposit hold, and when is it released?
- Are oil changes and maintenance during the month the renter’s job or the company’s? Where do you take the car?
- Can the car cross into El Salvador or Honduras? What letter and insurance are needed?
(Item 5 is not addressed on any of the websites we read. Ask it anyway.)
Related pages
- How to Save on Car Rental in Guatemala
- Guatemala car rental prices: June 2026 data
- Rental car insurance guide
- Driving in Guatemala on a US licence
- Car insurance in Guatemala
- Toll roads in Guatemala
- Driving safety in Guatemala
Sources
All read 23 September 2026 unless stated.
- Tabarini Rent a Car: rates page, home page with insurance rows and insurance and deductibles
- Guatemala Renta Autos: fleet and rates and rental policy
- Europcar Guatemala
- Ahorrent: home page and FAQ
- Visa: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver terms and conditions (PDF)
- Reglamento de Tránsito, Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98, Art. 24, from the consolidated text published by the Departamento de Tránsito, PNC (read 13 August 2026)
Spanish quotations are from the Departamento de Tránsito’s consolidated Reglamento. Dollar amounts are as published by each company on the date shown; the discount and per-day columns are our own arithmetic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to rent a car for a month in Guatemala?
Of the rental companies we checked on 23 September 2026, only Tabarini publishes a monthly price: US$1,418 for a Kia Rio, US$1,515 for the automatic Rio, US$2,071 for a Mazda BT50 4x4 pickup, US$2,076 for a Kia Sportage and US$2,199.99 for a Hyundai H1 van. The rates page says taxes and insurance are included and mileage is unlimited. Guatemala Renta Autos, Europcar and Ahorrent all offer monthly rentals but publish no monthly figure; Guatemala Renta Autos shows ‘Contact Us’ in its Month column.
Is a monthly rate much cheaper than renting by the day?
Less than people assume. On Tabarini’s own table, a month costs 18.5% to 23.5% less than paying the daily rate 30 times, depending on the car. The Kia Rio is US$1,418 a month against US$1,740 for 30 days at US$58 a day, which works out to about US$47 a day. Ask for the monthly rate in writing, but do not budget on a 30-40% discount.
Can I drive in Guatemala for months on my US or Canadian license?
Your foreign licence is valid for as long as your immigration status is. Article 24 of the Reglamento de Transito lets foreign licence holders drive the vehicle classes their licence covers only while their migratory authorisation is in force, and once you take up residence you must transfer it to a Guatemalan licence. On a tourist stay that is the 90-day CA-4 period plus any extension, not a fixed 30-day limit. Our US licence page covers the details.
Does my credit card's rental car insurance cover a monthly rental in Guatemala?
Probably not the whole month. Visa’s published Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver terms cover rentals of up to 31 consecutive days outside your country of residence (15 inside it), and exclude rentals that ’exceed, or are intended to exceed’ those limits. A rental booked for longer than that is excluded from the start, not only from day 32. Visa also excludes leases and mini leases. Check your own card’s benefit guide, because issuers publish their own terms.
Is there a mileage limit on a monthly rental?
It depends on the company. Guatemala Renta Autos’ policy includes 300 km per day with a monthly maximum of 6,000 km, and charges Q1.00 for each extra kilometre. Tabarini’s rates page says unlimited mileage, and Ahorrent says all its vehicles have free mileage.
Can I take a Guatemalan rental car to El Salvador or Honduras?
With Guatemala Renta Autos, only to those two countries. Its policy requires a legal letter from the company’s attorney costing US$20 to cross the border, plus international insurance at US$7 a day, and says its insurance does not cover you in any other country. Other companies set their own rules, so get it in the contract before you book a month that includes a border run.
