Guatemala’s canasta basica (basic food basket) is the government’s benchmark for what a family needs to eat. As of May 2026, the urban canasta basica costs Q941.86 per person per month — about Q3,918 for INE’s 4.16-person reference family. The 2026 non-agricultural minimum wage (Q4,252.28/month, including the Q250 incentive bonus) covers that family food basket, but not the expanded basket once housing, transport, and health are added.
This page carries three different kinds of number, and they are not interchangeable:
| Block | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale prices | Bulk quotes for La Terminal and CENMA, with the market and observation date on every row | MAGA open data (precios.maga.gob.gt), refreshed monthly |
| Canasta basica | The official basic food basket cost | INE, May 2026 |
| Retail price estimates | What we reckon 38 everyday items cost a shopper in a traditional market | Nobody - these are our own estimates, last reviewed March 2026 |
The wholesale table below is live MAGA data. The retail table further down is not: no source publishes those figures, and they are marked as estimates wherever they appear. We keep them because they cover ~20 everyday items MAGA does not quote at all - eggs, dairy, tortillas, coffee, bottled water - but they should never be read as official prices.
Canasta Basica Summary (May 2026)
| Metric | Amount (GTQ) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Urban per capita/month | Q941.86 | $122.96 |
| Rural per capita/month | Q726.00 | $94.78 |
| Urban reference family (4.16 people)/month | Q3,918.14 | $511.51 |
| Rural reference family (4.8 people)/month | Q3,484.80 | $454.93 |
| Minimum wage (2026, non-agri + Q250 bonus) | Q4,252.28 | $555.13 |
The gap: One 2026 minimum wage covers INE’s urban reference-family food basket with about Q334 (~$44) left over — before rent, transport, healthcare, or anything else. The expanded basket (canasta ampliada, which adds housing, transport, health and education) runs about Q9,486/month for that same family, roughly 2.2 minimum wages. This is why many Guatemalan families rely on remittances from the US.
Retail Price Estimates (not MAGA, not INE)
Every price in this section is our own estimate. No source published these figures and they were last reviewed in March 2026. They are what we would expect to pay a vendor in a traditional market; treat them as an order-of-magnitude guide, not a quote. Traditional market prices are typically 20-40% cheaper than supermarket prices for the same items.
For an official figure, use the MAGA wholesale table on this page - it carries the market and the observation date for each product MAGA tracks.
Grains & Staples
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black beans (frijol negro) | lb | Q8.50 | $1.11 |
| White rice | lb | Q5.25 | $0.69 |
| White corn (maiz) | lb | Q2.75 | $0.36 |
| Corn tortillas | lb | Q7.00 | $0.92 |
| Bread roll (pan frances) | unit | Q0.50 | $0.07 |
| Pasta (spaghetti) | 400g | Q7.50 | $0.98 |
| Wheat flour | lb | Q4.50 | $0.59 |
Meats & Protein
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken (whole) | lb | Q16.50 | $2.16 |
| Beef (res) | lb | Q38.00 | $4.98 |
| Pork (cerdo) | lb | Q28.00 | $3.67 |
| Eggs | dozen | Q18.00 | $2.36 |
| Fresh fish (tilapia) | lb | Q25.00 | $3.28 |
Dairy
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh milk | liter | Q10.50 | $1.38 |
| Fresh cheese (queso fresco) | lb | Q22.00 | $2.89 |
| Cream (crema fresca) | lb | Q18.00 | $2.36 |
| Butter | lb | Q28.00 | $3.67 |
Vegetables
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | lb | Q6.50 | $0.85 |
| Onions | lb | Q5.00 | $0.66 |
| Potatoes | lb | Q5.50 | $0.72 |
| Green peppers | lb | Q8.00 | $1.05 |
| Carrots | lb | Q4.00 | $0.52 |
| Lettuce | head | Q5.00 | $0.66 |
| Avocado | unit | Q5.00 | $0.66 |
Fruits
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas (guineo) | dozen | Q8.00 | $1.05 |
| Plantain (platano) | unit | Q2.50 | $0.33 |
| Oranges | dozen | Q12.00 | $1.57 |
| Limes (limon) | dozen | Q8.00 | $1.05 |
| Papaya | lb | Q6.00 | $0.79 |
| Pineapple | unit | Q15.00 | $1.97 |
Other Essentials
| Product | Unit | Price (GTQ) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking oil | liter | Q18.00 | $2.36 |
| Sugar | lb | Q5.00 | $0.66 |
| Salt | lb | Q2.50 | $0.33 |
| Ground coffee | lb | Q35.00 | $4.59 |
| Incaparina | 450g | Q8.50 | $1.11 |
| Purified water (garrafon) | 5 gal | Q12.00 | $1.57 |
Where to Shop
Cheapest to most expensive:
- Traditional markets (mercados) — 20-40% cheaper for produce, meats, grains. La Terminal and CENMA in Guatemala City are the largest.
- Despensa Familiar — Budget supermarket chain, good for packaged goods
- Walmart / Paiz — Mid-range, wide selection, decent prices
- La Torre — Upscale supermarket, imported products, highest prices
- PriceSmart — Costco-style bulk buying, best per-unit prices for some items
For a full grocery shopping guide, see our Grocery Shopping in Guatemala guide.
Year-on-Year Price Movement (MAGA, measured)
These are MAGA’s own wholesale quotes for June 2026 against June 2025 — measured, with the market and observation date behind each figure in the table above:
| Product | MAGA unit | Jun 2025 | Jun 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red beans | quintal | Q790.00 | Q675.00 | -14.6% |
| Black beans | quintal | Q650.00 | Q525.00 | -19.2% |
| White corn | quintal | Q184.88 | Q192.40 | +4.1% |
| Yellow corn | quintal | Q170.50 | Q190.00 | +11.4% |
| Beef (carcass) | lb | Q20.50 | Q23.50 | +14.6% |
| Potato (Loman) | quintal | Q293.75 | Q445.83 | +51.8% |
| Cooking tomato | caja (45-50 lb) | Q208.25 | Q102.38 | -50.8% |
Source: MAGA open data, La Terminal, period June 2026.
Regional Price Variation (estimates)
The per-department figures on our product pages are estimates, not MAGA data. MAGA publishes prices for La Terminal and CENMA; it does not give us a reading for all 22 departments, and we have not surveyed them ourselves. The pattern below is a general expectation, not a measurement:
Prices tend to run higher in Peten and remote departments (transport cost) and lower in agricultural areas like Quetzaltenango and Chimaltenango.
Pro Tip: If you’re on a budget, shop at traditional markets for produce, eggs, and meats. Buy bulk items (rice, beans, oil, sugar) at PriceSmart or Despensa Familiar. For imported products (cheese, wine, specialty items), La Torre or PriceSmart has the best selection.
Data Sources — figure by figure
- MAGA wholesale table + year-on-year movement — MAGA open data (Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Alimentacion), mayorista quotes for La Terminal and CENMA. Collected daily by us, republished by MAGA monthly. Each row shows its market and observation date.
- Canasta basica figures — INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica), May 2026.
- Retail price estimates (the six tables above) and the per-department figures on product pages — no source. They are our own estimates, last reviewed March 2026, and they are not MAGA or INE data. We label them as estimates rather than drop them because MAGA quotes no price at all for eggs, dairy, tortillas, bread, pasta, flour, cooking oil, sugar, salt, coffee, Incaparina, bottled water or Coca-Cola.
- Exchange rate — Banguat daily reference, current USD/GTQ rate. USD figures in the retail estimate tables are converted at Q7.63/USD.
For complete cost of living data including rent, transport, and utilities, see our Cost of Living page.
