In Guatemala City’s main residential zones, buying a median 2-bedroom apartment costs 13 to 17 years of the median 2-bedroom rent at asking prices, and a 3-bedroom-plus apartment 18 to 22 years. Those are gross figures from our own listing data, before closing costs, maintenance, vacancy or tax. Two tax changes in Decreto 18-2026 shift the balance toward buying: a zero IUSI rate for homes, and an income-tax exemption on property capital gains from 2027.
TL;DR: Among the zones in the table, a Zone 16 2-bedroom is the cheapest to own relative to renting (13.0 years of rent); 3-bedroom-plus flats in Zones 14 and 15 are the dearest (22.4 and 22.5 years). Renting keeps you flexible while you choose a zone; if you plan to stay, the ratios and the new tax rules make buying worth pricing out.
Price-to-rent by zone
The price-to-rent ratio is the median asking price divided by twelve months of the median asking rent, for the same zone, property type and number of bedrooms. The lower it is, the sooner the rent you avoid adds up to the price.
| Zone, Guatemala City | Type | Sale listings | Median asking price | Rent listings | Median asking rent / month | Years of rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 16 | 2-bed apartment | 180 | US$218,750 | 47 | US$1,400 | 13.0 | 7.7% |
| Zone 16 | 3+-bed house | 305 | US$458,003 | 26 | US$2,900 | 13.2 | 7.6% |
| Zone 10 | 2-bed apartment | 379 | US$235,000 | 47 | US$1,250 | 15.7 | 6.4% |
| Zone 14 | 2-bed apartment | 221 | US$295,000 | 61 | US$1,500 | 16.4 | 6.1% |
| Zone 13 | 2-bed apartment | 118 | US$225,750 | 20 | US$1,125 | 16.7 | 6.0% |
| Zone 15 | 2-bed apartment | 243 | US$245,000 | 42 | US$1,175 | 17.4 | 5.8% |
| Zone 10 | 3+-bed apartment | 385 | US$358,000 | 40 | US$1,675 | 17.8 | 5.6% |
| Zone 16 | 3+-bed apartment | 288 | US$428,175 | 38 | US$1,750 | 20.4 | 4.9% |
| Zone 14 | 3+-bed apartment | 329 | US$490,000 | 50 | US$1,825 | 22.4 | 4.5% |
| Zone 15 | 3+-bed apartment | 340 | US$431,152 | 40 | US$1,600 | 22.5 | 4.5% |
Sale: our listing dataset as of 2 November 2026 (33 sources, 391 agencies), asking prices of US$20,000 or more; quetzal prices converted in the dataset at Banguat’s 1 November 2026 rate of Q7.64187 per dollar. Rent: Encuentra24 rental listings of 26 October 2026, with quetzal rents converted at the same rate and listings with implausible monthly figures removed. Counts are listings, not unique homes. A row appears only where both samples have at least 20 listings.
At Banguat’s cross rates for 3 November 2026, the Zone 10 2-bedroom median of US$235,000 is about C$328,600 or £183,100, and its US$1,250 monthly rent about C$1,750 or £970.
Where the data is too thin. Mixco, Santa Catarina Pinula and Zones 4 and 11 have enough sale listings but fewer than 20 rent listings once matched by bedrooms. Antigua Guatemala has 137 apartment and 547 house listings for sale but only 2 priced apartments and 13 priced houses for rent in the Encuentra24 sample, so no Antigua ratio is shown. For Antigua prices, see what US$100K, $300K and $500K buys.
What the numbers say
- Small flats favour buying more than big ones. In all four zones with both samples (10, 14, 15 and 16), the 3-bedroom-plus ratio is higher than the 2-bedroom one: rents rise more slowly with size than prices do.
- Zone 16 houses stand out. A 3-bedroom-plus house there costs 13.2 years of its rent, against 20.4 years for a 3-bedroom-plus apartment in the same zone.
- Gross is not net. The yields above ignore the purchase taxes and notary fees on our closing-costs page, building fees, repairs, months without a tenant and income tax on rent.
The 2026 tax changes
Decreto 18-2026 was published in the Diario de Centro América on 28 August 2026. Two of its changes bear directly on owning a home:
- IUSI on homes goes to zero. The new Article 11 of the IUSI law sets a rate of zero per thousand for property used as housing, residential or mixed use. Commercial and other uses pay 3 per thousand up to Q500,000 of registered value, 6 per thousand to Q1,000,000 and 9 per thousand above. The IUSI changes take effect 90 days after publication; our property-tax page and the IUSI reform explainer date that to 26 November 2026. When the zero rate first shows on a bill is disputed: an article on the law firm Consortium Legal’s site (6 October 2026) argues that IUSI is an annual tax, so the zero rate applies to the tax year that starts on 1 January 2027, while a Prensa Libre column it cites read the new rates as applying from 26 November. Ask your municipality how it will bill the instalment due in January 2027.
- No income tax on the gain for individual sellers outside the exclusions, from 2027. A new numeral 4 in Article 87 of the income-tax law exempts capital gains from the sale of real estate in Guatemala. It applies to sales from 1 January of the fiscal year after publication, so from 1 January 2027. Excluded are companies, trusts, undivided estates that pay income tax, any other entity, with or without legal personality, that pays income tax, and individuals registered in the RTU with real-estate trading, development or brokerage activities.
For the taxes and fees paid at purchase, see our closing-costs page.
Renting first, then buying
The ratio is only half the decision; the other half is how long you stay and whether you can own. Foreigners’ rights to buy, and the coastal and border zones with limits, are on our foreign-buyer rules page. The steps from offer to registered deed are in the buying guide. If you rent first, our renting guide covers leases and deposits, and the average rent page has rents by zone and bedroom count.
Method
- Sale: our listing dataset as of 2 November 2026, 14,466 listings; 134 listings under US$20,000 excluded. Types: apartments and houses as classified in the dataset. Bedrooms grouped as 2 and 3 or more.
- Rent: Encuentra24 rentals, 26 October 2026, 1,428 listings; 1,059 priced apartments and houses kept after 16 were removed under the quarantine rule (monthly rent under US$100 or Q500, or over US$20,000 or Q150,000).
- Ratio: median price / (12 × median monthly rent). Gross yield: 1 / ratio. Minimum 20 listings on each side.
Sources
- Consortium Legal, IUSI en Guatemala: una reforma que entra antes, pero se aplica después, 6 October 2026; read 4 November 2026
- Congreso de la República, Decreto 18-2026, as published in the Diario de Centro America, 28 August 2026; text read 8 October 2026
- Encuentra24 rental listings for Guatemala, 26 October 2026, as held in our rental dataset
- Our sale listing dataset, as of 2 November 2026 (33 sources)
- Banco de Guatemala, exchange rates, 1 November 2026 (dataset conversion) and business day 3 November 2026 (CAD and GBP)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Guatemala City?
At asking prices in our listing data (sale listings as of 2 November 2026, Encuentra24 rentals of 26 October 2026), a median 2-bedroom apartment costs between 13.0 years of the median 2-bedroom rent (Zone 16) and 17.4 years (Zone 15). For 3-bedroom-plus apartments the range is 17.8 years (Zone 10) to 22.5 years (Zone 15), so renting a larger flat is relatively cheaper than buying one.
What rental yield can I expect from an apartment in Guatemala City?
On the same asking-price medians, the gross yield (a year’s rent divided by the price, before any costs, vacancy or tax) runs from 4.5% for 3-bedroom-plus apartments in Zones 14 and 15 to 7.7% for 2-bedroom apartments in Zone 16. Asking prices and asking rents are not closing prices.
Do I pay property tax on a home I buy in Guatemala?
Decreto 18-2026, published on 28 August 2026, sets the IUSI rate for property used as housing, residential or mixed use at zero per thousand, in force 90 days after publication, which Congress’s record of the decree gives as 26 November 2026. An article on the law firm Consortium Legal’s site (6 October 2026) argues that, because IUSI is an annual tax, the zero rate applies from the 2027 tax year. Commercial and other uses pay 3, 6 or 9 per thousand depending on the registered value.
Will I pay tax on the profit when I sell?
Decreto 18-2026 exempts from income tax the capital gains on the sale of real estate located in Guatemala, from 1 January of the fiscal year after its publication, so for sales from 1 January 2027. The exemption does not apply to companies, trusts, undivided estates that pay income tax, any other entity that pays income tax, or individuals registered with real-estate business activities.
Why is there no rent-or-buy figure for Antigua?
Our sale data holds 137 apartment and 547 house listings in Antigua Guatemala, but the Encuentra24 rental sample for Antigua on 26 October 2026 had 2 priced apartments and 13 priced houses. That is below the 20-listing minimum used here, so no ratio is given.
