Cost of Living Research — Guatemala by Area

Research date: February 22, 2026 Exchange rate: 1 USD = Q7.67 — Banguat February 2026 average (7.6695), matching this document’s research date. The August 2026 fuel row below converts at the current Banguat rate, Q7.63 (7.62541, 5 August 2026). The rate has never been 7.7 or higher at any point in 2026.

Summary: Monthly Budget (Single Person, All-In USD)

AreaBudgetComfortableLuxury
Guatemala City (Z10/Z14/Z15/Z16)$1,200-1,550$2,350-3,250$3,650-5,200+
Guatemala City (Z1-Z7/outer)$800-1,000$1,400-1,800$2,500-3,000
Antigua Guatemala$800-1,200$1,500-2,000$2,500-3,500
Lake Atitlan$420-600$800-1,200$1,500-2,500
Quetzaltenango (Xela)$600-800$1,000-1,400$1,800-2,500
Coban$650-800$900-1,200$1,500-2,000
Flores/Peten$600-800$842-1,200$1,500-2,000

Rent Comparison (1BR Apartment, USD/month)

AreaBudgetComfortableLuxury
GC expensive zones (Z10/Z14/Z15/Z16)$420-520$750-1,035$1,500-2,500
GC cheaper zones (Z1-Z7/Mixco)$310-420$520-680$800-1,200
Antigua$300-400$500-700$1,000-1,800
Lake Atitlan$75-200$300-500$700-1,000
Xela$300-390$400-425$500-700
Coban$316$418$635 (3BR)
Flores$300-400$408-590$700-1,000

Guatemala City — Detailed

Numbeo Averages (Feb 2026)

  • 1BR city center: Q5,821 ($759)
  • 1BR outside center: Q3,999 ($521)
  • 3BR city center: Q11,032 ($1,438)
  • 3BR outside center: Q6,105 ($796)

Grocery Prices (Numbeo GC)

ItemGTQUSD
Milk (1L)Q16.07$2.10
Rice (1kg)Q15.84$2.07
Eggs (dozen)Q19.11$2.49
Chicken breast (1kg)Q72.31$9.43
Beef (1kg)Q101.47$13.23
Tomatoes (1kg)Q13.28$1.73
Potatoes (1kg)Q14.33$1.87
Bananas (1kg)Q13.53$1.76

Eating Out

Meal TypeGTQUSD
Comida corrienteQ20-35$2.61-4.56
Street foodQ5-20$0.65-2.61
Inexpensive restaurantQ45$5.87
McMealQ49.75$6.49
Mid-range (2 people)Q384$50.07

Transport

ItemGTQUSD
Transmetro busQ2$0.26
Transurbano busQ1$0.13
Gasoline, regular (1 gal)Q41.08$5.39
Gasoline, regular (1 L)Q10.85$1.42
Diesel (1 gal)Q43.80$5.74

Fuel: MEM monitored, Guatemala City, self-service, 2026-08-03. The Q8.40/L (Q31.80/gal) previously listed here was the Decreto 11-2026 SUBSIDISED price; that subsidy ended 2026-07-02. Uber per-km removed: Uber publishes no fare or per-km rate for Guatemala, so the figure had no source.

Utilities

  • Basic (85m2): Q586 (~$76) — Numbeo
  • Electricity: CNEE social tariff Aug-Oct 2026 — EEGSA Q1.42/kWh, DEORSA Q1.98, DEOCSA Q2.03 (non-social Q1.51 / Q2.06 / Q2.12). The single Q2.243/kWh previously listed here matched no published CNEE rate.
  • Water: Q42.56/mo base — EMPAGUA
  • Propane (25lb): Q98-120

Antigua Guatemala — Detailed

Rent

  • Basic 1BR outside center: $300-400
  • Furnished 1BR in town: $500-700
  • Colonial 3BR restored: $1,000-1,800+

Eating Out

  • Menu del dia: Q20-35 ($2.61-4.56)
  • Casual restaurant: Q60-80 ($7.80-10.45)
  • High-end dinner: Q150-250 ($20-33)

Transport

  • Tuk-tuk within Antigua: Q5-15
  • Chicken bus to GC: Q10

Lake Atitlan — Detailed

Rent by Town

San Pedro (budget hub): $75-200 budget, $300-500 comfortable San Marcos (wellness): $300-600 budget, $700-750 with utilities Panajachel (infrastructure): $300-400 budget, $400-600 comfortable

Food

  • Coffee: Q8 ($1.04)
  • 3 tacos: Q15 ($1.96)
  • Whole roasted chicken: Q50 ($6.52)
  • Pizza: Q75 ($9.78)
  • Monthly groceries single: $150-200

Transport

  • Tuk-tuk: Q5-10
  • Pickup truck (local): Q2
  • Lancha (boat): Q20-25
  • Doctor visit (Pana): Q100 ($13)

Quetzaltenango (Xela) — Detailed

  • 1BR rent: Q3,000 (~$391)
  • Similar food prices to GC
  • Monthly budget: $600-800 budget, $1,000-1,400 comfortable

Coban — Detailed

  • 1BR rent: $316-418
  • Limited expat infrastructure
  • Lower internet reliability
  • Monthly: $650-800 budget, $900-1,200 comfortable

Flores/Peten — Detailed

  • 1BR rent (Flores island): $408-590
  • Cheaper in Santa Elena/San Benito
  • Limited healthcare — serious cases go to GC
  • Monthly: $600-800 budget, $842-1,200 comfortable

Nationwide Prices

Internet

  • Tigo fiber 150 Mbps: ~Q235/mo ($30) — GC/Antigua only
  • Claro fiber 120 Mbps: ~Q229/mo ($30) — GC expanding
  • Starlink Mini: $35/mo + $200 hardware — everywhere
  • Starlink Standard: Q510/mo ($66) — everywhere

Phone (Prepaid) - scraped, verified 2026-09-01

  • Tigo Todo incluido 15 GB / 30 days: Q120 - tigo.com.gt/prepago
  • Tigo Tigo Flex 18 GB / 30 days: Q125 (largest 30-day pack either carrier publishes)
  • Claro Todo Incluido 17Gb / 30 days: Q120 - claro.com.gt planes y precios
  • Postpago floor, both carriers: Q160 / 25 GB
  • (The two 10GB/30-day lines previously here were hand-curated and matched no plan on either carrier’s site.)

Healthcare

  • Doctor consultation: $20-78
  • Private insurance: $50-300/mo
  • Dental cleaning: $55
  • Crown: $350-375
  • Root canal: $180
  • Implant (complete): $1,200

Sources

  • Numbeo Guatemala City/Xela (Feb 2026)
  • Expatistan Guatemala City/Antigua/Xela (2025)
  • TheLatinvestor — Average Rent in Guatemala (Sep 2025)
  • Atitlan Living — Cost of Living Lake Atitlan
  • Never Ending Voyage — San Marcos Cost of Living
  • Food Travel Explore — Guatemala Cost of Living Guide
  • TravelSafe-Abroad — Cheapest Places to Live Guatemala 2025
  • LivingCost.org — Coban
  • International Living — Rent in Antigua
  • Dental Experts Guatemala — Pricing
  • GlobalPetrolPrices — Guatemala (Feb 2026)
  • EMPAGUA — Water Tariffs (Dec 2025)
  • PhoneTravelWiz — Guatemala SIM Cards (2025)