In short: On 25 September 2026, Take a Chef listed a private chef in Antigua at US$189-263 per guest and in Guatemala City at US$156-208 per guest, ingredients, cooking, service and cleanup included (about Q1,191-2,008 per guest). At Lake Atitlán, Guatemala Dreams charges US$80 per service for up to 4 guests and US$120 for 5-8, with specialty ingredients and premium alcohol extra.
Quetzal figures use the Banguat reference rate of Q7.63682 per US dollar on 24 September 2026, rounded. See today’s exchange rate.
Take a Chef: price per guest by group size
Take a Chef is a booking platform: you send the date, the group and any allergies, chefs send menu proposals, and you book one. Its city pages publish these booking prices.
| Group size | Antigua Guatemala, per guest | Guatemala City, per guest |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | US$263 (~Q2,008) | US$208 (~Q1,588) |
| 3 to 6 people | US$231 (~Q1,764) | US$194 (~Q1,482) |
| 7 to 12 people | US$189 (~Q1,443) | US$156 (~Q1,191) |
| 13 people or more | US$189 (~Q1,443) | US$171 (~Q1,306) |
Worked totals from the same pages:
| Guests | Antigua total | Guatemala City total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | US$526 | US$416 |
| 4 | US$924 | US$776 |
| 6 | US$1,386 | US$1,164 |
| 8 | US$1,512 | US$1,248 |
| 10 | US$1,890 | US$1,560 |
| 13 | US$2,457 | US$2,223 |
The Guatemala City page states its range as US$171 to US$208 per person, and in the same list gives US$156 for groups of 7 to 12; the table shows the tier prices as published.
What Take a Chef says is included: a menu designed around your preferences, buying the ingredients, preparation before arrival, cooking in your kitchen, full table service, and setting up and cleaning the kitchen and the spaces used. Not included: tableware and glassware. The tip is at your discretion. Take a Chef’s Antigua page says seasonal ingredients, your location and how soon you book affect the final price; the Guatemala City page names the time of year, the location and how soon you book.
Platform figures, for scale: the Antigua page says 27 chefs are available there and gives an average guest rating of 4.36 out of 5 from 33 reviews; the Guatemala City page says more than 30 chefs have joined and gives 4.33 from 39 reviews.
Lake Atitlán: Guatemala Dreams, per service
| Group size | Price per service | Quetzales (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 guests | US$80 | ~Q611 |
| 5 to 8 guests | US$120 | ~Q916 |
| 9 guests or more | Custom quote | — |
Guatemala Dreams lists the service for any town around the lake (San Pedro, San Marcos, San Juan, Santa Cruz, Panajachel and Santiago among them), for breakfast, lunch or dinner, lasting 2 to 4 hours.
- Included: a local chef, a menu-planning consultation, cooking and serving on site, cleanup, and the basic ingredients for the dishes chosen. The page says prices include taxes and standard travel within the main lake towns.
- Not included: specialty ingredients or premium alcohol, tableware if the property does not have it, and a travel fee for remote or boat-access-only locations, quoted separately.
How the prices compare
| Take a Chef (Antigua) | Take a Chef (Guatemala City) | Guatemala Dreams (Atitlán) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priced | Per guest | Per guest | Per service (group) |
| 4 guests | US$924 | US$776 | US$80 |
| 8 guests | US$1,512 | US$1,248 | US$120 |
| Ingredients | Included | Included | Basic ingredients included; specialty extra |
| Tableware | Not included | Not included | Not included if the property lacks it |
A per-service price and a per-guest price are not the same product: ask Guatemala Dreams what the menu is for the US$80, and ask any Take a Chef proposal how many courses it includes.
Before you book: five questions
- Is the price per guest or for the whole group?
- Which ingredients are included, and is alcohol extra? Guatemala Dreams excludes premium alcohol and specialty ingredients.
- Who brings plates, glasses and cutlery? Neither source includes tableware.
- Is there a travel charge to your rental? Guatemala Dreams charges extra for remote or boat-only locations.
- How much time does the chef need in the kitchen, and does the rental allow outside cooks?
Related pages
- Event catering prices
- Event and party rental prices
- Wedding costs from Guatemalan planners
- Service prices hub
Sources
All read 25 September 2026.
- Take a Chef: private chef in Antigua Guatemala
- Take a Chef: private chef in Guatemala City
- Guatemala Dreams: Private Chef Experience, Lake Atitlán
- Quetzal conversion: Banguat reference exchange rate, Q7.63682 per US dollar
Prices are as each business published them on the date shown and change without notice; confirm before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a private chef cost in Antigua Guatemala?
Take a Chef’s Antigua page, read on 25 September 2026, lists booking prices of US$263 per guest for 2 people, US$231 per guest for 3 to 6 people and US$189 per guest for 7 people or more. For six guests that is US$1,386 (about Q10,585). The platform says the price covers menu design, buying the ingredients, cooking in your kitchen, table service and cleaning up; tableware and glassware are not included and the tip is up to you.
Is a private chef cheaper in Guatemala City than in Antigua?
On Take a Chef’s own figures, yes: its Guatemala City page lists US$208 per guest for 2 people, US$194 for 3 to 6, US$156 for 7 to 12 and US$171 for 13 or more, against US$189 to US$263 in Antigua. Both pages were read on 25 September 2026.
How much is a private chef at Lake Atitlán?
Guatemala Dreams, a Lake Atitlán tour operator, lists a private chef at US$80 per service for 1 to 4 guests and US$120 for 5 to 8 guests, with a custom quote for 9 or more. It says the price includes the chef, menu planning, cooking and serving on site, cleanup and the basic ingredients for the chosen dishes, plus taxes and travel within the main lake towns; specialty ingredients, premium alcohol and travel to remote or boat-only locations cost extra.
Why is the Lake Atitlán chef so much cheaper than Take a Chef?
The two prices measure different things. Take a Chef’s figures are per guest; Guatemala Dreams charges per service for a group of up to four or up to eight. Guatemala Dreams also excludes specialty ingredients and premium alcohol. Compare what is on the menu and what is excluded, not only the headline number.
