MigrantoCost of living in Guatemala
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
GTQ 2,650
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
GTQ 876richest 20%
GTQ 9,630
Guatemala runs cheap on the back of its own land and its own labor. Wages are low and much of daily life is produced close to home, so a modest life there is genuinely within reach. But the country is split hard down the middle — what a comfortable life costs and what bare survival costs lie at opposite extremes.
Where people spend money in Guatemala
Most of a Guatemalan month goes on food. Groceries lead, rent stays surprisingly modest, and getting around claims a real share — transport earns its own line because daily travel and distance add up. Food and fares are the hard-to-avoid part; housing is where the budget gets a little breathing room.
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What it costs to live in Guatemala
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Cost of living in Guatemala
GTQ 876/mo
vs GTQ 6,100 in your country
Take-home
GTQ 2,420
vs GTQ 9,140 in your country
Potential savings
GTQ 1,540
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in Guatemala compare
Guatemala comes in below most of Latin America on cost, one of the more affordable countries in an already affordable region. Yet set against the world it still lands in the middle rather than the bottom — cheap by neighborly standards, ordinary by global ones, and kinder to a budget than that world-middle ranking might first suggest.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2023 (United Nations Statistics Division), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Guatemala?
A typical person in Guatemala spends about GTQ 2,650 a month — around GTQ 31,800 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Guatemala in US dollars?
The cost of living in Guatemala is about $348 a month, or roughly $4,176 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Guatemala?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about GTQ 876 a month per person, a typical one around GTQ 2,650, and a comfortable life around GTQ 4,070. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Guatemala?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about GTQ 960 a month (36% of spending). Then come housing (GTQ 290, 11%) and transport (GTQ 282, 11%).
Is the average salary in Guatemala enough to live on?
In most cases yes, but without much of a cushion. Average spending is about GTQ 2,650 a month, while the average take-home pay in Guatemala is about GTQ 3,610. For more on incomes, see salaries in Guatemala.
Is Guatemala an expensive country to live in?
Somewhat. Guatemala is more expensive than 49% of countries worldwide and ranks 23rd of 33 in Latin America by cost of living.
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Living in Guatemala
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