Guatemala City vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

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Livingcost

Guatemala City San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1204
$1574
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2718
$3920
🏠 One person rent
$614
$747
🏘️ Family rent
$940
$1276
🍽️ Food expenses
$389
$579
🚐 Transport expenses
$92.7
$85.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$374
$1063
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
56
60
😀 Quality of life
42
73
🏙️ Population
995K
335K

The cost of living in Guatemala City is 23% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4747th and 3714th ($1204 vs $1574) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Guatemala and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Guatemala vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.3 months in Guatemala City compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Guatemala City ranked 1st best city to live in Guatemala vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 7564th and 2425th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Guatemala City vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Guatemala City and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Guatemala City San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$7.24
$12.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$39.8
$49.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.55
$11.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.32
$3.36
☕ Cappuccino
$3.84
$5.2
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.1
$2.34
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$732
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$468
$585
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1299
$1456
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$699
$1048
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$49.1
$58.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$76.7
$89.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.1
$56.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.52%
9.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2026
$2299
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1095
$1800
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.3
$1.09
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$18.3
$56.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$16
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.21
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.09
$2.43
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.58
$3.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.9
$2.56
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.7
$3.5
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.58
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9
$9.83
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$13.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.55
$5.01
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.73
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.22
$4.77
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.66
$3.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$4.11
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$3.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.74
$2.1
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.37
$3.6
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.08
$23.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.69
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.02
$5.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.29
$9.27
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.94
$9.95
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.69
$3.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.5
$4.6
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$46.2
$68.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.47
$8.55
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$42.3
$104
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.8
$16
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.2
$70.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$119
$140
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$308
$814
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$6759
$16872

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Guatemala City

Distance City Cost of living
10 km or 6.2 mi Mixco
$790
13 km or 7.9 mi San Miguel Petapa
$1127
58 km or 36 mi Jalapa
$1130
69 km or 43 mi Panajachel
$951
99 km or 61 mi Coban
$935
105 km or 65 mi Mazatenango
$962
106 km or 66 mi Ahuachapan
$1476
107 km or 66 mi Momostenango
$960
109 km or 68 mi Quetzaltenango
$871
128 km or 79 mi Santa Ana
$770
132 km or 82 mi Sonsonate
$905
169 km or 105 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
170 km or 106 mi Apopa
$1231
171 km or 106 mi Mejicanos
$1254
175 km or 109 mi Soyapango
$1261
176 km or 109 mi San Salvador
$1291
190 km or 118 mi Tapachula
$775
264 km or 164 mi Usulutan
$1123
267 km or 166 mi Flores
$1014
281 km or 174 mi Villanueva
$860
282 km or 175 mi San Miguel
$1132
285 km or 177 mi San Pedro Sula
$1004
294 km or 183 mi Choloma
$681
295 km or 183 mi La Lima
$854
306 km or 190 mi El Progreso
$832
310 km or 193 mi Comayagua
$678
310 km or 193 mi Puerto Cortes
$767
323 km or 201 mi San Ignacio
$1049
327 km or 203 mi San Cristobal de las Casas
$809
349 km or 217 mi Belmopan
$1008
362 km or 225 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
366 km or 227 mi Tuxtla Gutierrez
$766
369 km or 229 mi Yoro
$756
371 km or 230 mi Balancan
$915
407 km or 253 mi Belize City
$941
422 km or 262 mi La Ceiba
$619
428 km or 266 mi Chinandega
$791
439 km or 273 mi Caye Caulker
$1574
454 km or 282 mi Villahermosa
$1045
459 km or 285 mi San Pedro Town
$1367

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1471
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1362
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1361
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$872
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1228
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1024
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1929
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$844
246 km or 153 mi David
$909
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$796
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$706
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$817
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$788
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$665
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$503
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$759
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$716
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1147
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$791
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1144
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1185
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$982
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1396
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1590
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1373
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1361
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1132
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1123
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$678
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$756
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1291
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1261
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1254
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1231
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$619
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$832