Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Costa Rica 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Costa Rica is 31.0% higher than in Guatemala (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Costa Rica is 27.9% higher than in Guatemala | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 18.2% higher than in Guatemala | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 27.6% higher than in Guatemala | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 30.4% higher than in Guatemala | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Costa Rica is 46.2% higher than in Guatemala | |
Restaurants | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
45.00 Q (2,982.00 ₡) |
75.45 Q (5,000.00 ₡) |
+67.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
400.00 Q (26,506.68 ₡) |
452.72 Q (30,000.00 ₡) |
+13.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
50.00 Q (3,313.34 ₡) |
75.45 Q (5,000.00 ₡) |
+50.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
25.00 Q (1,656.67 ₡) |
22.64 Q (1,500.00 ₡) |
-9.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
39.00 Q (2,584.40 ₡) |
34.55 Q (2,289.73 ₡) |
-11.4 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
26.88 Q (1,781.31 ₡) |
30.28 Q (2,006.41 ₡) |
+12.6 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
9.86 Q (653.53 ₡) |
16.45 Q (1,090.08 ₡) |
+66.8 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
7.67 Q (508.18 ₡) |
12.81 Q (848.73 ₡) |
+67.0 % |
Markets | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
57.58 Q (3,815.91 ₡) |
58.30 Q (3,863.46 ₡) |
+1.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
18.29 Q (1,211.79 ₡) |
21.88 Q (1,449.85 ₡) |
+19.6 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
6.45 Q (427.25 ₡) |
8.55 Q (566.54 ₡) |
+32.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
17.79 Q (1,178.88 ₡) |
25.85 Q (1,713.06 ₡) |
+45.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
26.13 Q (1,731.81 ₡) |
31.08 Q (2,059.25 ₡) |
+18.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
27.70 Q (1,835.49 ₡) |
32.01 Q (2,121.18 ₡) |
+15.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
33.80 Q (2,239.60 ₡) |
45.92 Q (3,043.27 ₡) |
+35.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.48 Q (827.02 ₡) |
15.55 Q (1,030.14 ₡) |
+24.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
5.70 Q (377.62 ₡) |
5.56 Q (368.20 ₡) |
-2.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.45 Q (759.08 ₡) |
10.66 Q (706.62 ₡) |
-6.9 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
5.14 Q (340.76 ₡) |
10.29 Q (681.78 ₡) |
+100.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
5.31 Q (351.70 ₡) |
10.13 Q (671.27 ₡) |
+90.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
6.33 Q (419.46 ₡) |
9.47 Q (627.74 ₡) |
+49.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
5.91 Q (391.80 ₡) |
7.69 Q (509.37 ₡) |
+30.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
9.07 Q (601.13 ₡) |
19.02 Q (1,260.31 ₡) |
+109.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
60.00 Q (3,976.00 ₡) |
120.72 Q (8,000.00 ₡) |
+101.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
14.12 Q (935.99 ₡) |
17.56 Q (1,163.40 ₡) |
+24.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
20.80 Q (1,378.10 ₡) |
20.97 Q (1,389.37 ₡) |
+0.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
29.00 Q (1,921.73 ₡) |
37.73 Q (2,500.00 ₡) |
+30.1 % |
Transportation | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
8.00 Q (530.13 ₡) |
7.55 Q (500.00 ₡) |
-5.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
100.00 Q (6,626.67 ₡) |
377.26 Q (25,000.00 ₡) |
+277.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
28.75 Q (1,905.17 ₡) |
13.88 Q (920.00 ₡) |
-51.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
13.28 Q (879.83 ₡) |
23.68 Q (1,569.11 ₡) |
+78.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
77.50 Q (5,135.67 ₡) |
58.02 Q (3,845.00 ₡) |
-25.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
31.69 Q (2,099.80 ₡) |
42.64 Q (2,825.94 ₡) |
+34.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
140,000.00 Q (9,277,338.68 ₡) |
278,420.36 Q (18,450,000.00 ₡) |
+98.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
177,372.75 Q (11,753,907.67 ₡) |
266,508.44 Q (17,660,636.28 ₡) |
+50.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
463.26 Q (30,698.79 ₡) |
660.15 Q (43,745.81 ₡) |
+42.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
215.23 Q (14,262.83 ₡) |
195.64 Q (12,964.61 ₡) |
-9.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
411.40 Q (27,262.09 ₡) |
412.48 Q (27,333.59 ₡) |
+0.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
338.81 Q (22,451.78 ₡) |
441.87 Q (29,281.51 ₡) |
+30.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
186.75 Q (12,375.31 ₡) |
219.15 Q (14,522.18 ₡) |
+17.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
49.50 Q (3,280.20 ₡) |
67.91 Q (4,500.00 ₡) |
+37.2 % |
Childcare | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
1,901.92 Q (126,034.18 ₡) |
4,181.44 Q (277,090.27 ₡) |
+119.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
51,815.56 Q (3,433,646.13 ₡) |
76,237.92 Q (5,052,035.91 ₡) |
+47.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
389.57 Q (25,815.61 ₡) |
553.96 Q (36,709.29 ₡) |
+42.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
405.00 Q (26,838.02 ₡) |
418.96 Q (27,762.93 ₡) |
+3.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
755.24 Q (50,047.11 ₡) |
919.77 Q (60,950.37 ₡) |
+21.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
804.79 Q (53,330.46 ₡) |
806.81 Q (53,464.54 ₡) |
+0.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
5,338.68 Q (353,776.42 ₡) |
5,948.02 Q (394,155.88 ₡) |
+11.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
3,267.63 Q (216,535.26 ₡) |
4,010.29 Q (265,748.91 ₡) |
+22.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
10,453.76 Q (692,736.05 ₡) |
11,127.54 Q (737,385.51 ₡) |
+6.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
5,265.05 Q (348,897.32 ₡) |
7,663.29 Q (507,821.23 ₡) |
+45.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,050.48 Q (69,612.03 ₡) |
1,821.24 Q (120,687.25 ₡) |
+73.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
758.98 Q (50,294.90 ₡) |
994.20 Q (65,882.45 ₡) |
+31.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | Guatemala Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
4,089.94 Q (271,026.89 ₡) |
7,647.35 Q (506,764.76 ₡) |
+87.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 8.74 | 10.53 | +20.4 % |
| Last update: | 16 May 2025 | 22 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 79 | 122 |
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