How Guatemala compares across key indices
Cost of Living
45 vs NYC
100 = NYC
Safety Index
47/100
Healthcare
55/100
Quality of Life
82/200
How far your money goes in Guatemala
Cost of Living
45
100 = NYC baseline
Rent Index
34
100 = NYC rent
Groceries
45
100 = NYC groceries
Restaurant Prices
47
100 = NYC dining
How safe residents feel in Guatemala - based on surveys of people living there
Safety Index
47/100
Crime Index
93/100
Lower is better
0 point drop from day to night
Guatemala has 102 modeled cities; this view starts with 40 curated or popular options. Monthly costs for a single person range from $886 in Soloma to $1,145 in Guatemala City. Soloma leads on safety, scoring 51/100. Soloma ranks highest for quality of life at 88/200.
Soloma
$886/mo
Soloma
51/100
Soloma
88/200
Guatemala City
66/100
| City | Monthly Cost | Safety | Quality of Life | Healthcare | Pollution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City | $1,145 | 43/100 | 83/200 | 66/100 | 50 |
| Villa Nueva | $1,005 | 46/100 | 85/200 | 60/100 | 45 |
| Mixco | $992 | 47/100 | 85/200 | 59/100 | 44 |
| Cobán | $954 | 48/100 | 86/200 | 56/100 | 41 |
| Quetzaltenango | $946 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 56/100 | 40 |
| Jalapa | $941 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 40 |
| Escuintla | $940 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 40 |
| Villa Canales | $940 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 40 |
| Jutiapa | $937 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 40 |
| Chichicastenango | $936 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 39 |
| San Juan Sacatepéquez | $934 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 39 |
| Petapa | $934 | 49/100 | 86/200 | 55/100 | 39 |
| Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa | $925 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 39 |
| Chiquimula | $924 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Coatepeque | $922 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Chinautla | $921 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Totonicapán | $921 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Puerto Barrios | $919 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Chimaltenango | $918 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Malacatán | $916 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 54/100 | 38 |
| Retalhuleu | $914 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 38 |
| Santa Catarina Pinula | $909 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| San José Pinula | $908 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Huehuetenango | $908 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Santa Cruz del Quiché | $907 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Mazatenango | $907 | 50/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Panzos | $903 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Amatitlán | $903 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 53/100 | 37 |
| Palín | $899 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Salamá | $899 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Chicacao | $895 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Zacapa | $895 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Comitancillo | $894 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Fraijanes | $894 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| San Pedro Ayampuc | $894 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Patzún | $893 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| San Francisco El Alto | $893 | 51/100 | 87/200 | 52/100 | 36 |
| Ostuncalco | $888 | 51/100 | 88/200 | 52/100 | 35 |
| Soloma | $886 | 51/100 | 88/200 | 52/100 | 35 |
| Asunción Mita | $886 | 51/100 | 88/200 | 52/100 | 35 |
Freedom Abroad estimates are modeled for a single person including rent. Pollution: lower score = cleaner air. Click column headers to sort.
Compare Cities Side by Side
Detailed comparison of cost of living, safety, and quality of life
Verified school profiles for families comparing language model, grade range, credentials, and admissions next steps in Guatemala. Tuition appears only when published in verified public sources.
15
Verified records
6
Cities covered
3
Credential signals
Guatemala City
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ciudad Vieja
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Mixco
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala City
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala City
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Quetzaltenango
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Guatemala City
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
School records are maintained from direct school pages, public credential directories, public registry claims, and carefully labeled directory/community sources. Admissions, seat availability, and tuition can change quickly, so Freedom Abroad treats unpublished costs as “Contact school” instead of estimating.
Healthcare system overview for Guatemala
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Air quality, water, and environmental conditions in Guatemala
Pollution Index
43/100
Lower is better
PM2.5
21.6ug/m3
Moderate
Based on 0 survey responses. Perception scores are 0–100 where higher is better unless noted.
Common questions about living in Guatemala, answered with data
Guatemala has a cost of living index of 45 relative to New York City (100). It is moderately affordable compared to the US. Monthly costs for a single person start around $919 in Puerto Barrios and reach $1,145 in Guatemala City.
Puerto Barrios is the most affordable city in Guatemala in Freedom Abroad estimates, with estimated monthly costs of $919 for a single person including rent. Chinautla is the next most affordable at $921/mo.
Guatemala has a safety index of 47/100, making it moderately safe for expats and travellers. Among cities with data, Puerto Barrios scores highest on safety at 50/100.
Puerto Barrios ranks highest for quality of life in Guatemala, scoring 87/200 in Freedom Abroad's modeled quality-of-life estimate. Monthly costs there run around $919/mo for a single person.
Guatemala scores 55/100 in Freedom Abroad's modeled healthcare estimate, making it adequate by global standards. This estimate reflects open public indicators for health outcomes and system capacity.
Yes. Guatemala's cost of living is roughly 55% lower than New York City and generally cheaper than most major US cities. Rent specifically is around 66% cheaper. This makes it a popular destination for remote workers looking to stretch their dollar.
Your pre-departure checklist for Guatemala
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Cost of living, safety, school, and quality-of-life figures on this page are Freedom Abroad estimates or verified public records modeled from open sources. Data sources
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