Guatemala, Guatemala City

Country Full Name: Republic of Guatemala.

Location: Guatemala is in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands.

Country Terrain: Mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau.

Major Languages: Spanish, more than 20 indigenous languages.

Major Religions: Christianity, indigenous Mayan beliefs.

Population: 4.1 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Guatemala has a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products.

Currency: Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ).

Inflation: 6.1% (2011 est.).

Guatemala City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala.

Guatemala City is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic, and considered by many, an economic capital of Central America.

The cost of living in Guatemala City in Guatemala is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Guatemala City in Guatemala is currently ranked 643 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 638 places that are more expensive, and 141 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 677 places that are more expensive, and 102 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 679 places that are more expensive, and 100 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 778 places that are more expensive, and 1 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 108 places that are more expensive, and 671 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 644 places that are more expensive, and 135 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 649 places that are more expensive, and 130 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 504 places that are more expensive, and 275 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 653 places that are more expensive, and 126 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 579 places that are more expensive, and 200 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 475 places that are more expensive, and 304 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 703 places that are more expensive, and 76 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 332 places that are more expensive, and 447 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Guatemala City in Guatemala are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Guatemala City in Guatemala is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Guatemala City in Guatemala are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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