Cost of Living: New York vs Guatemala (Guatemala City)
How expensive is Guatemala compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and GTQ — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Guatemala City
- Price level vs US average
- 44.7 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 7.680 GTQ
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 3.432 GTQ
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Guatemala’s national average. Major cities — especially Guatemala City — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Guatemala cheaper than New York?
Yes. Guatemala is 60% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 40, New York = 100).
What salary in Guatemala equals $100,000 in New York?
About $39,701 a year (about GTQ 304,912 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Guatemala as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Guatemala City more expensive than Guatemala’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Guatemala’s national average price level; large cities such as Guatemala City typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.