The prices in Guatemala are manna from heaven for a budget backpacker.
On £30 for two you can easily dine out twice a day, enjoy decent accommodation and a few beers, whilst still having more than enough change for a bus ride to your next town and an activity or two.
The costs below are the average we encountered during our time in the country, and items have been chosen due to their ubiquity across the world and their popularity amongst backpackers. This will allow us, and you, to make a comparison of living and travel costs across Latin America.
Currencies are GTQ / £GBP / $USD. Conversion rate as at time of publication.
average daily cost for two budget backpackers (us!)
£25.4 / $42.5
double room/night
Possibly some of the cheapest double rooms in Latin America!
100Q / £7.5 / $13
basic breakfast out for one
Eggs, frijoles, tortillas and coffee are all it takes to get this country moving - and if you eat this out, you'll have plenty of money left for the rest of the day.
20Q / £1.5 / $2.5
one litre water
Buy it in a gallon bottle, and you'll save a lot more.
6Q / £0.5 / $0.75
one banana
They're cheap; we ate a lot.
0.7Q / £0.05 / $0.09
cup of coffee
You'd think given that this is a coffee growing country, a cup of joe here would be fantastic - unfortunately is almost always instant.
7Q / £0.5 / $0.9
half-dozen eggs
In a cheap country, eggs should be cheap - in Guatemala, they're even cheeeeper :)
7Q / £0.5 / $0.9
bottle of local beer (330mls)
The same price - if not cheaper - than water. Try not to be drunk all the time.
15Q / £1.15 / $1.9
500g dried spaghetti + 1kg marinara sauce
With prices like these, every backpacker can stay well fed.
27Q / £2 / $3.5
can of coke
5Q / £0.4 / $0.65
large tube of pringles
17Q / £1.3 / $2.2
pack of 20 local cigarettes
Go to the right shop, and you might find them even cheaper.
