The Cost of Eating in Guatemala
Posted on March 28, 2009 - Filed Under Food, Guatemala | 22 Comments
I`ve been answering quite a few emails about the cost of living in Guatemala, and since a lot of people are looking at escaping to this tropical paradise, I thought I`d start talking about it more publicly. Mark, at GuateLiving, also has a post up about the economy here, which, according to the site he reads is going to have lower prices soon. So far I`ve only seen increases in most things, except rebar and iron, but hopefully we’ll see a little lower pricing soon.
So, for the first installment, I thought we`d look at food. According to the local paper, food costs have gone up about 30% in the past year.
Fresh Food
We buy most of our fresh food at a small market stall down the street, but they don`t have a large selection, so for anything we need that isn`t there, we hit the mercado in Antigua.
Fresh fruit and veggies make up a huge part of our diet and they are very cheap . . . cheaper than canned ones! Here`s an example of how much we pay (per pound unless otherwise noted), keeping in mind that prices do vary from vendor to vendor slightly:
Onions = $0.75
Tomatoes = $0.75
Potatoes = $0.60
Lettuce (1 head) = $0.60
Medium Acorn Squash = $0.60
Apples (a bag of 5) = $1.25
Bananas (bunch of 15) = $0.40 (the “good” bananas are about $1 per dozen)
Pineapple = $1-2 depending on size
Coconut = $1
Cantelope (3 small) = $1.25 in season, otherwise an individual melon is about $0.75
Staples
Things like pasta, flour, sugar, lentils, etc. are bought in one of three supermarkets in Antigua. The Bodegona is the most popular place to go but also the most expensive. I usually shop there for specific things like Dorian`s soy milk which they sell in larger, cheaper bags and things like baking powder, chocolate chips and brown flour. The Dispensa is a smaller, less varied supermarket (though it`s so small it could hardly be called “super”) where we do the vast majority of our shopping. They have cheaper meat (ground beef is $1.60/lb, chicken is just over a dollar a pound) and staples.
The third place is called La Popular and has similar prices to the Dispensa, but more variety of fewer types of food. For example, they have three different types of chocolate sauce, a luxury item not found in the Dispensa. This store is empty 99% of the time, so it`s a pleasure to shop there as opposed to the crowded, hot Dispensa.
Specialty Items
There are a lot of things that you simply cannot buy here in a regular store. Things like cranberry juice, corn syrup, baking chocolate, canned soups, specific crackers like Triscuits and American candies are all difficult to find, but can be sourced at Antigua`s specialty import store, Deliciousa. This shop is out of the way if you`re doing regular shopping, but for those things you totally miss (trust me, after a few months in a foreign country, all you really want is some real peanut butter and familiar candy), then it`s well worth the trip. Fortunately, I`ve been here long enough that I don`t really need to spend money on these things (and yes, you do pay for these items through the nose in many cases!).
Other things I haven`t been able to find at all around here include cornmeal, specialty chips like white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips, real cheese (the stuff they call “cheddar” is some bitter blend of who knows what), Twizzlers (my absolute favorite candy ever), real soy sauce (the stuff here is actually sweet), and tofu products . . . though I have heard that tofu is available at the lake and Doña Luisa (a popular restaurant in town) one day a week. Molassas is also difficult to find. I`ve come across it a couple of times in the Bodegona, but it`s there one week and gone the next and since they are constantly moving things around, even the staff has no idea where to find it.
Actual Costs for a Family of Four
Granted, two of us are still pretty small, but this will give you an idea. We usually spend about $75-100 per week on food. Keep in mind that this is for food only, it doesn`t include other items like toothpaste, milk, etc. We rarely eat out and when we do, it`s usually at a very cheap spot.
We eat meat 3-5 times a week, overspend on things like Diet Pepsi, and have fairly simple meals. Breakfasts consist of omelets with veggies, coffee and sweet bread, fresh fruit, or oatmeal with fruit. Lunch is usually our biggest meal of the day and fairly “tipico”, with tortillas, beef, salad and avocados or we`ll just skip the meat and have mashed avocados on bread. For dinner, Irving is often gone, so we eat pasta, beans and rice, beans and bread, or soup. Most of our food is made from scratch, partly because there is a severe lack of pre-made food here that is worth buying and partly because I really enjoy cooking and love to create new dishes.
If you want to see more of what we eat, you can take a look over at Gourmet Mama where I post recipes.
In my next costs of Guatemala post, I`ll talk about healthcare and dentists, something you definitely need to consider if you`re thinking about moving down here.
Comments
22 Responses to “The Cost of Eating in Guatemala”
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It’s odd because that is waaay more expensive than I remember it being. We spend about that much in Ecuador and Ecuador is more expensive than Guatemala (or so I thought). Granted we are two (with a very small third person in there). But when we were over there in 2006, it cost a lot less I think… Thanks for sharing that info! I wonder if prices are different in Panajachel or if it’s about the same. I definitely find that it’s cheaper to cook from scratch in Latin America whereas it seems like the other way around in the US.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. I believe tofu is made in Solola! There was a factory there that a Peace Corps volunteer made in the 70s and it’s still running. In Panajachel’s grocery stores tofu is easy to find. All those hippies you know
Prices have definitely gone up. We used to survive on about $150 a month when it was just the two of us. Tomatoes cost about twenty cents a pound when I first arrived, so you`re not imagining it!
In my experience, everything is cheaper at the lake, though Pana is the most expensive of the towns, of course. I suspect that Antigua is going to be a little higher in prices just because there are SO many foreigners here now.
I wish we lived closer to Solola.
When you move here, if you come to Antigua, I`m going to be begging you to bring me tofu. lol
Hello my friend,
Well I’ll cut to the chase given I was shock and wanted to double check with you in reference to your blog entry ”
Actual Costs for a Family of Four
Genesis you mention that you guys spend 75-100 per week. IS THIS DOLLARS OR QUETZALES?
Given that on your reply “Prices have definitely gone up. We used to survive on about Q150 a month when….” you mentioned Q150 per month so that’s where my confusion came up.
One last question, the list of fresh food. Is that per lbs or per individual item?
O and great news I finally got my letter from the INS letting me know that I’ll be taking my oath on April 22.
say Hola to the kids for us.
Ingrid / Israel / Gae
Ack, I meant $150, as in DOLLARS, sorry! This is what happens when someone is constantly switching prices in their head.
I`ve corrected it.
The fresh food is per lb. where there is nothing else mentioned. I believe I sent you a more complete list a couple months ago, though, Ingrid.
Congrats on your oath! Look forward to meeting you!
I will definitely bring you some tofu
In fact, I am trying to figure out how to make it myself. I read some food blogs about it so when I go to Japan I am going to find a tofu mold and buy a bunch of nigari to take back with me. It sounds like a lot of work but if I just make a huge batch every couple weeks that should be sufficient!
Yikes, prices going up… sounds scary since I will likely be the bread winner there at least in the beginning. When we lived there I was working at a bookstore making $1 an hour or something like that and we still managed to get by so I guess we’ll be okay! lol
I loved this blog post! I’m so interested in Guatemala because I’ve heard about it since I was little & my grandma did a missions trip over there & that’s where my cousin & her husband recently adopted their son from. So it’s a post like this that gives me a ‘glimpse’ into your life over there that makes everything I’ve heard my gram & cousin talk about ‘real’. After just reading this little bit it makes me feel like I’m learning all about the culture and I LOVE that!
Twizzlers rock! I love them too!
We will be moving to Guatemala city in August. Please help me find a realator who can give me numerous houses to look at. I hopefully will be teaching at Colegio Maya an want some inside news on the best living arrangement. I am a single mom of two adopted children, 2 grown and 2 International exchange students.
thanks.
hello,
I have family over in Guatemala and I just sent them $400 usd. They live in Caballo Blanco. I was wondering how much is that and what can they really afford with that. Thanks.
Bonnie, $400 is about Q3,200. So, it would be about 2-3 months wages for one person normally, depending on the job. It really depends on how they eat as to how much they can buy with that amount. In our family, it would buy food for about 6 weeks, but for someone who sticks to beans, rice, tortillas, etc. it could last two or three times that.
I am surprised at the cost of food compared to Alberta, Canada. I was expecting it to be a lot lower.
Do you have information on what it would cost for suite rentals or B&B accommodation per month?
What is the internet service like down there? Adequate wifi to SKYPE?
Thanks for your time.
Hi, Debra, it used to be cheaper, but prices have gone up drastically over the past year and a half. You can often get a one room apartment in a house for $200-300 a month. Internet tends to be slow sometimes, but I use Skype all the time with my family. It does drop out occasionally, but for the most part it’s fine. Hope that helps!
Hi Genesis,
I must say that your Cost Of Living Allowance analysis in terms of food in Guate seems to me right on the money -pun intended. Still, I note that I live in Ottawa, have access to outstanding quality fresh food stores and always manage to spend less than 100 dollars a week. Although we’re a family of two, we eat a lot of fish, a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and even freshly squeezed OJ which -as you know- is very expensive in northern climates. It is disturbing to note just how difficult it must be for locals or expats earning local wages to make ends meet. I suspect the cost of oil and the steep decline in purchasing power of the U.S. dollar are partly responsible for the sharp increases in COLA. As you know, the guatemalan currency is de-facto tied to the US $ and as a result, many all goods and services in-country are dollarized. Your post should give pause to those who think that they can move to Guate, live on a local budget and being able to survive is an easy thing to achieve. Good luck with your stay. WF
Wow definetly a eye opener! I was under the impression that Guate was alot cheaper food wize. Add the fact that there are so much food that I take for granted that would be hard to find or would be consider luxery items costing a fortune really makes me think twice to ever moving there.
Is those prices everywhere? I realize I would have to give up on some of the things if I moved there but food wasn’t one of them.I think it is cheaper here in Canada and I eat meat daily.
Thanks for the eye opener.
These are prices in Antigua, Kirk, so I’m sure things are cheaper in other areas that aren’t so tourist-ridden. It surprised me, too, when comparing prices with my family back in Canada to find that some things were cheaper. Fruit and veggies do tend to be less here, but everything else is the same or more, it seems.
How do you prepare fresh veggies so that they are safe to eat? I have been told that leafy vegetables are difficult to clean thoroughly to prevent gastrointestinal infections. In 20ll, my husband and I plan to live in Guatemala. I don’t want to give up healthy eating of fresh veggies and fruit.
You shouldn’t have to give up fresh food, Norma. I take a big bowl, fill it with water and add a couple drops of bleach. Then I let the veggies and what have you sit in it for 5-10 minutes. That seems to take care of everything. Even lettuce and spinach can be cleaned this way. I usually give those a rub as I’m taking them out of the water. I frequently drink raw green smoothies and haven’t had any issues with them.
Whatever you do, though, DON’T just rinse veggies under tap water. I’ve gotten quite ill from that because the water has nasties in it, too.
Thanks for your response. With your comments and assurance, I can rest easy. I will look forward to being able to safely eating fresh leafy veggies in Guatemala.
hello, me and my soon to be husband are thinking about moving to guada and i really dont know where to find a job do u have any sugestions?
Very basic jobs like bartending and teaching English are easily available, but I highly recommend starting your own business if you want to actually earn anything worthwhile. I will probably do a post in February about earning money while living here, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, you might look at private schools, colegios, and English schools in the area you want to live in to see if they would be interested in hiring an English teacher. That is usually the best paying position.
hello. I am leaving for Antigua this Sat. to student teach. I was wondering how much money will I need there? I will be there for 3 weeks. = 23 days. I am a really picky eater and will not eat fish or anything with the bone on it. So…what can I eat there and how much should I bring?
Tiffany, I’d suggest looking for a hotel or hostel where you can cook your own food. There are plenty of fresh vegetables available in the market, rice, beans, etc. are all available. The supermarkets also sell boneless chicken breasts for about Q23 each (about $3).
If you cook your own meals, it’s quite possible to eat three meals a day for $5-10, depending on how frugal you are. Eating out would require more, probably between $15-25 a day for cheap meals, more if you go to the more expensive restaurants. If you like familiar food, Burger King and McDonalds are both available here and they are very similar in prices to those in the US.