Cost of living in Guatemala?

Dear Jack,
Cost of living in Guatemala will depend actually of the location you choose...
There is various destination to retire in Guatemala.
The most look after is Antigua Guatemala.
There the rent are high but you can find cheaper houses in the villages around Antigua and sometimes also in Antigua. But a great place with a big social life... read The English free magazine of Antigua Guatemala
or  http://www.quepasaenantigua.com/
General information about retiring in Antigua
Retiring in Antigua
Then Lake Atitlan is a second good choice... more rural. More nature but cheaper.Houses can go for a 2 bedrooms in Panajachel with garden in residential areas for $ 500.00  plus utilities.
less social more in contact with nature and the mayan people.
Retiring in Atitlan
Third place Quetzaltenango.. the 2d biggest city in Guatemala at 2100 mts ABL great place with lot to do around the area....
Finally if you like water and tropics Rio Dulce is the destination... If you have a boat then you are set... rent a spot in the numerous Marina and enjoy the area...
Retire in Rio Dulce
And finally check out this blog
http://retirementinguatemala.blogspot.com/
let me know if you have more questions
Best
Armand

hey
i live in antigua guatemala i am a boston transplant its a great location cost of living depends on a varity of things for example a pack of smokes runs about a dollar rent 300 low end 600 high end guatemala is all about location there are several areas where crime  rates would shock people from detroit diet diicates cost to eat american about 80 a month eat native about 20 houses here in antigua run 150 000 to 3000000 ave i live very comfortably on 1100 a month

Interesting comments on rent.  This is actually MORE than 100,000's of places here in the USA!!  Is this the cheapest rents available?  Antiqua is a tourist haven and so is Lago Atilan.  There must be some really nice and more affordable places to live in such a large country.  I just came back from S. America and I have lived in Honduras & Nicaragua and I can live well for less than 1000.00 US dollars.  I have done so and in the years 2009-2011.  Here in Columbus Ohio I can ent decent places for 375 to 450 dollars and even cheaper around the Ohio state University.  guatemala sounds to expensive for several ex-pats that I know!1

                                           Sincerely yolurs,

                                           Paul Cowan

Hi PAul,
What you miss in your analyse is the size of the rental market in Antigua... Contrary of the US where there is a big stock of houses for rent and therefore more offer than demand...in Antigua and most of the touristic areas of Guatemala, the offer of good houses (I mean comfortable, well equipped, a place where you want to stay) is very limited and the demand big so the prices are pulled upward. Still there is a place for any person who want to relocate...